SSB & ImpacGuard
Since SAMSUNG started manufacturing HDDs in 1988, we have made continual efforts to provide our customers with the latest technological innovations. HDDs are very sensitive to shock (approximately 30% of HDD failure is shock-induced). For that reason, non-operational shock specifications are strongly emphasized.
For PC makers, PC defect rates are directly corelated to HDD failure. The PC assembly process is critical - during this time, HDDs are most susceptible to external shock. Once an HDD is installed in a PC, it is encased in a stable environment and is less vulnerable to external shock. Unhoused HDDs, therefore, are very vulnerable as they are exposed to external shocks (as many as several hundred Gs/millisecond) incurred by mishandling, installation, etc.
As an HDD's storage capacity increases, the length and width between sectors, in which data is stored, become shorter. As the distance between sectors is shortened, the flying height between the disc and head (distance between head and disc) is also shortened. In today's PCs, the distance between sectors is less than 0.3 micronmeter. As the storage capacity of platters increase, so does the likelihood of collision between the disk and head.
In an effort to minimize shock-induced HDD failure, SAMSUNG has created two revolutionary technologies: SSB™(Shock Skin Bumper) and ImpacGuard.
During shipping and assemply processes, HDDs may experience high levels of shock. These strong vibrations damage the disc, preventing it from functioning properly. Even the slightest shock is capable of damaging an HDD-small shocks may travel into the core of an HDD and cause a head slap (a situation in which a disturbed head hits the disc). When this collision occurs, particles form on the disc's surface (the distance between disc and head is approximately 0.3 micronmeter). These particles accumulate and create friction with the head, and in doing so, increase the temperature of the disc. This increased heat causes problematic read/write errors and bad sector and data losses. These problems make a PC unreliable, and may ultimately end in a fatal system error.
As illustrated below, a bumper is a space-efficient component designed to protect shock-vulnerable HDDs. The bumper increases shock duration while decreasing shock amplitude, thereby reducing a shock's force on an HDD. As its name suggest, the SSB acts very much in the way a car's bumper minimizes the impact of collisions. The following table shows the shock amplitude before and after SSB installation. The results clearly proves that an SSB-equipped HDD minimizes shock impact.
ImpacGuardTM , another SAMSUNG innovation, prevents an HDD disc from vibrating when not assisted by the helping head media, which is parked in the landing zone. SSB™ minimizes the impact of external shocks while ImpacGuardTM strengthens an HDD's internal resistance to shock by reinforcing the disc and minimizing its susceptibility to shock.
