Three-point spindle-supported floating abrasive platen

• US 8,740,668 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wayne O. Duescher
• Original Assignee: Wayne O. Duescher
• Inventors: Duescher, Wayne O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Eileen P.
• Application Number:
  US12/661,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20110223835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 451/11, 451/41, 451/59, 451/63, 451/285, 451/287, 451/289, 451/290, 451/331, 451/339, 451/388, 451/288
• US Class Current: 451/11
• CPC Class Codes: B24B 37/107 in a rotary movement only, about an axis being stationary during lapping

Abstract

A method and apparatus for releasbly attaching flexible abrasive disks to a flat-surfaced platen that floats in three-point abrading contact with three rigid equal-height flat-surfaced rotable fixed-position workpiece spindles that are mounted on a precision-flat abrading machine base where the spindle surfaces are in a common plane that is co-planar with the base surface. The three spindles are positioned to form a triangle of platen supports where the rotational-centers of each of the spindles are positioned at the center of the annular width of the platen abrading surface. Flat surfaced workpieces are attached to the spindles and the rotating floating-platen abrasive surface contacts all three rotating workpieces to perform single-sided abrading. The platen abrasive can be re-reflattened by attaching equal-thickness abrasive disks to the three spindles that are rotated while in abrading contact with the rotating platen abrasive. There is no wear of the abrasive-disk protected platen surface.

Claims

1. An at least three-point, fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine apparatus comprising:

a) three equal height rotary spindles having circular rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that each have a spindle-top axis of rotation at a center of the rotatable flat-surfaced spindle top;

b) an abrading machine base having a horizontal, flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is located near the center of a top-surface of the machine base and the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base top surface;

c) wherein the at least three rotary spindles are located with equal spaces between each of them and the spindle-tops'"'"' axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the spindles are attached to the machine base top surface at those spindle-circle locations by a respective at least three spindle-support mounting legs that are equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindles to form at least three-point supports of the spindles;

d) wherein the three spindle-top flat surfaces are co-planar with each other and where the three spindle-top flat surfaces are parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

e) wherein the spindle-tops axes of rotation are perpendicular to the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

f) a floating, rotatable abrading platen having a flat annular abrading surface with an abrasive band radial width and where the platen is supported by and rotationally driven about a platen rotation axis located at a rotational center of the platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the platen and the spherical-action rotation device restrains the platen in a radial direction relative to the platen axis of rotation and the platen axis of rotation is concentric with the machine base spindle-circle;

g) wherein the spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the floating platen about the platen rotation axis where the platen abrading surface is nominally horizontal;

h) and wherein the platen can be moved vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the at least three spindles wherein the at least three spaced spindles provide at least three-point support of the platen and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

i) and wherein the total force from the platen abrading contact that is applied to the at least three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-tops with the platen is controlled through the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the total platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the at least three individual spindle-tops;

j) flexible abrasive disk components having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces wherein the radial width of the platen annular abrading surface is at least equal to the radial width of the abrasive disk annular abrading band of abrasives where each flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the platen abrading surface by disk attachment techniques such that the attached abrasive disks are concentric with the platen abrading surface;

k) wherein equal-thickness workpieces having parallel or near-parallel opposed flat surfaces are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the spindle-tops and the platen is vertically moveable to allow the abrasive surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces such that the total platen abrading contact force is evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the at least three equally-spaced spindle-tops;

l) wherein the at least three spindle-tops having the attached workpieces can be rotated about the spindle axes and the platen can be rotated about the platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces while the moving platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the workpieces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least three spindle-tops have flat-surfaced disk-type devices comprising workpieces, workpiece carriers, abrasive conditioning rings and abrasive disks and where the flexible disk components on the at least three spindle tops are attached to the at least three spindle tops by attachment technologies selected from the group consisting of vacuum attachment, mechanical attachment and adhesive attachment techniques and where in the attached flat-surfaced disk-type devices or groups of workpieces are concentric with the spindle-tops.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the machine base is granite.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least three spindles are air bearing spindles.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 where the workpiece spindles have an adjustable height at least three-point support legs where the at least three support legs are attached to a bottom supporting surface of each spindle and the spindle support leg are positioned around the periphery of the spindle body with equal space distances between the support legs to form an at least three-point support of the workpiece spindle and where the spindle-top rotation axis can be aligned perpendicular with the flat machine base top surface by adjusting the height of the three support legs and where mechanical fasteners attach each of the at least three-point spindle legs to the machine base top surface thereby attaching the workpiece spindle to the machine base.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the platen flexible abrasive disk articles are selected from the group consisting of:

