Device and method for machining a narrow side of a wood-based panel

Abstract

The present application relates to a device (1) for processing a narrow side (2) of a wood-based panel (3), in particular a particleboard or MDF panel, comprising an application device (4) with at least one application element (5) for applying a wax (6) to a narrow side surface (7) of the narrow side (2), a processing element (8) for processing the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7) and a guiding device (9) for guiding the application element (5) and / or the processing element (8) on the narrow side surface (7) in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2).The processing element (8) has a contact surface (11) on its underside, which is designed and configured to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface (7) during a processing operation in which the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7) is processed, thereby distributing the wax (6) on the narrow side surface (7) and preferably incorporating it at least into an upper wood-based material layer (12) of the wood-based panel (3) adjacent to the narrow side surface (7), wherein the processing element (8) can be guided on the narrow side surface (7) by means of the guide device (9) during the processing operation in such a way that the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) can come into contact with the narrow side surface (7) over the entire length of the narrow side (2).

Description

The present application relates to a device for machining a narrow side of a wood-based panel according to claim 1. Furthermore, the present application relates to a method for machining a narrow side of a wood-based panel according to claim 10. With respect to both the device and the method, the wood-based panel can, for example, and preferably, be formed from a particleboard or an MDF panel. The wood-based panel is, for example, and preferably, rectangular. Wood-based panels are used extensively, particularly in furniture manufacturing. Tabletops and furniture fronts can be made from wood-based panels, especially coated particleboard or coated MDF. This is particularly common in kitchen and bathroom furniture, where the so-called "kitchen fronts" and "bathroom fronts" are now almost exclusively made of wood-based panels. These panels are typically coated on their broad sides, meaning the large front and back surfaces, giving them the desired surface properties. Such coatings can consist of, for example, resin-impregnated papers or foils. The so-called "narrow sides" of wood-based panels, meaning the narrow end faces of the respective wood-based panel (a typical thickness of a wood-based panel used in furniture construction is, for example, 16 mm), are typically either all or only partially fitted with edge banding, so that the wood-based panel is "closed" on these narrow sides. Edge banding is also referred to in technical terms as "cover strips" or "edging strips." The edge banding ensures that the wood-based panel is both visually appealing and technically protected against the penetration of moisture or water. Especially on drawer or cabinet fronts, a handle is usually attached to at least one narrow side of the wood-based panel, which may be made of aluminum, for example. Such a handle allows the user of the furniture to easily grip it by hand and thus pull or swing open the drawer, cabinet door, or similar item. State of the art Water penetration is problematic for wood-based panels, as it can cause the wood fibers, which make up the majority of the panel, to swell. This can lead to damage to the wood-based panel and corresponding customer complaints. The problem of moisture penetrating wood-based panels is particularly problematic with kitchen and bathroom fronts that have a handle strip on one narrow side. This design is generally found on drawers and cabinets, where the handle strip can be attached to a lower, upper, or side narrow side, for example. The narrow side of the wood-based panel where the handle is attached typically cannot have an edge banding, as this would obstruct the handle's attachment. During the manufacturing process, the handle is directly attached to the narrow side of the wood-based panel and bonded to it. This bonding can involve gluing, where, for example, a section of the handle's fastening inserts into a groove in the wood-based panel located on the narrow side. This groove extends from a narrow surface of the panel perpendicular to that surface. To secure the handle, this groove can be filled with an adhesive before the handle is attached, its fastening section then engaging within the groove.During installation, the handle strip is guided so far onto the narrow side of the wood-based panel that a lower contact surface of the handle strip lies flat against the narrow side surface. After the adhesive has cured, the handle strip is properly attached to the wood-based panel. An unavoidable gap remains between the handle strip and the wood-based panel, into which moisture can penetrate. This can occur, for example, during routine household cleaning of the front of the furniture panel, where the end user cleans the front with water, and this water enters the area of ​​the gap between the handle strip and the wood-based panel. Through capillary action, the water can be drawn into the gap and thus reach the narrow edge of the wood-based panel, penetrate it, and cause damage to the wood-based panel as described. To prevent this, it is known to treat the narrow edge before attaching the handle strip, thus avoiding damage from penetrating moisture. To solve this problem, it is known, for example, from German utility model DE 20 2019 106 506 U1, to spray the narrow side of the handle strip with a water-repellent agent before attaching it. This agent penetrates a short distance into the upper layer of the wood-based panel, starting from the narrow side surface and thus coming into contact with the individual wood fibers. As a result, these fibers are "impregnated," so that they do not swell in the manner described when they come into contact with water, and consequently, no damage occurs. Although this approach already shows very good results, it has two disadvantages. Firstly, in some cases, the water-repellent agent may not penetrate the wood-based panel as deeply as intended. This can lead to water seeping in through the gap between the handle strip and the narrow edge of the wood-based panel, penetrating deeper into the panel and, despite the water-repellent treatment, coming into contact with "unprotected" fibers of the wood-based panel that were not impregnated, meaning they did not come into contact with the water-repellent agent. In these cases, further damage can occur. Another disadvantage is that the water-repellent agent is expensive to purchase. Task The present application is therefore based on the task of providing a device and a method for processing a narrow side of a wood-based panel, by means of which damage to wood-based panels caused by moisture entering through a joint between the wood-based panel and a handle strip attached to it is avoided in an economical manner. Solution The underlying problem is solved according to the invention by means of a device having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the description and the exemplary embodiment. The device is used for processing a narrow side of a wood-based panel, which can be, for example, and preferably, a particleboard or an MDF panel. The wood-based panel has individual wood fibers, at least in its core area. These tend to swell upon contact with water. The wood-based panel preferably has a rectangular shape with two opposing, large broad sides and a total of four narrow sides. The device comprises an application unit that includes at least one application element for applying wax to a narrow side surface. The application element is thus designed and configured to apply wax to the narrow side surface during an application process. The application element can, for example, and preferably, as described separately below, be in the form of an elongated sliding shoe that can be placed directly onto the narrow side surface with a contact surface on its underside, aligned parallel to a longitudinal axis of the narrow side. The application unit can comprise one or more application elements, whereby a single application element is generally sufficient. Preferably, the application unit has exactly one application element. The specific design of the order processing equipment and the at least one order element depends, among other things, on the type of wax to be processed. For example, at least one application element of the application device can be a spray nozzle by which wax can be sprayed onto the narrow-side surface. In this design, the wax is a sprayable wax. Such a sprayable wax has a particularly low viscosity. Suitable waxes include, for example, Fischer-Tropsch