Announced in late 1978, with a patent application filed earlier the same year, the Aldrin Universal Machine was designed by Per O.Aldrin of Saltsjö-Duvnäa, Sweden (cousin to astronaut Buzz Aldrin). According to Mr. Aldrin the aim was to: offer unparalleled opportunities for setting all conceivable angles and directions of feed between the tool and the workpiece. At the same time, relatively large workpieces can be machined on a very compact machine tool. It also enables a high-precision machine to be manufactured at a moderate cost.
Mounted on a cast-iron base, a tall rectangular column was arranged to slide backwards and forwards in V-ways. Although reports of other table sizes exist, the original specification was for the column to carry a vertical 400 x 125 mm T-slotted table, mounted on a 360° swivel base, that could be moved up and down by a feed screw. Another horizontal table, of the same size and also mounted on a 360° swivel and screw driven, was arranged at the base of the machine sitting on a table that provided lateral movements. Travel of the tables varied according to their positioning: 240 mm when at right-angles to the centre line of the spindle; 115 mm of traverse feed when set at right-angles to the spindle centre line and 115 mm with the table mounted on the column. As an option, a variable speed table power-feed attachment was available with a neat electrical panel carrying the controls for both spindle and table. The vertical feed was 275 mm and the distance between spindle centre and table when the spindle was horizontal ran from 0 to a maximum of 480 mm - and up to 480 mm with the spindle set vertically. The maximum throat with the spindle upright was 175 mm.
In addition to the five independent slideways movements, ingenuity came in the form of a demountable workhead (with a spindle to take direct-fitting ER25 collets and a built-in motor) carried on a swivel base, that could be fastened to any of the tables, in almost any position (in the photograph below it is shown mounted on the horizontal table). When set for turning the centre height was 63 mm and the capacity between centres (presumably a tailstock was provided) was 200 mm.
Driven by a 600W, 2-speed motor, a very wide range of spindle speed were provided: in low range from 40 to 500 r.p.m. and in high from 315 to 4000 r.p.m.
Thus, with the correct accessories and a wide choice of speeds, it was possible to rig the Aldrin to mill, drill, bore vertically and horizontally, grind and even turn.
It is believed that around twenty of the first version were made and a similar number of a second. There was also a CNC version, one of which was bought by the Hasselblad camera company for use in their machine shop..