flexible abrasive disks, flexible raised-island abrasive disks, flexible abrasive disks with resilient backing layers, flexible abrasive disks with resilient backing layers having a vacuum-seal polymer backing layer, flexible abrasive disks having attached solid abrasive pellets, chemical-mechanical planarization resilient disk pads that are suitable for use with liquid abrasive slurries, chemical-mechanical planarization resilient disk pads having nap covers, shallow-island chemical-mechanical planarization abrasive disks, shallow-island abrasive disks with resilient backing layers having a vacuum-seal polymer backing layer, and flat-surfaced slurry abrasive plate disks.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 where auxiliary workpiece spindles in excess of the at least three workpiece spindles which are primary workpiece spindles are attached to the machine base precision-flat surface and where the more than three auxiliary workpiece spindles are each positioned between sets of two adjacent primary three-point equally spaced workpiece spindles, the auxiliary spindle-top having centers of rotation that are positioned on the machine base spindle-circle, the height of the auxiliary workpiece spindles which are equal in height to the primary workpiece spindles, the axis of rotation of the auxiliary spindle spindle-tops are perpendicular to the top flat surface of the machine base and the top surfaces of the spindle-tops of the auxiliary spindles are co-planar with the top surfaces of the spindle-tops of the primary spindles.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 where the three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen is configured to abrade the flat-surfaced spindle-tops with a structure comprising:

a) the at least three spindle-top flat surfaces are co-planar with each other and where the three spindle-top flat surfaces are parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

b) flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces having the radial width of the platen annular abrading surface at least equal to the radial width of the abrasive disk annular abrading band of abrasives and a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the platen abrading surface by disk attachment techniques comprising vacuum disk attachment techniques, mechanical disk attachment techniques and adhesive disk attachment techniques where the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the platen abrading surface;

c) and wherein the platen can be moved vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the abrasive surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the spindle-tops where the total platen abrading contact force is evenly distributed to the three equally-spaced spindle-tops;

d) providing that the at least three spindle-tops rotated about their respective spindle axes and the platen is rotated about the platen rotation axis to abrade the spindle-tops while the moving platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the spindle-tops where the abrading pressure is equal for all three spindle-tops and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface and wherein the abraded surfaces of the spindle-tops are parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface and wherein the abraded surfaces of the spindle-tops are parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

9. An automated robotic workpiece loading apparatus attached to the apparatus of claim 1 that can selectively install and remove workpieces for a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine apparatus comprising:

a) three equal-height rotary spindles having circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of the circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle top;

b) an abrading machine base having a horizontal precision-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is located at the approximate center of the machine base top surface and the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base top surface;

c) wherein the three rotary spindles are located with equal spaces between each of them and the spindle-tops axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the spindles are attached to the machine base top surface at those spindle-circle locations by three spindle-support mounting legs that are equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindles to form three-point supports of the spindles;

d) wherein the spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely co-planar with each other and where the spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

e) wherein the spindle-tops axes of rotation are precisely perpendicular to the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

f) a floating rotatable abrading platen having a precision-flat annular abrading surface where the platen is supported by and rotationally driven about a platen rotation axis located at the rotational center of the platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the platen and the spherical-action rotation device restrains the platen in a radial direction relative to the platen axis of rotation;

g) wherein the spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the platen about the platen rotation axis where the platen abrading surface is nominally horizontal;

h) and wherein the platen can be moved vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action rotation device to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the three spindles wherein the three spaced spindles provide three-point support of the platen and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

i) and wherein the total contact force that is applied to the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-tops with the platen is controlled through the spherical-action rotation device to allow the total contact force to be evenly distributed to the three individual spindle-tops;

j) wherein equal-thickness workpieces having parallel or near-parallel opposed flat surfaces are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the spindle-tops and the platen is moved vertically to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpiece where the total contact force is evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the three spindle-tops;

k) wherein the spindle-tops having the attached workpieces can be rotated about the spindle axes and the platen can be rotated about the platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces while the platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the workpieces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface. l) an automated robotic device that can sequentially transport and install selected flat workpieces or flat workpiece carrier devices on the top flat surface on all three spindle-top flat surfaces by picking selected individual workpieces or workpiece carrier devices from a corresponding workpiece or workpiece carrier storage device and can transport it to a select spindle spindle-top where it is positioned concentrically with the rotational center of the rotatable spindle-top wherein the workpiece or workpiece carrier is attached to the spindle-top with vacuum for abrading action on the workpieces by the abrading machine apparatus; and

the same automated robotic device sequentially can remove selected flat workpieces or flat workpiece carrier devices from the top flat surface on all three spindle-top flat surfaces by picking the individual workpieces or workpiece carriers from a selected spindle-top and transporting them to a corresponding workpiece or workpiece carrier storage device for storage.