wax dissolved in solvent or PE wax dissolved in solvent. Compared to applying the wax by spraying, it is preferable to apply the wax to the respective narrow-side surface with a viscous, plastic, or pasty consistency. The wax preferably has a temperature between 40°C and 70°C, more preferably between 40°C and 60°C, when applied. Preferably, the temperature of the wax at application is at least 10°C, more preferably at least 20°C, below its melting point. The wax can be, for example, Fischer-Tropsch wax or a polyolefin wax. The wax can be applied, for example, and preferably, in the form of one or more wax beads, which are applied or "laid" onto the narrow-side surface by means of the at least one application element. The wood-based panel is preferably oriented horizontally, so that the narrow side is oriented vertically.More detailed information about the method is given below in connection with the method according to the invention. From an equipment perspective, it is only important that the application device, with its at least one application element, is suitable for applying the wax used to the narrow-side surface. Furthermore, the device includes a processing element for processing the wax previously applied to the narrow side surface during the application process. The processing element has a contact surface on its underside, which is designed and configured to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface during a processing operation in which the wax previously applied to the narrow side surface is processed. The contact surface of the processing element is preferably either completely or at least partially planar, so that the contact surface can come into planar contact with the narrow side surface, i.e., lie flat against the narrow side surface. The processing element acts on or in conjunction with the wax in such a way that the wax is distributed on the narrow side surface, so that the latter is subsequently completely covered with wax.It is particularly preferred if the processing element further causes the wax to penetrate at least one upper layer of the wood-based panel adjacent to the narrow-side surface. This is especially the case with open-pored narrow sides, such as those found, for example, in a wood-based panel made of particleboard. The processing element thus serves to distribute the wax homogeneously on the narrow-side surface and, if necessary, also to incorporate it into the upper layer of the wood-based panel. The penetration depth to which the wax penetrates during this incorporation (equivalent to the thickness of the upper layer of the wood-based panel measured perpendicular to and from the narrow-side surface) can, for example, and preferably, be in the range of 0.2 mm to 10 mm, more preferably between 0.5 mm and 7 mm, and further preferably between 1 mm and 5 mm. For example, and preferably, the processing element can be heatable. In an advantageous embodiment, the device comprises at least one heating element by means of which the processing element can be heated. This makes the processing element suitable for heating the wax previously applied to the narrow side surface during the processing process, thereby temporarily reducing its viscosity to such an extent that it can flow and spread particularly well. In particular, the wax can be liquefied so that it has a water-like viscosity. In such a liquefied state, the wax can penetrate the upper wood-based panel layer particularly well. For example, the heating element can be sized and operated in such a way that it is suitable for heating the processing element to a temperature in the range of 70°C to 140°C, preferably between 100°C and 120°C. At this temperature, the processing element is particularly well suited to melting wax present on the narrow side surface in the desired manner. The temperature setting of the processing element depends on the type of wax used and its melting point. In a molten state, the wax can adhere particularly well to the individual fibers of the wood-based panel and encapsulate or encase them. As a result, the upper layer of the wood-based panel on the respective narrow side is protected against the swelling described above by the wax in the event of contact with moisture.Furthermore, the liquefied wax spreads particularly well and homogeneously on the narrow side surface. When the wax cools after processing and subsequently regains its strength, it acts as a sealant on the narrow side surface, ideally preventing moisture from penetrating the upper layer of the wood material altogether. Even if such penetration does occur unintentionally, the fibers in the upper layer of the wood material are protected by the wax. The processing element is preferably formed from a single-piece metal component, which is, for example, milled from a metal block. The device further comprises a guide device. This guide device is designed and configured to guide at least the processing element along or on the narrow side surface in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the narrow side. Preferably, the at least one application element can also be guided by means of the guide device. The guide device can be configured such that it guides the processing element and, if applicable, the application element at a distance above the narrow side surface or in direct contact with the narrow side surface. A particularly preferred configuration of the guide device offers both possibilities. The guide device allows the processing element to be guided along the narrow side surface during the processing process in such a way that the contact surface of the processing element is in contact with the narrow side surface along its entire length. This ensures that the wax is completely distributed across the narrow side surface and incorporated into the upper wood-based panel layer. The guiding device can, for example, be a linearly movable gripping device that has at least one gripping arm movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side. The processing element can be locked onto the gripping arm, so that the respective processing element is grasped by the gripping arm and can be moved on or along the narrow side surface as described. The gripping arm is selectively extended towards the narrow side in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface or retracted away from the narrow side in the opposite direction to bring the processing element into contact with the narrow side surface or to lift it off.By moving the gripper arm in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side, for example along a rail oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side, the processing element can be guided particularly easily along or on the narrow side surface. Preferably, the guide device, designed as a gripper, has either two gripper arms, so that the at least one application element can also be gripped and moved in a manner comparable to the processing element, or the same gripper arm by which the processing element can be moved can optionally also interact with the application element. Thus, it is conceivable, for example, that the gripper arm first grips and guides the application element during the application process and then, during the processing process following the application process, grips and guides the processing element.Other designs for the guidance device are readily conceivable and are of secondary importance to the success of the invention. The device according to the invention has many advantages. In particular, it allows the treatment of a narrow edge of a wood-based panel in such a way that it is subsequently protected against damage caused by penetrating moisture. This is achieved by applying and then processing the wax, which seals the narrow edge or narrow-edge surface in such a way that no moisture can penetrate the wood-based panel at the narrow edge and interact with individual fibers of the panel. Thus, the device makes it possible to process waxes, thereby protecting the narrow edge particularly effectively against moisture and eliminating the need for solvent-based products.Furthermore, waxes are typically inexpensive, so that for the manufacturer of the corresponding wood-based panel, in addition to savings through fewer complaints due to damage to delivered wood-based panels, a saving can also be realized for the agent used to protect the respective narrow side from moisture. Provided the device has at least one heating element as described above, it can be further advantageous if this heating element is an electric heating element, preferably of the type of electric resistance heater. Such a heating element is particularly easy to use. Preferably, the heating element is attached to the outside of the processing element or inserted into an internal recess of the processing element. The latter is preferable for a homogeneous temperature distribution along the contact surface of the processing