Hard drives store the data on your computer. Your documents, pictures, music, videos, computer programs, and operating system are all on the hard drive. The computer’s memory uses magnets to store and retrieve data, which means your hard drive contains sensitive components and different types of metal. Today’s blog from the computer remarketing expert at I.T. Supply Solutions explains what’s in a hard drive.

Components

The outside of the hard drive is called the enclosure. The enclosure is very sturdy. Special screws hold the enclosure in place. Just inside the enclosure is the spindle. The spindle is a small, arm-like structure that reads the memory of the hard drive and transmits it to the rest of the computer. The spindle uses a magnetic field to accomplish this, almost like a needle on an old-style record player. Just beneath the spindle is the platter. Platters are circular discs at the core of the hard drive, and they store the actual information. When our computer remarketing team examines your hard drives, we’ll take a look at their physical condition.

Metals

Hard drives are specialized instruments. As such, they’re made of special metals. The enclosure is made of aluminum for ruggedness and sturdiness. Aluminum also protects the magnetic field inside because aluminum is not very magnetic.

The spindle is normally made of copper wire. Copper wire is coated to protect the interior, while the copper itself conducts electricity and magnetic fields easily. 

Platters are constructed of aluminum. Magnets inside the hard drive allow the spindle to read the information stored on the platter. These special magnets are comprised of neodymium. The reason manufacturers use neodymium in magnets is because the magnetism is permanent, meaning there doesn’t need to be an electrical field to keep recharging the magnetic field.

Rare Metals

Hard drives may contain rare or precious metals, which is why recycling old hard drives is important. Some rare metals can contaminate groundwater or the soil. Hard drives could have small amounts of platinum, palladium, and cobalt in them, in addition to the neodymium. Platinum is in the coating of some platters to protect them from wayward magnetic fields. Cobalt helps the hard drive write data onto the platter. Palladium works as part of a capacitor that regulates the electricity in a hard drive.

Our computer remarketing process involves the proper recycling of these rare metals if your hard drives are too old. The staff at I.T. Supply Solutions recycles these rare metals properly so they don’t end up in landfills.

Computer Remarketing @ I.T. Supply Solutions

Talk to I.T. Supply Solutions about computer remarketing for your company. We can sell your old equipment if it’s still viable, or we can recycle it. If you need older equipment, consider wholesale refurbished desktops and laptops that work just as well as brand-new machines.  Contact I.T. Supply Solutions or call (859) 534-2323 for more information.