Disc drive suspension bend section and method

A suspension connecting a slider to an actuator arm of an actuator assembly mounted in a disc drive, the actuator assembly adapted to rotate the slider over a surface of a disc within the disc drive, wherein the suspension comprises:

• a load beam anchor sheet connected to an end of the actuator arm;
• a load beam having a distal end attached to the slider;
• and
• a bend section connecting the load beam anchor sheet to a proximal end of the load beam to provide a pre-load force to the slider in the direction of the disc surface, wherein the distal end of the load beam and the attached slider are back-bent a predetermined distance in a direction away from the disc surface to plastically deform the bend section so as to adjust the pre-load force while the suspension is attached to the actuator arm within the disc drive.

A disc drive having an information storage disc rotatably mounted on a spin motor, the disc drive comprising:

• an actuator assembly having an actuator arm for directing a slider over a surface of the information storage disc;
• and
• a suspension connected between the actuator arm and the slider to provide a pre-load force to the slider in the direction of the disc surface, wherein the suspension comprises:
• a load beam anchor sheet connected to an end of the actuator arm;
• a load beam having a distal end attached to the slider;
• and
• a bend section connecting the load beam anchor sheet to a proximal end of the load beam to provide the pre-load force to the slider, wherein the distal end of the load beam and the attached slider are back-bent a predetermined distance in a direction away from the disc surface to plastically deform the bend section so as to adjust the pre-load force while the suspension is attached to the actuator arm within the disc drive.

A method of adjusting a pre-load force applied to a slider in the direction of an information storage disc within a disc drive, the method comprising steps of:

• (a) attaching a suspension to an actuator arm of an actuator assembly, the suspension including a load beam having a distal end attached to the slider and a bend section for applying the pre-load force to the distal end of the load beam;
• (b) positioning the actuator assembly within the disc drive adjacent the information storage disc;
• and
• (c) back-bending the distal end of the load beam a predetermined distance in a direction opposite the pre-load force until the bend section undergoes a plastic deformation.