Difficult-to-machine materials are still challenging the production industry. Examples are highly complex components of aircraft engines. Alongside innovative processes, also improved machine tool components are helping to comply with the demands of this task. This paper presents a swivel rotary table with an active magnetic bearing (AMB). Opportunities in machining through employing a workpiece-sided AMB are presented. The inherent capabilities to work as a sensor and actor as well as its stiffness and damping depend on the precise knowledge of the magnets characteristics. Therefore, a methodology to automatically identify the characteristic curve is presented.