Patent ID: 7546216

Claim:
A method for testing head gimbal assemblies comprising: picking a first head gimbal assembly from a first processing area and holding the first head gimbal assembly with a first end effector; positioning the first end effector adjacent a second processing area, releasing the first head gimbal assembly from the first end effector to the second processing area, and aligning the first head gimbal assembly in the second processing area; picking the first head gimbal assembly from the second processing area and holding the first head gimbal assembly with the first end effector; positioning the first end effector adjacent a third processing area, releasing the first head gimbal assembly from the first end effector to the third processing area, and maintaining an alignment of the first head gimbal assembly from the second processing area, positioning the first end effector adjacent the first processing area, picking a second head gimbal assembly from the first processing area, positioning the first end effector adjacent the second processing area, and releasing the second head gimbal assembly from the first end effector to the second processing area; dynamically electrically testing the first head gimbal assembly in on the third processing area nest by reading from and/or writing to a rotating disc; and positioning a second end effector, different from the first end effector, adjacent the third processing area, picking the electrically tested first head gimbal assembly from the third processing area with the second end effector, and returning with the second end effector the electrically tested first head gimbal assembly to the first processing area holding a second head gimbal assembly with a second end effector at the same time the first end effector holds the first head gimbal assembly.