Method of using a tooling mandrel for assembling a disk drive

1. A method of assembling a disk drive, comprising the steps of:

providing a head stack assembly including a shaft, the shaft defining a shaft outer diameter and including an engagement feature recessed within the shaft and entirely contained within the shaft outer diameter;

providing a tooling mandrel, the tooling mandrel including at least two tooling fingers, at least one of the tooling fingers being movable, the at least one movable tooling finger being configured to be moved between a first configuration in which respective distal tips of the tooling fingers are insertable into and removable from the engagement feature and a second configuration in which the distal tips are configured to engage the engagement feature, the tooling mandrel further including a tooling finger spreader coupled to the at least one movable tooling finger and configured to selectively move the at least one movable tooling finger between the first and second configurations;

locating the distal tips at least partially within the engagement feature with the tooling fingers in the first configuration; and

moving the at least one movable tooling finger to the second configuration to engage the shaft.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a disk drive base;

positioning the shaft against the disk drive base; and

attaching the shaft to the disk drive base with the tooling fingers in the second configuration to prevent the shaft from rotating relative to the disk drive base.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including a step of moving the at least one movable tooling finger to the first configuration after the attaching step.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the shaft defines an axis of rotation and wherein the positioning step includes orienting the shaft at a predefined angle about the axis of rotation with respect to the disk drive base.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shaft includes an orientation mark.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the orienting step includes rotating the tooling mandrel about the longitudinal axis until the shaft is disposed at the predefined angle about the axis of rotation with respect to the disk drive base.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the rotation of the tooling mandrel is performed during the positioning step.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the rotation of the tooling mandrel is performed before the positioning step.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the attaching step includes using a fastener through the disk drive base to engage the shaft.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fastener includes one of a screw and a rivet.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the attaching step is carried out by at least one of:

press fitting the shaft into the disk drive base;

soldering the shaft to the disk drive base;

heat bonding the shaft to the disk drive base; and

disposing a layer of adhesive between the shaft and the disk drive base.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal tips are disposed away from one another when the tooling fingers are in the second configuration.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal tips are disposed closer to one another when the tooling fingers are in the first configuration than when the tooling fingers are in the second configuration.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distal tips, when the tooling fingers are in the second configuration, are configured to define a cross-sectional shape that includes at least three sides.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two tooling fingers comprise three tooling fingers.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising steps of:

providing at least one movable wedge that is configured to be moved between a first wedge configuration in which the at least two tooling fingers remain in the first configuration and a second wedge configuration in which the at least one wedge is disposed between the at least two tooling fingers to maintain the at least two tooling fingers in the second configuration; and

moving the at least one wedge to the second wedge configuration to maintain the at least two tooling fingers in the second configuration.