element. For example, and preferably, the processing element can have a plurality of recesses arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the processing element, each containing a heating element.In such a design, which is also shown in the exemplary embodiment below, the processing element can be heated particularly easily in such a way that a temperature as homogeneous as possible is present on its lower contact surface. This is particularly advantageous for distributing the wax on the narrow side surface and incorporating it into the upper layer of the wood material. In an advantageous embodiment of the device, the processing element is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe. This is preferably formed from a single piece of metal, preferably milled. The processing element designed as a sliding shoe is oriented relative to the narrow side, at least during the processing process, such that a longitudinal axis of the processing element is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side. Preferably, the processing element thus designed is chamfered or rounded at its two ends opposite each other in its longitudinal direction. In this way, the processing element forms a lead-in area at each of its two ends. Such a design can also be seen in the exemplary embodiment below. It has the advantage that wax, especially when it is applied to the narrow-side surface in a tough, plastic state, is easily removed.When the wax has a pasty consistency, it is captured at its leading end (in the direction of movement) during movement of the processing element along its narrow side and pressed "under" the processing element, depending on the direction of movement. Thus, when the device is used as intended, wax lying on the narrow side surface is captured by the processing element during a processing operation in which the processing element is guided along the narrow side surface parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side. Due to its chamfered or rounded design, the wax is pressed from its ends into the upper wood-based panel layer in both a first direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side and a second direction opposite to the first, parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side.Thus, in this design, the processing element, during its movement, does not simply push the wax lying on the narrow side surface "ahead" of itself and ultimately off at one end of the narrow side, but rather grasps the wax and thereby facilitates its incorporation into the upper wood-based panel layer adjacent to the narrow side surface. This supports the desired effect of the wax penetrating this upper wood-based panel layer and protecting the corresponding fibers from moisture. In an advantageous embodiment, the processing element has a width, at least on its underside, such that the contact surface of the processing element extends across the entire width of the narrow side when viewed in the direction of a width of the narrow side measured perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side. This ensures that, during the processing process, the processing element, as it moves along the narrow side parallel to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side, engages the narrow side surface across its entire width and can thus act across the entire width of the narrow side. With this embodiment, multiple passes over the narrow side to ensure that the processing element fully engages the narrow side surface are unnecessary. Instead, a single pass is generally sufficient. In an advantageous embodiment of the device, the contact surface of the processing element comprises several interconnected, individually planar contact surface sections extending in different, spaced-apart planes that are either non-parallel to one another and / or parallel to one another. A processing element designed in this way is particularly well suited to interacting with a narrow side of a rebated wood-based panel. This is regularly encountered in wood-based panels used as "handleless fronts" in kitchen or bathroom furniture construction.In a preferred embodiment, the contact surface is thus adapted in its shape to the narrow side surface in such a way that the contact surface with its individual contact surface parts lies at least substantially, preferably completely, on the narrow side surface which is also segmented by the folded design and can thus incorporate the wax into the upper wood-based material layer of the wood-based panel over the entire surface. In an advantageous embodiment of the device, at least one application element of the application unit is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe. This is preferably formed from a single piece of metal, preferably milled. Preferably, the application unit has exactly one application element designed in the form of the elongated sliding shoe. The application element designed in this way has a contact surface on its underside, which is intended to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface during an application process in which the wax is applied to the narrow side surface. With such a design of the application element, the respective wax can be applied particularly easily and directly to the narrow side surface. Similar to the processing element, it can also be advantageous for the application element if the contact surface has several contact surface parts. These are arranged and oriented in such a way that the contact surface of the application element is adapted to the narrow side surface, so that the application element is suitable for applying the wax evenly across the narrow side. For applying the wax, it can be particularly advantageous if the application element, designed as a sliding shoe, has at least one feed channel that terminates at the underside contact surface of the application element. By means of such a feed channel, the wax can be conveyed particularly easily to the contact surface during the application process and thus applied to the narrow side surface. The wax is conveyed through the feed channel. Preferably, the application element has several, preferably exactly two, feed channels arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the application element.Preferably, the at least one feed channel is configured such that it penetrates the application element in a direction perpendicular to the narrow-side surface, allowing wax to be conveyed from an upper surface of the application element, facing away from the narrow side, through the application element to the underside of the application element, i.e., to the contact surface. For supplying the wax to the feed channel, the application element can, for example, and preferably, have a corresponding connection on its upper surface to which a supply line, for example, in the form of a flexible hose, can be attached. This supply line can interact with a conveying device, for example, a pump, which is designed and configured to convey the wax through the supply line to the connection and finally to the at least one feed channel, so that it can be applied as intended to the narrow-side surface.The wax conveyed by the conveying device can, for example, and preferably, be stored in a storage container that can be connected, for example, via a quick-connect fitting. Preferably, the wax is heated to a temperature suitable for application, such that it has a viscous, plastic, or pasty consistency. For example, the wax can be at a temperature of 40°C to 70°C during application. In a further preferred embodiment, the at least one feed channel is designed such that it divides in a delta shape in an end section facing the contact surface. This is equivalent to the feed channel dividing into several individual channel sections in said end section, through which the wax can be conveyed to different locations on the contact surface. In this way, during the application process, the wax conveyed via the feed channel can exit the feed channel at various points on the contact surface where the feed channel terminates, using the application element. With such a design, a distributed application of the wax on the narrow-side surface is particularly easy.This allows the wax to be applied particularly homogeneously to the narrow edge surface, making it especially easy to distribute it evenly across the entire surface using the processing tool during the subsequent application process, and potentially working it into the upper layer of the wood-based panel. This prevents scenarios where the narrow edge surface is only partially sealed or where individual fibers of the wood-based panel are unintentionally not covered by the wax and thus not protected from moisture. Furthermore, with regard to the application element, it can be advantageous if it has several feed channels arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the application element. Preferably, the feed channels are identical