10. A process of loading workpieces using the apparatus of claim 9 where workpieces are selectively installed and removed from a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine apparatus comprising:

a) and moving the platen vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action rotation device to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the three spindles wherein the three spaced spindles provide three-point support of the platen and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

b) wherein the total contact force that is applied to the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-tops with the platen is controlled through the spherical-action rotation device to allow the total contact force to be evenly distributed to the three individual spindle-tops;

c) providing equal-thickness workpieces having parallel opposed flat surfaces that are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the spindle-tops and the platen is moved vertically to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpiece where the total contact force is evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the three spindle-tops;

d) wherein the spindle-tops having the attached workpieces are rotated about the spindle axes and the platen is rotated about the platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces while the platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the workpieces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface. e) providing an automated robotic device that sequentially transports and installs selected flat workpieces or flat workpiece carrier devices on the top flat surface on all three spindle-top flat surfaces by picking selected individual workpieces or workpiece carrier devices from a corresponding workpiece or workpiece carrier storage device and transporting it to a select spindle spindle-top where it is positioned concentrically with the rotational center of the rotatable spindle-top wherein the workpiece or workpiece carrier is attached to the spindle-top with vacuum for abrading action on the workpieces by the abrading machine apparatus; and

the same automated robotic device sequentially can remove selected flat workpieces or flat workpiece carrier devices from the top flat surface on all three spindle-top flat surfaces by picking the individual workpieces or workpiece carriers from a selected spindle-top and transporting them to a corresponding workpiece or workpiece carrier storage device for storage.

11. An automated robotic abrasive disk loading apparatus that can selectively install and remove abrasive disks to and from a platen of a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine assembly apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

a) providing three equal-height rotary spindles having circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of the circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle top;

b) providing an abrading machine base having a horizontal precision-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is located at the approximate center of the machine base top surface and the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base top surface;

c) wherein the three rotary spindles are located with equal spaces between each of them and the spindle-tops axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the spindles are attached to the machine base top surface at those spindle-circle locations by three spindle-support mounting legs that are equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindles to form three-point supports of the spindles;

d) wherein the spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely co-planar with each other and where the spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely parallel with each other and offset from co planar with the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

e) wherein the spindle-tops axes of rotation are precisely perpendicular to the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

f) providing a floating rotatable abrading platen having a precision-flat annular abrading surface where the platen is supported by and rotationally driven about a platen rotation axis located at the rotational center of the platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the platen and the spherical-action rotation device restrains the platen in a radial direction relative to the platen axis of rotation;

g) wherein the spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the platen about the platen rotation axis where the platen abrading surface is nominally horizontal;

h) and wherein the platen can be moved vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action rotation device to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the three spindles wherein the three spaced spindles provide three-point support of the platen and where the abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

i) providing that the total contact force that is applied to the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-tops with the platen is controlled through the spherical-action rotation device to allow the total contact force to be evenly distributed to the three individual spindle-tops;

j) wherein equal-thickness workpieces having parallel or near-parallel opposed flat surfaces are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the spindle-tops and the platen is moved vertically to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpiece where the total contact force is evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the three spindle-tops;

k) wherein the spindle-tops having the attached workpieces can be rotated about the spindle axes and the platen can be rotated about the platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces while the platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the workpieces and where the abrading surface of the platen is substantially parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

l) wherein the automated robotic device sequentially can install selected abrasive disks comprising flexible abrasive disks, flexible raised-island abrasive disks, flexible abrasive disks having attached solid abrasive pellets, chemical mechanical planarization resilient disk pads, shallow-island abrasive disks, flat-surfaced slurry abrasive plate disks and non-abrasive cloth or other material pads are selectively attached to the platen flat-surfaced abrading by picking selected individual abrasive disks from a corresponding abrasive disk storage device and transporting it to the platen abrading surface where it is positioned concentrically with the rotational center of the platen and the flexible abrasive disk is pressed conformably against the abrading surface of the platen wherein the abrasive disk is attached to the platen abrading surface with vacuum for abrading action on the workpieces by the abrading machine apparatus; and

the same automated robotic device sequentially removes selected abrasive disk from the flat abrading surface of the platen by picking the abrasive disk from the platen after the abrasive disk attachment vacuum is released and transporting the abrasive disk to an abrasive disk device for storage.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the robotic disk carrier apparatus has a flat-surfaced thin circular-shaped abrasive disk carrier plate and the abrasive disk is loosely attached to the disk carrier plate prior to transport of the disk carrier plate by the robotic apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the abrasive disk carrier plate has a circular-shaped resilient flat-surfaced pad that is attached concentrically to the flat-surfaced carrier plate where the resilient pad has a circumference approximately equal to the circumference of the disk carrier plate and where the abrasive disk is placed in flat contact with the resilient pad and the abrasive disk is loosely attached to the disk carrier plate resilient pad prior to transport of the disk carrier plate by the robotic apparatus.

