Receiving and positioning a read/write head to a disk in a test apparatus

Apparatus for receiving and positioning a read/write head 100 to a disk (5) in a test apparatus has a deck (2) and a spindle (4) on the deck (2) and on which a disk (5) can be mounted for rotation of the disk (5). A gripper (20) is provided for holding a head 100 during testing, the gripper (20) being movable over a surface of the deck (2). A coarse 40 or fine precisor 50 receives a head 100 and accurately aligns the head 100, the precisor 50 being movable over a surface of the deck (2). A pick (6) is operable to pick up and place down a head 100. The precisor 50 is movable to a position where the pick (6) can pick up a head 100 from the precisor 50 and place down a head 100 on the precisor 50. The gripper (20) is movable to a position where the pick can pick up a head 100 from the gripper (20) and place down a head 100 on the gripper (20). The precisor and the gripper are mounted on the puck (25) which can be X-Y positioned. With this arrangement the pick can stay stationary and existing spin stand puck (25) can be used to move the precisor and gripper in turn under the pick.