Patent ID: 8516686

Claim:
A method for inspecting a slider for a disk drive, comprising: locating a movable table, which is movable in a track width direction of a disk, in a standby position at a distance from the disk; disposing a plurality of suspensions on a suspension support portion of the movable table; mounting the slider on a gimbal portion of each said suspension; rotating the disk; moving the movable table toward an inside of the disk, thereby moving respective lift tabs of the suspensions in a track width direction of the disk along a guide member; moving the lift tab of a first suspension situated on a front side with respect to a direction of the movement along a first guide surface to an opening of the guide member; dropping the slider of the first suspension toward a recording surface of the disk through the opening, thereby causing the first slider to fly above the recording surface; accessing the recording surface by means of an element of the slider in order to inspect the first slider; further moving the movable table toward the inside of the disk, thereby causing the lift tab of the first suspension to get on a second guide surface of the guide member; further moving the movable table toward the inside of the disk, thereby causing the lift tab of a second suspension to move along the first guide surface to the opening; dropping the slider of the second suspension toward the recording surface through the opening, thereby causing the second slider to fly above the recording surface; accessing the recording surface by means of the element of the slider in order to inspect the second slider; moving the movable table toward the standby position after access is finished; and removing the sliders from the suspensions having moved to the standby position.