A head gimbal assembly (HGA) loader for providing a succession of HGAs to a magnetic head tester, wherein each HGA includes a planar base plate having a boss hole of radius R and disposed about a center point CP passing therethrough, a load arm extending from the base plate to a distal end thereof, a magnetic head affixed to the distal end of the load arm, an elongated circuit sheet element extending along a flex axis from the center point to the distal end of the sheet element, and array of electrical contact pads disposed at the distal end of the sheet element, herein the load beam and the base plate are relatively stiff compared to the sheet element, comprising:
- A. a first workstation including an HGAs carrier affixed to a base, and including an upward-facing horizontal surface for receiving and storing in a single-layer array, a plurality of HGAs to be tested in succession;
- B. a second workstation including an upward-facing planar annular alignment surface on an alignment table affixed to the base, and for receiving the HGAs one at a time from the HGA carrier and clamping each HGA as received to the alignment surface, wherein the alignment surface is rotatable about a vertical alignment axis;
- C. a rotary actuator affixed to the base and coupled to the mounting surface to effect rotational displacement of the mounting surface about a vertical axis;
- D. a third workstation including an HGA support assembly affixed to the base and including a planar HGA support surface disposed about a collet axis parallel to the alignment axis, and a clamp assembly for clamping a received HGA to the HGA support surface;
- E. a digital camera configured to create an image of an HGA placed on the alignment table of the second workstation;
- F. a transporter affixed to the base, and including a track overlying the base, and a carriage movable along the track to selectively overlie and face each of the first, second and third workstations, where the carriage includes a plurality of pickers for selectively attaching to an HGA to enable selective transfer of the respective HGAs from one of the workstations to another;
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- G. a controller is operative for each HGA on the HGA carrier, in succession, for providing control signals to the elements A-F to effect:
- i. picking and transporting of the HGAs in succession, from the HGAs carrier to be received at the planar top surface of the alignment table with the boss holes of the respective HGAs centered about the alignment axis,
- ii. at the alignment table, maintaining the boss holes of the respective HGAs centered about the alignment axis, while rotating the planar top surface of the alignment table whereby the flex axes of the respective received HGAs are angularly positioned to the predetermined angular orientation about the alignment axis
- iii. picking and transporting of the HGAs in succession, while maintaining the flex axes of respective HGAs angularly positioned about an HGA transport axis parallel to the alignment axis at the same angular position as at the top surface of the alignment table, from the top surface of the alignment table, to be received at the annular planar HGA support surface of the HGA support assembly with the boss holes of the respective HGAs coaxial with the collet axis,
- iv. clamping the received succession of HGAs to the annular planar HGA support surface of the HGA support assembly with the boss holes of the respective HGAs disposed about the collet axis while maintaining the flex axes of respective HGAs angularly positioned about collet axis at the same angular position as at the top surface of the alignment table, and
- v. applying a test connector to the array of contact pads of the respective HGAs, and testing signals to, and receiving test result signals from, the array of contact pads of the respective HGAs.