in design. This configuration has the advantage that the application of wax to the narrow-side surface can always occur in the same manner, regardless of the direction of movement of the application element along the narrow-side surface. As an alternative to the design of the application element in the form of a sliding shoe, it can also be advantageous if the at least one application element is formed by a surface nozzle that can be guided either minimally above the narrow side surface or in direct contact with the narrow side surface along the narrow side and that has several feed channels through which the wax can be applied to the narrow side surface. Preferably, the application element has a width, at least on its underside, such that the contact surface of the application element extends across the entire width of the narrow side when viewed along its width. This ensures that, during the application process, the application element, as it moves along the narrow side, covers the entire width of the narrow side surface and can thus act across its entire width. In this way, the wax can be applied to the narrow side surface as desired in a single pass. In a further advantageous embodiment, the at least one application element of the application device can be formed by a spray nozzle by means of which the wax can be sprayed onto the narrow-side surface. As already explained above, such an embodiment is particularly suitable if the wax is a sprayable wax. If the application element is formed by a spray nozzle, it can be further advantageous if the application element can be pivoted about a pivot axis by means of the guide device. This pivot axis is oriented parallel to the narrow side surface and parallel to a transverse plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the narrow side. The pivotability of the application element allows it to be angled outwards, at least at opposite ends of the narrow side relative to its longitudinal axis, during the application process in which the wax is applied to the narrow side surface. This alignment of the application element prevents the wax from being applied to the narrow side adjacent to the respective end of the narrow side. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the application element and / or the processing element is symmetrically designed with respect to a transverse plane of the respective element that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the respective element. From a process engineering perspective, the underlying problem is solved by means of a method with the features of claim 10. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims, the description, and the exemplary embodiment. The method according to the invention is particularly easy to carry out using the device according to the invention. The method is particularly feasible if the device is designed according to one or more advantageous embodiments described in the description and the claims. The method comprises the following process steps: First, the wood-based panel is moved to a processing station and aligned using a movement device. In this way, the wood-based panel assumes a defined position for the subsequent work processes, so that in particular the narrow side, which is processed next, is in a defined position and orientation. Subsequently, in an application process, wax is applied to a narrow side surface of the wood-based panel using at least one application element of an application device. As already explained above in connection with the device, this can be done, for example, by spraying. Preferably, however, the wax is applied directly to the narrow side surface in a viscous, plastic, or pasty consistency. The latter is particularly easy to achieve if the at least one application element is designed in the form of a surface nozzle or a sliding shoe as described above. Depending on the type of application element, the wax is preferably applied to the narrow side surface at a temperature in the range of 40°C to 70°C (for example, in the case of a pasty application, in the form of wax beads) or between 60°C and 120°C, preferably between 70°C and 100°C, in the case of a spray application. After completion of the application process, the wax previously applied to the narrow side surface is processed in a processing step using a processing element. In this step, a contact surface located on the underside of the processing element comes into contact with the narrow side surface, thereby distributing the wax across the narrow side surface and preferably also incorporating it into at least one upper wood-based panel layer adjacent to the narrow side surface. Preferably, at the beginning of the processing step, the processing element is moved towards the narrow side by means of a guide device in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface to establish initial contact between the contact surface and the narrow side surface, and then brought into contact with the narrow side surface, i.e., placed onto the narrow side surface.The point where the processing element first comes into contact with the narrow side surface during the processing process is referred to as the "starting point" for the purposes of this application. From the starting point, the processing element is then moved by the guide device along the narrow side surface in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the narrow side, such that the contact surface of the processing element comes into contact with the narrow side surface over its entire length. This ensures that the wax is distributed across the entire narrow side surface and, if necessary, incorporated into the upper wood-based panel layer. The advantages arising from the method according to the invention are analogous to those already described above in connection with the device according to the invention. Thus, the narrow side of the wood-based panel can be protected against moisture damage equally effectively and cost-efficiently using this method. Furthermore, applying and processing wax on the narrow-side surface is technically relatively simple and hardly prone to errors. Therefore, it is more likely that practically no failures or defects caused by the method will occur during the industrial production of wood-based panels in which the method according to the invention is integrated. In an advantageous embodiment of the process, the processing element is heated by means of at least one heating medium, at least during the processing operation, so that the wax applied to the narrow-side surface is heated by the processing element and thereby its viscosity is reduced, i.e., its flowability is increased. In particular, the wax can be liquefied by means of the heated processing element. The heated wax can be distributed particularly well on the narrow-side surface and can also penetrate the upper layer of the wood-based material particularly well, especially if the wax has a water-like viscosity as a result of the heating.Furthermore, it can be advantageous if the processing element is preheated before the processing begins, so that immediately upon placement on the narrow side surface at the point of application, it is suitable for heating the wax as intended and thereby liquefying it in the described manner. In this way, the wax can essentially be "ironed" onto the narrow side surface. The at least one heating element can preferably be electrically operated, for example, and preferably, according to the principle of an electric resistance heater (“heating wire”). Preferably, the processing element is heated by means of the at least one heating element during the processing process to a temperature in the range between 70°C and 140°C, preferably in the range between 100°C and 120°C. In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the processing element is moved in a specific sequence by means of the guide device during the processing operation. This sequence is as follows: First, the processing element is attached to the narrow side at a designated point, so that its contact surface comes into contact with the narrow side surface. In a preferred embodiment, this contact surface is at least partially, and preferably completely, planar, ensuring full-surface contact between the processing element and the narrow side surface. Furthermore, the processing element is preferably wide enough, at least at its contact surface, to extend across the entire width of the narrow side. After the processing element is positioned at the starting point, it is guided along the narrow side in a first direction parallel to its longitudinal axis until the contact surface of the processing element extends at least partially beyond a first end of the narrow side ("first end position"). This ensures that the processing element's effect of distributing and, if necessary, incorporating the wax is fully achieved up to the first end of the narrow side. Subsequently, starting