Method for producing plate-shaped workpieces and processing machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces (15), which preferably consist at least partially of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed material, or the like, comprising the steps of: providing a plate-shaped base workpiece (10), producing at least one groove (11) in a surface (12) of the base workpiece (10), wherein the production of the groove (11) forms at least one design element (13) and at least one reference element (16), aligning the base workpiece (10) and / or a processing device depending on the at least one formed reference element (16), and dividing the base workpiece (10) into at least two plate-shaped workpieces (15). The invention also relates to a processing machine.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces and a processing machine for producing plate-shaped workpieces. State of the art

[0002] To manufacture panel-shaped workpieces, such as floor, ceiling, or wall panels, large-format starting pieces are typically used. These are divided into numerous smaller workpieces by a processing machine. In subsequent processing steps, these smaller workpieces can be further processed, for example, by being shaped, contoured, and printed, or fitted with appropriate connecting elements on their narrow edges, such as for a tongue-and-groove joint. To further improve the processing quality and visual appearance of such floor, ceiling, or wall panels, reduce processing times and material waste, and lower production costs, processing machines for manufacturing these panel-shaped workpieces are subject to continuous development. Description of the invention

[0003] The invention is based on the objective of providing a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces and a processing machine for producing plate-shaped workpieces, which enables high-quality, fast, and material- and cost-optimized production of plate-shaped workpieces.

[0004] A method for manufacturing plate-shaped workpieces is defined in claim 1. A processing machine for manufacturing plate-shaped workpieces is defined in claim 13. Dependent claims relate to specific embodiments.

[0005] The object is achieved according to the invention by a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces, wherein the method comprises providing a plate-shaped base workpiece, introducing at least one groove into a surface of the base workpiece, wherein at least one design element and at least one reference element are formed with the introduction of the groove, aligning the base workpiece and / or a machining device depending on the at least one formed reference element, and dividing the base workpiece into at least two plate-shaped workpieces.

[0006] The plate-shaped workpieces produced by the inventive method are preferably panels, in particular floor, ceiling, and / or wall panels. Likewise, the plate-shaped workpieces can be elements for the manufacture of furniture, for example, furniture fronts, doors, or the like. The workpieces consist, in particular, at least partially of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed material, or the like. The provided plate-shaped base workpiece is preferably a large-format initial workpiece, which is divided into at least two plate-shaped workpieces by subsequent processing steps.

[0007] The at least one groove is preferably machined on one side of the base workpiece that forms the top surface of the finished plate-shaped workpieces. The at least one groove can preferably be formed by machining, for example, milling. The at least one design element, which forms a workpiece edge on at least one of the finished workpieces, and the at least one reference element, which is provided for aligning the base workpiece and / or the machining equipment, are preferably formed in a single machining step. For example, the at least one groove, along with the at least one design element and the at least one reference element, can be machined into the surface of the base workpiece simultaneously, preferably using only one machining tool, in particular a milling tool.Alternatively, several machining tools can be provided, by which, in a preferably continuous machining operation, the at least one groove is first introduced into the surface of the base workpiece and subsequently the at least one design element and the at least one reference element are formed on the groove.

[0008] In a further development of the process, it may be provided that the base workpiece is divided in such a way that at least one design element and at least one reference element are retained on at least one of the at least two plate-shaped workpieces.

[0009] In other words, the base workpiece is divided such that a parting cut is made adjacent to the at least one groove, thereby preserving the at least one design element and the at least one reference element on at least one of the at least two plate-shaped workpieces. For example, a parting cut can be provided at a distance of at most 20 mm, preferably at most 10 mm, and more preferably at most 5 mm, from the at least one groove. In this way, the at least one reference element for subsequent machining steps to align the respective plate-shaped workpiece and / or a machining device, as well as the at least one design element on the respective plate-shaped workpiece, can be preserved to form a correspondingly shaped workpiece edge on the finished workpiece.