14. A process of using the apparatus of claim 11 where an automated robotic device selectively installs and removes abrasive disks to and from a platen of a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine assembly apparatus comprising:

an automated robotic device sequentially installing selected abrasive disks to the platen flat-surfaced abrading by picking selected individual abrasive disks from a corresponding abrasive disk storage device and transporting it to the platen abrading surface;

positioning the selected individual adhesive disk concentrically with the rotational center of the platen;

attaching the adhesive disk to the platen abrading surface with vacuum for abrading action on the workpieces by the abrading machine apparatus; and

the same automated robotic device sequentially removing selected abrasive disk from the flat abrading surface of the platen by picking the abrasive disk from the platen after the abrasive disk attachment vacuum is released and transporting the abrasive disk.

15. A process of abrading flat-surfaced workpieces using a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine assembly apparatus comprising:

a) providing at least three primary equal-height rotary spindles having circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of the rotatable flat-surfaced spindle top;

b) providing an abrading machine base having a horizontal precision-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is located at the approximate center of the machine base top surface and the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base top surface;

c) wherein the three rotary spindles are located with equal spaces between each of them and the spindle-tops axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the spindles are attached to the machine base top surface at those spindle-circle locations by three spindle-support mounting legs that are equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindles to form three-point supports of the spindles;

d) wherein the three spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely co-planar with each other and where the three spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely parallel with each other and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

e) wherein the spindle-tops axes of rotation are precisely perpendicular to the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

f) providing a floating rotatable abrading platen having a precision-flat annular abrading surface having an abrasive band radial width and where the platen is supported by and rotationally driven about a platen rotation axis located at the rotational center of the platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the platen and the spherical-action rotation device restrains the platen in a radial direction relative to the platen axis of rotation and the platen axis of rotation is concentric with the machine base spindle-circle;

g) wherein the spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the floating platen about the platen rotation axis where the platen abrading surface is nominally horizontal;

h) providing that the total platen abrading contact force that is applied to the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-tops with the platen is controlled through the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the total platen abrading contact force to be evenly distributed to the three individual spindle-tops;

i) wherein flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces where the radial width of the platen annular abrading surface is at least equal to the radial width of the abrasive disk annular abrading band of abrasives where a selected flexible abrasive disk is attached in flat conformal contact with the platen abrading surface by disk attachment techniques comprising vacuum disk attachment techniques, mechanical disk attachment techniques and adhesive disk attachment techniques where the attached abrasive disk is concentric with the platen abrading surface;

j) wherein equal-thickness workpieces having parallel or near-parallel opposed flat surfaces are attached in flat-surfaced contact with the flat surfaces of the spindle-tops and the platen is moved vertically to allow the abrasive surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the platen abrading surface to contact the top surfaces of the workpieces where the total platen abrading contact force is evenly distributed to the workpieces attached to the three equally-spaced spindle-tops and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

k) the three spindle-tops having the attached workpieces are rotated about the spindle axes and the platen is rotated about the platen rotation axis to single-side abrade the workpieces while the moving platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the workpieces while the abrading pressure is maintained as equal for all three workpieces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

16. The process of claim 15 where flat-surfaced equal-thickness workpieces have parallel opposed flat surfaces and the surfaces of the workpiece carriers are abraded with the floating abrading platen.

17. A process of abrading an abrading surface of a floating platen on a three-point fixed-spindle floating-platen abrading machine to recondition or reestablish planar flatness of the platen abrading surface comprising:

a) providing three primary equal-height rotary spindles having circular-shaped rotatable flat-surfaced spindle-tops that have a spindle-top axis of rotation at the center of the rotatable flat-surfaced spindle top;

b) providing an abrading machine base having a horizontal precision-flat top surface and a spindle-circle where the spindle-circle is located at the approximate center of the machine base top surface and the spindle-circle is coincident with the machine base top surface;

c) providing that the three rotary spindles are located with equal spaces between each of them and the spindle-tops axes of rotation intersect the machine base spindle-circle and the spindles are attached to the machine base top surface at those spindle-circle locations by three spindle-support mounting legs that are equally spaced around the outer periphery of the spindles to form three-point supports of the spindles;

d) wherein the three spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely co-planar with each other and where the three spindle-top flat surfaces are precisely parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

