Method to fabricate a damped suspension assembly
View Patent ↗A method to fabricate a damped suspension assembly includes providing a suspension assembly including a mounting plate, a bend region, and a load beam. A first thinned area of the load beam is partially-etched. The bend region does not include the first thinned area. A constrained-layer damper is adhered to the first thinned area of the load beam without being adhered to the bend region.
1. A method to fabricate a damped suspension assembly, the method comprising:
partially etching a first thinned area of a load beam;
providing a suspension assembly including the load beam, a bend region, and a mounting plate, the bend region not including the first thinned area;
adhering a constrained-layer damper to the first thinned area of the load beam without adhering the constrained-layer damper to the bend region.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a suspension assembly further comprises welding the bend region to the mounting plate.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein welding comprises spot welding.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a suspension assembly further comprises separately forming the bend region and forming the load beam, and welding the bend region to the load beam.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein welding comprises laser welding.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the bend region and the load beam are formed together from the same sheet so as to be integrally joined.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the bend region includes a second thinned area, and the constrained-layer damper is not adhered to the second thinned area.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the load beam comprises stainless steel.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein partially etching is continued until a thickness of the first thinned area is in the range 15 microns to 80 microns.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein partially etching is continued until the load beam in the first thinned area has been etched by an amount in the range of 40% to 80% of a full thickness of the load beam.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the constrained-layer damper includes a damping layer and a constraining layer, and adhering comprises using the damping layer as an adhesive.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the constraining layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel, polyimide, and polyester.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the constraining layer defines a constraining layer thickness in the range 10 microns to 125 microns.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the damping layer comprises a viscoelastic material.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the damping layer defines a damping layer thickness in the range 25 microns to 125 microns.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the first thinned area is at least one-fifth of a total area of the load beam but no more than four-fifths of a total area of the load beam.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein partially etching comprises wet chemical etching.