Counterbalance fastener for a disc drive stacked actuator

The claimed invention relates generally to the field of disc drive data storage devices and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a disc drive stacked actuator having a counterbalance fastener which secures stacked components in the actuator together and which acts as a counterbalance to a flex circuit assembly mounted to the actuator. A stacked actuator for controllably positioning a data transducing head adjacent a data recording surface in a disc drive, and a method for fabricating the stacked actuator. The stacked actuator is formed from a plurality of stackable members arranged into a component stack. A counterbalance fastener is installed on a first side of the component stack to secure the stackable members together. A flex circuit assembly is subsequently affixed to a second side of the component stack opposite the first side. The mass and location of the counterbalance fastener are selected to counterbalance the mass of the flex circuit assembly so that the completed actuator is nominally balanced about an actuator rotational axis.