e) wherein the spindle-tops axes of rotation are precisely perpendicular to the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

f) providing a floating rotatable abrading platen having a precision-flat annular abrading surface having an abrasive band radial width and where the platen is supported by and rotationally driven about a platen rotation axis located at the rotational center of the platen by a spherical-action rotation device located at the rotational center of the platen and the spherical-action rotation device restrains the platen in a radial direction relative to the platen axis of rotation and the platen axis of rotation is concentric with the machine base spindle-circle;

g) providing flexible abrasive flexible abrasive disk articles having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces where the radial width of the platen annular abrading surface is at least equal to the radial width of the abrasive disk annular abrading band of abrasives where a selected flexible abrasive disk can be attached in flat conformal contact with the platen abrading surface by disk attachment techniques comprising vacuum disk attachment techniques, mechanical disk attachment techniques and adhesive disk attachment techniques where the attached abrasive disks are concentric with the platen abrading surface;

h) wherein the spherical-action rotation device allows spherical motion of the floating platen about the platen rotation axis where the platen abrading surface is nominally horizontal;

i) attaching flexible abrasive disk components concentric to the spindle-tops;

j) moving the platen is moved vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the platen abrading surface to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the three spindles wherein the three spaced spindles provide three-point support of the platen where the total platen abrading contact force is evenly distributed to the abrasive disk-type articles attached to the three equally-spaced spindle-tops and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

k) controlling through the spherical-action platen rotation device the total platen abrading contact force that is applied to the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-top abrasive disk-type articles with the platen abrading surface;

l) rotating the three spindle-tops having the attached abrasive disk articles about the spindle axes and rotating the platen about the platen rotation axis to abrade the abrading-surface of the platen with the abrasive disk-type articles while the moving platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the spindle-top abrasive disk-type articles abrading surfaces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

18. The process of claim 17 where the abrading surface of the floating platen is abraded to recondition or reestablish planar flatness of the platen abrading surface using conditioning rings where circular-shaped conditioning rings having an abrasive coated annular band that has a band diameter that is larger than the radial width of the annular abrading-surface of the platen wherein the conditioning rings are attached to the three spindle-tops where the conditioning ring annular abrasive surfaces have equal heights above each spindle-top wherein the three spindle-tops having the attached conditioning rings are rotated about the spindle axes while the moving platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the spindle-top conditioning ring abrading surfaces and where the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

19. The process of claim 17 where the abrading surface of an abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading surface of the floating platen of a fixed-spindle floating platen abrading machine is abraded to recondition or reestablish the planar flatness of the abrading surface of the abrasive disk comprising:

a) attaching the flexible abrasive disk components having annular bands of abrasive coated surfaces in flat conformal contact with the platen abrading surface by at least one step selected from the group consisting of vacuum disk attachment, mechanical disk attachment, and adhesive disk attachment where the attached abrasive disk is attached concentric with the platen abrading surface;

b) moving the platen vertically along the platen rotation axis by the spherical-action platen rotation device to allow the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading surface of the platen to contact the spindle-top flat surfaces of the three spindles wherein the three spaced spindles provide three-point support of the platen where the total platen abrading contact force is evenly distributed to the abrasive disk-type articles attached to the three equally-spaced spindle-tops and where the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface;

d) providing that the total platen abrading contact force that is applied to the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the flat abrading surface of the platen at the three spindle-top flat surfaces by contact of the spindle-top abrasive disk-type articles with the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the flat platen abrading surface is controlled through the spherical-action platen rotation device;

e) rotating the three spindle-tops having the attached abrasive disk-type articles about the spindle axes and rotating the platen about the platen rotation axis to abrade the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading-surface of the platen with the abrasive disk-type articles while the moving abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the platen abrading surface is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the spindle-top abrasive disk-type articles abrading surfaces and where the abrading surface of the abrasive disk that is attached to the flat abrading surface of the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.

20. The process of 19 where the abrading surface of an abrasive disk that is attached to the abrading surface of the floating platen is abraded to recondition or reestablish the planar flatness of the abrading surface of the abrasive disk using conditioning rings where circular-shaped conditioning rings having an abrasive coated annular band that has a band diameter that is larger than the radial width of the annular abrading-surface of the abrasive disk wherein the conditioning rings are attached to the three spindle-tops where the conditioning ring annular abrasive surfaces have equal heights above each spindle-top wherein the three spindle-tops having the attached conditioning rings are rotated about the spindle axes while the moving platen abrading surface of the abrasive disk is in force-controlled abrading pressure with the spindle-top conditioning ring abrading surfaces and where the flat abrading surface of the abrasive disk attached to the platen is parallel with and offset from the machine base horizontal precision-flat top surface.