from the first end position, the processing element is guided along the narrow side in a second direction opposite to the first until the contact surface extends at least partially beyond a second end of the narrow side opposite the first end ("second end position").Following this movement sequence of the processing element, starting from the point of application "towards" (towards the first end position) and "backwards" (towards the second end position), the processing element has coated the narrow side surface at least once at every point. Thus, the wax that was previously applied to the narrow side surface during the application process is completely captured by the processing element and consequently distributed across the narrow side surface. Finally, the processing element is lifted from the narrow side. This can either occur directly from the second end position, or the processing element can first be moved to another position along the narrow side before being lifted from the narrow side surface. In particular, if the wax is heated by the processing element during the application process and its viscosity is thereby reduced, the wax cools down and solidifies after the processing element is removed (and thus the application process is complete). Depending on its composition, the wax can have a solid or hard consistency when at room temperature. The narrow side surface, onto which the wax was applied in the described manner, is now completely sealed by the wax, preventing water from penetrating the wood-based panel at the narrow edge.Should individual areas not be completely sealed, for example due to cavities in a wood-based panel made from particleboard, the risk of damage to the wood-based panel by penetrating water is still extremely low, since the fibers of the wood-based panel are covered by the wax at least in the upper layer of the wood-based panel and are therefore inaccessible to the water. In an advantageous embodiment of the method, the application element is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe, wherein, during the application process, the wax is conveyed through at least one feed channel of the application element to a contact surface located on the underside of the application element and is thus applied to the narrow-side surface. The contact surface of the application element is the surface with which the application element comes into contact with the narrow-side surface during the application process. An embodiment of the application element in the form of an elongated sliding shoe, equipped with one or more feed channels, has already been described above. Furthermore, the advantages of the resulting possibility of distributed application of wax to the narrow-side surface have already been explained and apply analogously to the advantageous method. Furthermore, an embodiment of the process can be advantageous in which the application process is carried out analogously to the processing operation described as an advantageous embodiment of the process. In this embodiment, the application process involves first positioning the application element at a point on the narrow side using the guide device, so that the contact surface of the application element is brought into contact with the narrow side surface. As soon as this occurs, the conveying of the wax can begin, whereby it is guided, for example – according to the embodiment described above as advantageous – through a feed channel of the application element to the contact surface and thus onto the narrow side surface. For improved flowability of the wax, it can be preheated, for example to a temperature in the range between 40°C and 70°C.In particular, the temperature of the wax during the application process should be below its melting point, so that the wax is not yet liquid. Preferably, the temperature of the wax during the application process is at least 10°C, preferably at least 20°C, below its melting point. The applicator is then guided along the narrow side in a first direction parallel to its longitudinal axis until the contact surface extends at least partially beyond the first end of the narrow side (the "first end position"). While continuing to dispense the wax, the applicator is then guided along the narrow side in a second direction opposite to the first until the contact surface extends at least partially beyond a second end of the narrow side opposite the first (the "second end position"). The wax dispensing can now be stopped. In this process, the applicator has coated the narrow side surface along its entire length measured between the two ends, thus applying the wax to the narrow side surface along its entire length, for example, and preferably, in the form of wax beads.It is now ready to be processed in the subsequent processing operation using the processing element. To complete the order process, the order element is lifted from its narrow side using the guide device. This can be done from the second end position or from any other position of the order element along its narrow side. In an advantageous embodiment of the process, the wax has a melting point in the range of 60°C to 120°C, preferably in the range of 70°C to 100°C. Preferably, the wax is composed of a Fischer-Tropsch wax or a polyolefin wax, preferably polyethylene-based. Examples of implementation The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures. These show: Fig. 1: A schematic view of a wood-based panel in a combined view and top view before the start of an application process; Fig. 2: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 at the start of the application process; Fig. 3: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 during the application process; Fig. 4: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 shortly before the end of the application process; Fig. 5: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 at the end of the application process; Fig. 6: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 before the start of a processing operation; Fig. 7: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 at the start of the processing operation; Fig. 8: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 during the processing operation.Fig. 9: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 shortly before the end of the processing process, Fig. 10: The combined view and top view according to Fig. 1 at the end of the processing process, Fig. 11: Cross-section through a processing element, Fig. 12: Cross-section through an application element, Fig. 13: Cross-section through a wood-based panel with a handle strip (left) and without a handle strip (right), Fig. 14: Representation of the cross-section of the wood-based panel without an attached handle strip according to Fig. 13 before the start of the processing process. An embodiment, illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 to 12, describes a device 1 according to the invention, which is used for processing a narrow side 2 of a wood-based panel 3. In the example shown, the wood-based panel 3 is formed by a rectangular particleboard, which is coated on its two opposing broad sides 29. The wood-based panel 3 has a total of four narrow sides 2, which form the circumferential edges of the wood-based panel 3. The device 1 is used here, and preferably, for processing one of these narrow sides 2, to which a handle 32 is to be attached in a subsequent processing step. An edge band is applied to the remaining narrow sides 2 of the wood-based panel 3 either before or after processing the wood-based panel 3 using the device 1.The application of the respective edge banding is not the subject of the present application and is known in the art. The wood-based panel 3 is in a horizontal orientation for processing by means of the device 1, i.e. the broad sides 29 are oriented horizontally, while the narrow side 2 with its narrow-side surface 7 is oriented vertically. The wood-based panel 3 is intended for later use as a drawer front for a kitchen cabinet. The handle 32, which is to be attached, serves the purpose of allowing a user of the kitchen cabinet to grip the handle 32 and thereby conveniently exert force on the wood-based panel 3 and, consequently, the rest of the drawer, in order to move it. For example, the drawer can be mounted on drawer slides so that it can be moved alternately between an open and a closed position. In the example shown, the narrow side 2, to which the handle 32 is to be attached, forms the narrow side of the wood-based panel 3 that, when the wood-based panel 3 is used as intended as the drawer front, forms the lower end of the wood-based panel 3. Thus, after the shoe cabinet is fully assembled, the handle 32 is located at the lower end of the front panel of the shoe cabinet.This type of arrangement is common in practice. In its most pronounced form, it carries a particularly high risk that water applied during cleaning of the front broad side 29 of