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the method may also provide that the at least one design element and the at least one reference element are spaced apart from each other and / or are formed at least sectionally along a longitudinal extension of the at least one groove.

[0011] The at least one groove is preferably machined into the surface of the base workpiece along its entire length and / or width, i.e., from one edge region to an opposite edge region. The at least one groove can be machined into the surface either in a planar section of the top and / or bottom surface or at an edge region of the base workpiece. Advantageously, the length of the at least one groove corresponds to at least one length and / or width of the finished plate-shaped workpieces. Preferably, the at least one groove is formed with a straight profile. Likewise, the at least one groove can be formed with any other profile, for example, a free-form profile.By spacing out at least one design element and at least one reference element from each other, a reliable differentiation between the design element and the reference element can be achieved for subsequent processing steps, in particular to identify or capture the reference element for alignment.

[0012] Preferably, in this method, the at least one design element and the at least one reference element can be formed at a distance of at most 5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm, more preferably at most 2 mm.

[0013] Such a distance between the at least one design element and the at least one reference element minimizes material waste, since in a subsequent processing step, only a small amount of workpiece material needs to be removed from the design element towards the reference element to form the design element as a workpiece edge on the finished workpiece. Furthermore, such a distance between the at least one design element and the at least one reference element ensures reliable differentiation between the design element and the reference element.

[0014] Preferably, in this method, at least one design element can be formed on an edge region of the at least one groove and / or at least one reference element can be formed on an opposite edge region of the at least one groove. Preferably, the at least one design element is formed as a chamfer, a fold, a step, a rounded edge, or the like on the edge region of the at least one groove. Preferably, the at least one reference element is formed as an edge, a surface, a beveled surface, or the like on the opposite edge region of the at least one groove.

[0015] A floor section comprising at least one groove can be formed between the at least one design element and the at least one reference element. This floor section extends along the longitudinal axis of the groove between the at least one design element and the at least one reference element. The width of this floor section can define the distance between the at least one design element and the at least one reference element.

[0016] By providing at least one design element and at least one reference element at the edge regions, the formation of at least one groove together with the design element and the reference element can be easily achieved. This can be accomplished either by forming the at least one groove together with the at least one design element and the at least one reference element using only one appropriately designed machining tool, in particular a milling tool, or by first forming the at least one groove with the machining tool and then, in a subsequent machining operation, forming the two edge regions of the at least one groove with the same or a different machining tool in order to create the at least one design element and the at least one reference element at the edge regions.

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the method provides that the at least one reference element is inclined at an angle of at least 40°, preferably at least 50°, and more preferably at least 60°, to a principal plane of extension of the plate-shaped base workpiece. In particular, the at least one reference element, which is designed as an inclined surface, is inclined at an angle of at least 40°, preferably at least 50°, and more preferably at least 60°, to a principal plane of extension of the plate-shaped base workpiece. By forming the inclined surface at such an angle, optimal differentiation between the reference element and the remaining surface of the base workpiece can be achieved. This enables reliable identification and detection of the at least one reference element by a detection device, in particular a sensor and / or camera device, for the purpose of alignment.

[0018] In an advantageous embodiment of the method, at least one pair of adjacent grooves can be introduced into the surface of the base workpiece, wherein the reference elements are formed on the mutually facing edge regions of the pair of adjacent grooves and the base workpiece is divided into the plate-shaped workpieces between the reference elements of the pair of adjacent grooves.

[0019] In other words, grooves can preferably be machined into the surface of the base workpiece in pairs at a distance from each other. The distance between the at least one pair of adjacent grooves can be at most 50 mm, preferably at most 40 mm, more preferably at most 30 mm, and more preferably at most 20 mm. Advantageously, the at least one pair of adjacent grooves is arranged parallel to each other. By dividing the base workpiece between the reference elements of the pair of adjacent grooves, it can be ensured, in particular, that the grooves with their formed design elements and the reference elements remain intact without requiring any machining after the division.

[0020] In an advantageous further development of the method, it can also be provided that at least the design elements of the pair of adjacent grooves are designed to be mirror-symmetrical to each other.

