Multisegmented magnet array on voice coil motor in rotating data storage devices

The swing-arm-type voice coil motor (VCM) is widely used as an actuator in rotating data storage devices. Recently, it has been found that to achieve a faster data transfer rate and a higher data storage areal density, a high performance actuator is required. Moreover, a small form factor has become desirable for portable devices. In this paper, a novel magnetic circuit of VCM with multisegmented magnet array (MSMA) is proposed. Both the magnetic circuits of the conventional VCM and the MSMA VCM are optimized using the 3D finite element method. Sample magnetic circuits are fabricated with optimally designed parameters and a comparative analysis is carried out. The performances of magnetic circuits are evaluated and the experimental results prove the effectiveness of the proposed magnet array.