A wheel grinding device consists of a lower lifting rotary system, spoke grinding units, a center hole grinding system and an upper lifting and clamping rotary system. The wheel grinding device not only can be used for grinding the center hole of a wheel of any size, but also can be used for grinding the back of wheel spokes of different sizes and shapes via the actions of brush belts.

Equipment (300) for the surface sanding of plate-shaped bodies (101), in particular of tiles, said equipment (300) comprising support and feeding means (100) for supporting said plate-shaped bodies (101) and feeding said plate-shaped bodies (101) along a given feed direction (D), so that during the movement along said given direction (D) the surface of each said plate-shaped body (101) that shall be sanded can be visible and accessed, said equipment (300) including a sanding module (200) provided with sanding means defining a sanding abrasive surface and with moving means for moving said abrasive surface in contact with the visible surface of said plate-shaped bodies (101) in succession during the movement thereof; wherein said sanding means comprise a closed belt (201) that defines said sanding abrasive surface and is suitable to be driven into rotation by means of said moving means.

The present invention relates to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing a substrate, such as a wafer, and more particularly to a polishing apparatus and a polishing method for polishing an edge portion of a wafer with use of a polishing tape. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate holder (1) configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), and a polishing unit (7) configured to polish an edge portion of the substrate (W) with use of a polishing tape (5). The polishing unit (7) includes: a disk head (12) having a circumferential surface for supporting the polishing tape (5); and a head moving device (50) configured to move the disk head (12) in a tangential direction of the substrate (W) and to bring the polishing tape (5) on the circumferential surface of the disk head (12) into contact with the edge portion of the substrate (W).

An improved robotic tool buffering system flexibly suspends a finishing tool from a robotic arm while providing substantially constant compression pressure using use. The buffering system includes a robotic arm interface attached to a robotic arm, a finishing tool interface attached to a surface finishing tool, and a plurality of compressible mechanical buffer assemblies. The buffer assemblies provide substantially constant compression pressure between the finishing tool and a target surface, and also provide a substantially level orientation of the finishing tool relative to the target surface. Each buffer assembly includes a coupler, a hollow compressible buffer and an axial stop.

An improved robotic tool buffering system flexibly suspends a finishing tool from a robotic arm while providing substantially constant compression pressure using use. The buffering system includes a robotic arm interface attached to a robotic arm, a finishing tool interface attached to a surface finishing tool, and a plurality of compressible mechanical buffer assemblies. The buffer assemblies provide substantially constant compression pressure between the finishing tool and a target surface, and also provide a substantially level orientation of the finishing tool relative to the target surface. Each buffer assembly includes a coupler, a hollow compressible buffer and an axial stop.

A method and an apparatus for processing a peripheral portion of a substrate, such as a wafer, are disclosed. The substrate processing method includes: holding a substrate on a substrate stage; rotating the substrate stage and the substrate about an axis of the substrate stage; directing a laser beam to an edge portion of the rotating substrate to form an annular crack in the substrate; and pressing a polishing tool against the edge portion of the rotating substrate to form a stepped recess in a peripheral portion of the substrate.

A grinding element has an abrasive surface and an abutment surface which is offset by an offset from the abrasive surface. A grinding depth can be adjusted by changing the offset. The grinding element may be a grinding belt.

A grinding element has an abrasive surface and an abutment surface which is offset by an offset from the abrasive surface. A grinding depth can be adjusted by changing the offset. The grinding element may be a grinding belt.

Loopback rolls which can transfer and guide a polishing tape (T) in a tangential direction of a pressure contact roll (R) is provided, a top edge face (RG1) and a tapered peripheral edge (RG) having a pair of slant edge faces (RG2) are formed on a periphery of the pressure contact roll, by both of which the polishing tape can be bent into a substantially V-shape in cross section, and a switchable pressure contact mechanism (7) is switchably provided which pressure contacts each of bent portions (T) of the polishing tape, which is bent into the substantially V-shape in cross section by the tapered peripheral edge to one tooth face (B1) or the other tooth face of a bottom land (B) of a worm (W).

A substrate processing apparatus which causes a processing tape to abut against a processing object, including: a tape supply reel configured to supply the processing tape; a tape recovery reel configured to recover the processing tape; a recovery motor configured to apply a torque to the tape recovery reel; a tape feed motor configured to feed the processing tape between the tape supply reel and the tape recovery reel; and a control unit configured to control the tape feed motor, wherein the control unit controls the torque of the recovery motor depending on a change in an outer diameter of a roll of the processing tape wound by the tape recovery reel such that tension applied to the processing tape is constant, using a feed length of the tape fed by the tape feed motor and a thickness of the processing tape.