[0021] In this way, it can be achieved that the design elements are arranged on the opposite sides of the paired grooves, which, after the base workpiece has been divided, are assigned to the plate-shaped workpieces, so that the design elements can form the workpiece edges of the finished plate-shaped workpieces. In other words, with a mirror-symmetrical design of the design elements, it can be provided that the design elements are formed on the opposite edge regions of the paired grooves. It is particularly advantageous if the pair of adjacent grooves can be designed to be mirror-symmetrical to each other.

[0022] A particularly preferred further development of the method may also provide that a plurality of pairs of adjacent grooves are introduced into the surface of the base workpiece and that the base workpiece is divided into a plurality of plate-shaped workpieces between the reference elements of a pair of adjacent grooves.

[0023] The number of pairs of adjacent grooves machined into the surface of the base workpiece can be any number of pairs and may depend, for example, on the size of the base workpiece and / or the quantity of workpieces to be produced from it. For example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or more pairs of adjacent grooves can be machined into the surface of the base workpiece to divide it into 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 or more plate-shaped workpieces.

[0024] In a further development of the method, the surface of the base workpiece can be printed and / or coated at least in certain areas after the introduction of the at least one groove and before the base workpiece is divided, wherein a printing unit for printing and / or coating is aligned depending on the at least one reference element.

[0025] Preferably, the printing and / or coating process can be carried out by printing the entire surface of the base workpiece after the groove has been cut and before the workpiece has been divided. The entire surface of the base workpiece includes, in particular, an area that forms the top surfaces of the finished plate-shaped workpieces, as well as an area formed by the at least one groove. In other words, the printing unit preferably prints and / or coats the entire surface of the base workpiece, including, in particular, the at least one design element, the at least one reference element, and / or the bottom section of the groove.

[0026] Alternatively, it can also be provided that the printing unit only prints and / or coats that surface of the base workpiece which forms the top surfaces on the finished plate-shaped workpieces, as well as at least one design element which forms the workpiece edge on the finished workpieces.

[0027] The printing unit can be precisely controlled based on at least one reference element to produce a high-quality print image. For this purpose, the at least one reference element can be detected by a detection device, in particular a sensor and / or camera device, which is coupled to the printing unit for its control.

[0028] Advantageously, the method can be designed such that the narrow sides of the plate-shaped workpieces formed by dividing the base workpiece are machined in such a way that at least one reference element is removed by a preferably machining process and at least one design element is retained as the workpiece edge of the plate-shaped workpiece.

[0029] Preferably, both the at least one reference element and the bottom section of the groove, i.e., the area of ​​the groove formed between the reference element and the design element, and / or any workpiece protrusion can be removed by machining, preferably by subtractive machining. In particular, it is provided that the at least one design element remains unmachined in order to form a workpiece edge on the finished plate-shaped workpiece.

[0030] By preferably machining the narrow sides of the plate-shaped workpieces formed by dividing the base workpiece, corresponding connecting elements can preferably be formed on these narrow sides. These corresponding connecting elements can be designed, for example, to allow the panels to be joined later during panel production. The connecting elements can, for example, form a tongue-and-groove joint for joining the plate-shaped workpieces together. Additionally, a reference edge can be formed on the base workpiece or on the plate-shaped workpieces by preferably machining to provide defined alignment for longitudinal profiling.

[0031] A processing machine for the production of plate-shaped workpieces, in particular by the method according to one of the embodiments described above, is defined in claim 13 and serves to realize the advantages mentioned above.

[0032] The processing machine comprises a conveying device for bringing about a conveying movement of a base workpiece, a processing device for producing at least one groove in a surface of the base workpiece, wherein the processing device has at least one processing tool by which at least one design element and at least one reference element can be formed by producing the at least one groove, at least one processing tool for dividing the base workpiece into at least two plate-shaped workpieces, and an alignment device by which the base workpiece and / or the at least one processing tool for dividing the base workpiece can be aligned depending on the at least one reference element.

