Machine and method for grinding and/or polishing slabs of stone material, such as natural or agglomerated stone, ceramic and glass

A machine for one or more of grinding and polishing slabs of stone material, such as natural or agglomerated stone, ceramic or glass, comprising:

• a support bench for the slabs to be machined;
• at least one machining station placed above the support bench and comprising at least one pair of bridge-like support structures situated in mutually opposite positions and transversely arranged straddling the support bench,
• first means for relative movement in a longitudinal direction of the machining station and one of the slabs on the support bench, and at least one beam whose two ends are supported by said support structures;
• and
• a plurality of spindles having a vertical sliding movement with a motorized vertical axis of rotation and distributed along the beam;
• said beam longitudinally extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction and being movable along a transverse direction on said support structures by means of second movement means and at the bottom end of each spindle there being present at least one tool holder rotating with the motorized vertical axis of said spindle and carrying at least one abrasive tool for forming one or more of grinding and polishing heads;
• characterized in that each of the spindles is supported on the beam so as to be swiveled about an oscillation axis which is parallel to, but separate from the motorized vertical axis of the corresponding spindles, and further comprising a third motorized means for causing oscillation of each of the spindles about the respective oscillation axis in cooperation with transverse and longitudinal movements of the first and second movement means for one or more of grinding and polishing surfaces of the slabs on the support bench;
• and
• wherein the third motorized means causes oscillation of each of the spindles about the respective oscillation axis so that the motorized vertical axes can perform limited circle arc movements about their oscillation axes.