What are the advantages of fluid dynamic bearings?
Fluid dynamic bearings (FDB) operate by recirculating the lubricant around the motor shaft while it rotates. As the motor bearing housing is completely encapsulated, there is no potential for lubricant leakage like that of sleeve bearing or ball bearings. In addition, like magnetic levitation bearings, the shaft does not contact the stator when it rotates, allowing for less wear and tear over time and thus, longer life span. But unlike magnetic levitation bearings, there is a layer of lubricant that works to dampen vibration from the motor. Most hard drives on the market today have made the switch from ball bearings to fluid dynamic bearings in the last few years due to the increased reliability and lower noise levels of the latter. Some of our packaging may still say hybrid bearings, and this is because fluid dynamic bearings are a type of hybrid bearings.