[0033] Such a machining center can be designed as a through-feed machine, in which the workpieces are moved by the conveyor in a conveying direction relative to the machining unit, i.e., the machining of the workpieces is carried out in a continuous process. The machining center can be a CNC-controlled machine tool or a CNC-controlled machining center. Alternatively, the machining center can also be a stationary machine tool in which the workpiece to be machined is held in a stationary position and a machining unit performs a movement to execute a machining operation.

[0034] The base workpiece for manufacturing the panel-shaped components is, in particular, a workpiece that is at least partially made of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed material, or the like. The panel-shaped components that can be manufactured from the base workpiece are preferably panels, especially floor, ceiling, or wall panels, or elements for furniture manufacturing, door manufacturing, or the like.

[0035] A particularly advantageous further development of the processing machine can provide that at least one printing unit is provided between the processing device for introducing the at least one groove and the at least one processing tool for dividing the base workpiece, wherein the printing unit can be aligned depending on the at least one reference element in order to print and / or coat the surface of the base workpiece at least in certain areas.

[0036] Preferably, such a printing unit is designed as a digital printing unit. In particular, the printing unit is an inkjet printing device. The printing unit can perform multicolor printing and / or single-color printing. With such a printing unit, both multicolored workpiece decorations, for example, a simulated wood grain or the like, as well as single colors, can be applied to the surface of the base workpiece and / or the sheet-shaped workpieces. The printing unit can be arranged on an positioning device that enables uniaxial or multiaxial positioning of the printing unit relative to the base workpiece and / or the sheet-shaped workpieces.In particular, the printing unit is coupled with a detection device, for example a detection device comprising one or more cameras and / or sensor elements, by which at least one reference element can be detected in order to control the printing unit to carry out the printing and / or coating process depending on the reference element.

[0037] In a further embodiment of the machine tool, at least one machining unit can be provided by which the narrow sides of the plate-shaped workpieces formed by dividing the base workpiece can be machined in such a way that the at least one reference element is removed by a preferably machining process and the at least one design element is retained as the workpiece edge of the plate-shaped workpiece.

[0038] In particular, the at least one machining unit comprises at least one machining tool, especially a milling tool, by which connecting elements can be formed on the narrow sides of the plate-shaped workpieces created by dividing the base workpiece. By forming the connecting elements, at least the at least one reference element and the bottom section of the groove can be at least largely removed, and the at least one design element can be preserved as a workpiece edge on the plate-shaped workpiece without further machining. The machining tool can preferably be designed to form a tongue-and-groove joint on the narrow sides of the plate-shaped workpieces formed by dividing the base workpiece, for joining the plate-shaped workpieces together. Brief description of the drawings

[0039] Further features and advantages of a device, a use, and / or a method will become apparent from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings show: Fig. 1 a flowchart of a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces according to an embodiment as disclosed; Fig. 2 a schematic top view of a base workpiece for producing several plate-shaped workpieces; Fig. 3 a schematic partial sectional view of the base workpiece in Fig. 2 ; Fig. 4 a schematic detail view of a groove produced in the base workpiece; Fig. 5 a schematic sectional view of a plate-shaped workpiece produced by the method according to the disclosure. Description of embodiments

[0040] Identical reference symbols listed in different figures name identical, corresponding, or functionally similar elements.

[0041] Fig. 1 shows a flowchart of a method for producing plate-shaped workpieces according to an embodiment as disclosed.

[0042] The inventive method produces several plate-shaped workpieces from large-format starting workpieces, hereinafter referred to as base workpieces, by dividing the starting workpiece into the several plate-shaped workpieces. The produced plate-shaped workpieces are preferably panels, in particular floor, ceiling and / or wall panels, or plate-shaped elements for the manufacture of furniture, for example furniture fronts, for the manufacture of doors or the like.

[0043] In a first process step S1, a starting workpiece is manufactured or generally provided as a plate-shaped base workpiece 10 for producing the plate-shaped workpieces. Such a plate-shaped base workpiece 10 is schematically shown in Fig. 2 depicted, to which the following descriptions refer.