the wood-based panel 3 will run down the broad side 29 in the form of droplets towards the handle strip 32. There, the water can penetrate a gap 36 located between the wood-based panel 3 and the handle strip 32, which is unavoidable due to the design. This gap 36 is particularly evident in Fig. 13 (left half). Therefore, as described above, there is a risk that moisture or water, during the intended use of the wood-based panel 3, will come into contact with its narrow side 2 and consequently with the wood chips from which the wood-based panel 3 is formed. This can lead to swelling of the wood chips and resulting damage to the front panel. The processing of the narrow side 2 thus provides for its protection against such damage. For this purpose, the device 1 comprises an application unit 4, which in the example shown has exactly one application element 5. This serves to apply a wax 6 to a narrow side surface 7 of the narrow side 2. In the example shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 to 12, this narrow side surface 7 is planar, that is, it extends in a plane. Here, and preferably, the application element 5 is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe and has a contact surface 23 on its underside. The application element 5 is formed from a single, milled metal part. A cross-section through the application element 5, parallel to a longitudinal axis 37 of the application element 5, is shown in Fig. 12. The contact surface 23 on the underside is designed to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface 7 during an application process in which the wax 6 is applied to the narrow side surface 7. In order for the application element 5 to process the narrow side 2, it interacts here, preferably with a guide device 9 of the device 1. This guide device is formed by a gripping device that has a gripping arm 38. For the application process, the application element 5 is gripped by the gripping arm 38, so that the application element 5 is locked onto the gripping arm 38. At the beginning of the application process, as shown in Fig. 1, the application element 5 is first placed onto the narrow side 2 by means of the guide device 9 in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7. For this purpose, the gripper arm 38 in the example shown has two joints 41, which allow the application element 5, which is mounted at its end on the gripper arm 38, to move in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7. This movement of the application element 5 is shown in Fig. 1 by the arrow 30, which indicates the movement of the application element 5. The application element 5 is then in an initial position at a contact point 26 on the narrow side 2, with the lower contact surface 23 of the application element 5 in planar contact with the narrow side surface 7. Starting from the initial position at the contact point 26, the application element 5 is then guided by the guide device 9 in a first direction 27 parallel to a longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2 along the narrow side 2. During this movement, the application element 5 sweeps across the narrow side surface 7. The guide device 9 is configured to guide the application element 5 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2. In the example shown, the gripper arm 38 described above is mounted on an elongated rail (not shown in the figures) oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2. The gripper arm 38 is movable along the rail, and thus parallel to the longitudinal axis 10, by means of a drive device (also not shown). In this way, the application element 5, mounted on the gripper arm 38, can be guided along the narrow side 2. Here, and preferably, the application element 5 has, at least on its underside, that is, in the area of ​​the contact surface 23, a width 40 measured transversely to its longitudinal axis 37, which exceeds the width 39 of the narrow side 2 measured transversely to the longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2. In this way, the application element 5 completely covers the narrow side surface 7 when viewed in the lateral direction of the narrow side 2. Thus, as the application element 5 moves along the narrow side 2, the contact surface 23 reaches the narrow side surface 7 over its entire width 39. As the application element 5 moves along its narrow side 2, wax 6 is continuously applied to the narrow side surface 7. This is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 by arrow 31, which symbolizes the conveying of the wax 6. The wax 6 is preheated to a temperature of approximately 50°C, giving it a pasty consistency and making it pumpable. In the example shown, the application element 5 has two identical feed channels 24, 25 for conveying the wax. These channels extend from a top surface 42 to the bottom surface 23, perpendicular to the contact surface 23. The feed channels 24, 25, which are milled into the application element 5, are preferably arranged one behind the other along the longitudinal direction of the application element 5.In a respective lower end section facing the contact surface 23, the feed channels 24, 25 are preferably shaped in a delta form, i.e., with branches 24.1, 24.2, 25.1, 25.2, through which the wax 6 conveyed by the feed channels 24, 25 can be conveyed to various locations on the contact surface 23. In this way, the wax 6 can be distributed particularly well on the contact surface 23, so that, during the movement of the application element 5 along the narrow side 2, it can be applied particularly well across the width 39 of the narrow side 2. For the supply of the wax 6 to the feed channels 24, 25, the application element 5 can be provided on its upper surface 42 with line connections (not shown in the figures) to which a corresponding supply line for the wax 6 can be connected or is connected. In the example shown, the application element 5 is symmetrically designed with respect to a centrally running transverse plane 43 oriented perpendicular to its longitudinal axis 37. During the movement described above in the first direction 27, parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2, the application element 5 eventually reaches a first end position, in which the contact surface 23 partially projects beyond a first end 21 of the narrow side 2. This is particularly evident from Fig. 3. Starting from this first end position, the application element 5 is then moved by the guide device 9 in a second direction 28, opposite to the first direction 27, parallel to the longitudinal axis 10 of the narrow side 2, along the narrow side 2, until the application element 5 reaches its second end position. In this second end position, the contact surface 23 partially projects beyond a second end 22 of the narrow side 2, with the second end 22 of the narrow side 2 being opposite the first end 21.The state of the order process, in which the order element 5 is in its second end position, can be seen particularly well from Fig. 4. When the application element 5 reaches its second end position, the contact surface 23 has swept across the narrow side surface 7 at least once at every point, so that the wax 6 is applied along the entire narrow side 2. The conveying of the wax 6 can therefore be stopped. Here, and preferably, the application element 5 is lifted from the narrow side 2 by means of the conveying device 9 in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7, so that the contact surface 23 loses contact with the narrow side surface 7. This is particularly evident from Figures 4 and 5, where the movement of the application element 5 is illustrated in Figure 4 by the arrow 30. The application process is thus completed. The wax 6 is subsequently processed in a processing step using a processing element 8. This processing serves to distribute the wax 6 evenly across the narrow side surface 7 and to work it into the narrow side 2 in such a way that the wax 6 penetrates an upper wood-based material layer 12 of the wood-based panel 3. For this purpose, the processing element 8, which is shown in Fig. 11, has a flat contact surface 11 on its underside, which is designed and configured to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface 7 during the processing step. Here, and preferably, the processing element 8 is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe, comparable to the application element 5, and is formed from a single, milled metal part. The processing element is rounded at both of its longitudinally opposite ends 15, 16, so that it forms a leading-in area at each of its ends 15, 16. The processing element 8 is also symmetrical with respect to a transverse plane 35 oriented perpendicular to its longitudinal axis 44. