A simplified assessment of the performance of differentially textured hard disk sliders

Abstract

The recently introduced concept of differentially tailored tribo-devices has been extended to hard disk sliders. In this first paper dealing with the subject, the high bearing number approximation has been used to calculate load carrying capacity and stiffness for a few micro- and macro-geometry combinations. The author has previously shown that the averaging operators derived for incompressible texture are also valid for the compressible case. From this it follows that texture in the form of longitudinal furrows is not beneficial. This introductory study therefore involves transverse grooves only. The predicted performance has been compared with that of more conventional sliders. It is found that the new concept may lead to sliders having stiffness properties better than those of most current slider designs known to the author. It is also argued that the texture of these new surfaces, which should be easy to manufacture, may provide some damping.