Manufacturing apparatus of a head gimbal assembly

A manufacturing apparatus configured to manufacture a head gimbal assembly that includes a head configured to record information in and to reproduce the information from a recording medium, a suspension configured to support the head, and a suspension substrate fixed onto the suspension and connected electrically to the head at one end, the suspension substrate having a terminal part at another end, said manufacturing apparatus comprising:

• a work table used to bend the terminal part of the suspension substrate;
• a suction unit configured to attract the head gimbal assembly;
• a movement unit configured to move a long tail connected to the terminal part of the suspension substrate;
• a stopper against which the long tail that has been moved by the movement unit is butted;
• a transmission type optical sensor configured to detect that the long tail is positioned relative to the stopper by determining whether light that passes a groove provided in the work table is shielded by the long tail;
• a tail holder configured to hold a part of the long tail on the work table;
• a roller configured to compress the terminal part against the tail holder and to bend the terminal part relative to the long tail at a right angle;
• and
• a controller configured to control, based on a detection result of the transmission type optical sensor, a movement of the tail holder to the work table and a movement of the roller to the tail holder.