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the application element 8 in the illustrated example has two internal recesses 14 arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the application element 8. Within each of the recesses 14, a heating element 13 is preferably located, wherein each heating element 13 is an electric heating element of the type of an electric resistance heater (“heating wire”). The heating elements 13 are suitable for heating the application element 8, so that the application element 8, in turn, is suitable for heating the wax 6 applied to the narrow side surface 7 during the application process and thereby reducing its viscosity, so that it can spread particularly well on the narrow side surface 7 and penetrate into the upper wood material layer 12. In particular, the wax 6 can be liquefied. The processing element 8 is preferably preheated by the heating medium 13 before the processing begins, so that it already has the desired temperature at the start of the processing. In the example shown, the processing element 8 is heated to 120°C by the heating medium. At this temperature, the wax 6 melts and becomes liquid. By means of the guide device 9, on whose gripper arm 38 the processing element 8 is received, the latter is placed on the narrow side 2 at the starting point 26 at the beginning of the processing process 8, so that the contact surface 11 of the processing element 8 comes into planar contact with the narrow side surface 7. This is particularly evident from Figures 6 and 7, where in Figure 6 the movement of the processing element 8 in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7 towards the narrow side 2 is illustrated by the arrow 30. As the processing element 8 is placed on the narrow side surface 7, the wax 6 located there is heated and liquefied by the processing element 8, so that it spreads across the narrow side surface 7.Analogous to the application element 5, the width 20 of the processing element 8 at its contact surface 11 is also of such an amount that this width 20 exceeds the width 39 of the narrow side 2. The movement sequence of the processing element 8 during the processing operation is analogous to the movement sequence of the application element 5 during the application operation. Thus, starting from the starting point 26, the processing element 8 is first moved by the guide device 9 in the first direction 27 to the first end position, in which the contact surface 11 of the processing element 8 partially extends beyond the first end 21 of the narrow side 2. This is particularly evident from Fig. 8. From the first end position, the processing element 8 is then moved in the opposite second direction 28 to the second end position, in which the contact surface 11 extends beyond the second end 22 of the narrow side 2. This is also evident from Fig. 9.Having reached its second end position, the processing element 8 has thus completely coated the narrow side surface 7 with its contact surface 11, so that all the wax 6 previously applied to the narrow side surface 7 has been captured and processed. The rounded ends 15, 16 of the processing element 8 contribute to ensuring that the wax 6 on the narrow side surface 7 is not "pushed away" by the application element 8 as it moves along the narrow side 2, but rather is captured by the application element 8 and "pressed" into the upper wood material layer 12. This supports the effect of the wax 6 penetrating the upper wood material layer 12. Starting from the second end position, the processing element 8 is lifted from the narrow side 2 by means of the guide device 9 in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7, as illustrated by arrow 30 in Fig. 9. This terminates the contact between the contact surface 11 of the processing element 8 and the narrow side surface 7, thus ending the processing process. This state is shown in Fig. 10. In the absence of the heat energy introduced by the application element 8, the wax 6 then cools to room temperature, solidifies, and hardens. The narrow side 2 is then completely sealed with the wax 6 as desired and additionally protected in the upper wood material layer 12 against the negative effects of any penetrating moisture. The wax 6, which is used here, and preferably for treating the narrow side 2 of the wood-based panel 3, is a Fischer-Tropsch wax with a melting point of approximately 100°C. At room temperature, this wax 6 is hardened and solid. Here, and preferably, the wax 6 is heated to a temperature of approximately 50°C for the application process, giving it a paste-like consistency. At this consistency, the wax 6 is pumpable and can be applied to the narrow side surface 7 via the feed channels 24, 25 of the application element 5 as described. As a result of the subsequent heating during the processing, the wax 6 is ultimately liquefied by being heated to a temperature significantly above half its melting point. This allows the wax 6 to be distributed homogeneously on the narrow side surface 7 and to penetrate the upper wood-based panel layer 12.As a result of the subsequent cooling and hardening, the narrow side 2 is then completely sealed. A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 13 and 14. In this example, the narrow side 2 of the wood-based panel 3 is rebated, meaning it has a rebate. This is manifested in the fact that the narrow side surface 7 has a total of three interconnected narrow side surface parts 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, which together form the narrow side surface 7. The first narrow side surface part 7.1 has the largest area compared to the other two narrow side surface parts 7.2, 7.3, while the third narrow side surface part 7.3 has the smallest area. In this embodiment, both the application element 5 and the processing element 8 are adapted to the shape of the narrow-side surface 7. This is particularly evident from Fig. 14, which shows an example of the processing element 8. Accordingly, the contact surface 11 of the processing element 8 has a total of three interconnected contact surface parts 17, 18, 19, which are adapted in their arrangement relative to each other and in their orientation to the narrow-side surface 7 with its narrow-side surface parts 7.1, 7.2, 7.3. A first contact surface part 17 and a second contact surface part 18, as well as the second contact surface part 18 and the third contact surface part 19, each extend in planes that are not parallel to each other. The first contact surface part 17 and the third contact surface part 19 extend in planes that are parallel to each other and spaced apart from one another.This ensures that both the application element 5 and the processing element 8 can act on or process the entire narrow side surface 7. In the example shown, the wood-based panel 3 has a groove 33 extending from the narrow side surface 7 in a direction perpendicular to the narrow side surface 7 into the wood-based panel 3. The groove 33 was previously milled into the narrow side 2. This is particularly evident from Figures 13 and 14. Viewed along the length of the narrow side 2, the groove 33 extends over approximately 80% of the length of the narrow side 2. The groove 33 serves to receive a connecting section 34 of the handle strip 32, so that the handle strip 32 can be attached to the narrow side 2. For this purpose, the groove 33 is filled with an adhesive before the handle strip 32 is inserted. This then results in a material-bonded connection between the connecting section 34 of the handle strip 32 and the wood-based panel 3.The processing of the narrow side 2 described above, i.e. the application of the wax 6 by means of the application device 4 and its processing by means of the processing element 8, takes place before the attachment of the handle strip 32 to the narrow side 2. Reference symbol list 1 Device 2 Narrow side 3 Wood-based panel 4 Application device 5 Application element 6 Wax 7 Narrow side surface 8 Processing element 9 Guide device 10 Longitudinal axis of the narrow side 11 Contact surface of the processing element 12 Wood-based layer 13 Heating medium 14 Recess 15 First end of the processing element 16 Second end of the processing element 17 First contact surface part 18 Second contact surface part 19 Third contact surface part 20 Width of the processing element at the contact surface 21 First end of the narrow side 22 Second end of the narrow side 23 Contact surface of the application element 24 First feed channel 25 Second feed channel 26 Starting point 27 First direction 28 Second direction 29 Broad side 30 Arrow indicating movement 31 Arrow indicating wax conveyance 32 Handle strip 33 Groove 34 Connecting section 35 Transverse plane of the processing element 36 Joint 37 Longitudinal axis of the application element 38 Gripper arm 39 Width of the narrow side 40 Width of theApplication element at the contact surface 41 Joint 42 Top side of the application element 43 Transverse plane of the application element 44 Longitudinal axis of the processing element

Claims

