The dynamics of slider bearings during contacts between slider and disk

The dynamics of a “mini-Winchester” magnetic recording slider are studied during contacts with a hard, rotating memory disk using numerical simulation. An on-line solution of the Reynolds equation is used to calculate the air-film pressure, and a “coefficient-of-restitution” model is used to describe intermittent slider/disk contacts. Studies are made to identify system configurations which reduce the possibility of a “head crash” during contact start/stop.