Device (1) for processing a narrow side (2) of a wood-based panel (3), comprising an application device (4) with at least one application element (5) for applying wax (6) to a narrow side surface (7) of the narrow side (2), a processing element (8) for processing the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7), a guiding device (9) for guiding the processing element (8) on the narrow side surface (7) in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2), wherein the processing element (8) has a contact surface (11) on its underside, which is provided and configured to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface (7) during a processing operation in which the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7) is processed, and thereby to distribute the wax (6) on the narrow side surface (7),wherein the processing element (8) can be guided on the narrow side surface (7) by means of the guide device (9) during the processing process in such a way that the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) can come into contact with the narrow side surface (7) over the entire length of the narrow side (2). Device (1) according to claim 1 , characterized by at least a heating medium (13) by means of which the processing element (8) can be heated, so that the processing element (8) is suitable to heat the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7) during the processing process and thereby reduce its viscosity. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the heating medium (13) is formed by an electric heating medium, preferably of the type of an electric resistance heater, wherein preferably the heating medium (13) is attached to the outside of the processing element (8) or is inserted into an internal recess (14) of the processing element (8). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface (11) is provided and arranged to incorporate the wax (6) at least into an upper wood-based material layer (12) of the wood-based panel (3) adjacent to the narrow side surface (7) during a processing process. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the processing element (8) is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe, which is preferably chamfered or rounded at its two ends (15, 16) opposite each other in its longitudinal direction, so that it forms an entry area at each of its two ends (15, 16). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) comprises several interconnected, each planar contact surface parts (17, 18, 19) which extend in different planes oriented non-parallel to each other or in planes oriented parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other. Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one application element (5) of the application device (4) is formed by an application nozzle by means of which the wax (6) can be sprayed onto the narrow side surface (7). Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the application nozzle can be pivoted about a pivot axis by means of the guide device (9), so that the application nozzle can be directed obliquely outwards during an application process in which the wax (6) is applied to the narrow side surface (7), at least at opposite ends (21, 22) of the narrow side (2) with respect to the longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2). Device (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one application element (5) of the application device (4) is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe which has a contact surface (23) on its underside, wherein the contact surface (23) is provided to come into direct contact with the narrow side surface (7) during an application process in which the wax (6) is applied to the narrow side surface (7). Device (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that the application element (5) has at least one feed channel (24, 25) which terminates at the contact surface (23), so that during the application process the wax (6) can be conveyed through the feed channel (24, 25) and thus applied to the narrow side surface (7). Device (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the feed channel (24, 25) divides in a delta shape in one end section facing the contact surface (23), so that during the application process the wax (6) conveyed via the feed channel (24, 25) can exit from the feed channel (24, 25) at various points on the contact surface (23) where the feed channel (24, 25) ends. Device (1) according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the application element (5) has several feed channels (24, 25) which are arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the application element (5), wherein preferably the feed channels (24, 25) are of identical design. Method for processing a narrow side (2) of a wood-based panel (3), comprising the following process steps: - The wood-based panel (3) is moved to a processing location and aligned by means of a movement device; In an application process, a wax (6) is applied to a narrow side surface (7) of the narrow side (2) by means of at least one application element (5) of an application device (4);- After completion of the application process, the wax (6) previously applied to the narrow side surface (7) is processed in a processing operation by means of a processing element (8), wherein a contact surface (11) located on an underside of the processing element (8) comes into contact with the narrow side surface (7) and thereby distributes the wax (6) on the narrow side surface (7), wherein the processing element (8) is guided by means of a guide device (9) in such a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2) along the narrow side surface (7) such that the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) comes into contact with the narrow side surface (7) over the entire length of the narrow side (2). Method according to claim 13, characterized in that the processing element (8) is heated at least during the processing process by means of a heating medium (13), so that the wax (6) applied to the narrow side surface (7) is heated by means of the processing element (8) and its viscosity is thereby reduced. A method according to one of claims 13 or 14, characterized in that the processing element (8) is applied to the narrow side (2) at a starting point (26) by means of the guide device (9) during the processing process, so that the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) is brought into contact with the narrow side surface (7); ii) is guided in a first direction (27) parallel to the longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2) along the narrow side (2) until the contact surface (11) projects at least partially over a first end (21) of the narrow side (2); iii) is guided in a second direction (28) opposite to the first direction (27) along the narrow side (2) until the contact surface (11) projects at least partially over a second end (22) of the narrow side (2) opposite the first end (21); undiv) is lifted from the narrow side (2). Method according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the application element (5) is designed in the form of an elongated sliding shoe, wherein during the application process the wax (6) is conveyed through at least one feed channel (24, 25) of the application element (5) to a contact surface (23) of the application element (5) located on an underside of the application element (5), with which the application element (5) comes into contact with the narrow side surface (7) and is thus applied to the narrow side surface (7). The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the application element (5) is applied to the narrow side (2) at a starting point (26) by means of the guide device (9) during the application process, so that the contact surface (23) of the application element (5) is brought into contact with the narrow side surface (7); vi) is guided in a first direction (27) parallel to the longitudinal axis (10) of the narrow side (2) along the narrow side (2) until the contact surface (23) projects at least partially over a first end (21) of the narrow side (2); vii) is guided in a second direction (28) opposite to the first direction (27) along the narrow side (2) until the contact surface (23) projects at least partially over a second end (22) of the narrow side (2) opposite the first end (21); and viii) is lifted from the narrow side (2). Method according to one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that the wax (6) has a melting temperature in the range between 60°C and 120°C, preferably in the range between 70°C and 100°C, wherein preferably the wax (6) is formed of a Fischer-Tropsch wax or a polyolefin wax, preferably polyethylene-based. Method according to one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that in the processing process the contact surface (11) of the processing element (8) incorporates the wax (6) at least into an upper wood-based material layer (12) of the wood-based panel (3) adjacent to the narrow side surface (7).

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