[0044] The base workpiece 10 can be manufactured in various ways within the scope of the invention, for example, by an extrusion process. For instance, the base workpiece 10 can be a starting workpiece that consists at least partially of a plastic, composite and / or mixed material, wood-based material, or the like, and may be manufactured by extrusion. Likewise, the base workpiece 10 can consist at least partially of wood. For example, the base workpiece 10 can be assembled from a plurality of elements, e.g., glued and / or pressed together. The plate-shaped base workpiece 10 can, for example, be a solid wood or particleboard, lightweight panel, sandwich panel, or the like.

[0045] In a second process step S2, the plate-shaped base workpiece 10 is conditioned. Conditioning the base workpiece 10 can, for example, include cooling the base workpiece 10 after the extrusion process, formatting the base workpiece 10 to a defined dimension or shape, and / or another type of preparatory processing step.

[0046] In a third process step S3, a plurality of grooves 11 are introduced into a surface 12 of the base workpiece 10, as is particularly common in Fig. 2 is shown.

[0047] The grooves 11 are machined into the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 by a machine tool (not shown in detail). This machine tool may preferably be a throughfeed machine, in which the base workpiece 10 is machined continuously. Alternatively, the machine tool may be a stationary machine tool in which the base workpiece 10 is held in a stationary position for a machining operation. The machine tool may be a CNC-controlled machine tool or a CNC-controlled machining center. The machine tool is specifically designed to machine workpieces that are at least partially made of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed materials, or the like.It goes without saying that the machining machine is not limited to machining such workpieces and / or materials.

[0048] In particular, the processing machine is designed such that a large number of base workpieces 10 are fed to the processing machine successively and conveyed relative to the processing machine. For this purpose, the processing machine can include a conveying device on which the base workpieces 10 rest. The conveying device can, for example, be designed as a conveyor belt or conveyor chains.

[0049] To create the plurality of grooves 11 in the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10, the machine tool has one or more machining tools. Preferably, the one or more machining tools are milling tools for a milling operation by which the plurality of grooves 11 are created in the base workpiece 10. For this purpose, the machine tool can advantageously have several machining tools so that several grooves 12 are created simultaneously or nearly simultaneously in the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10.

[0050] The one or more machining tools are designed in such a way that, by creating the groove 12, they form a design element 13, which forms a workpiece edge 14 on a finished plate-shaped workpiece 15, as well as a reference element 16, which is provided for aligning the base workpiece 10 and / or the machining device. In particular, the grooves 11 are machined into the surface 12 on one side of the base workpiece 11, which forms the top surfaces 17 of the subsequent plate-shaped workpieces 15.

[0051] The design element 13 and the reference element 16 can be formed simultaneously, preferably by only one machining tool, in particular a milling tool, along with the respective groove 11. In other words, preferably a groove 11 is formed together with the design element 13 and the reference element 16 in only one machining operation into the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10.

[0052] As in the Figs. 2 and 3As shown, the grooves 11 are formed in pairs of adjacent grooves 11 into the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10, wherein the base workpiece 10 is subsequently divided between the pairs of adjacent grooves 11 into the respective plate-shaped workpieces 15. The pairs of adjacent grooves 11 are spaced apart from each other at a distance of at most 50 mm, preferably at most 40 mm, more preferably at most 30 mm, and more preferably at most 20 mm, and the pairs of adjacent grooves 11 are formed parallel to each other.

[0053] The pairs of adjacent grooves 11 are each formed in a mirror-symmetrical manner, wherein the design elements 13 of the pair of adjacent grooves 11 are formed on the opposite edge regions 18 of the grooves 11 and the reference elements 16 of the pair of adjacent grooves 11 are formed on the opposite, i.e., adjacent, edge regions 19 of the grooves 11, as shown in Fig. 3 is shown.

[0054] For example, in Fig. 2It is shown that 6 pairs of adjacent grooves 11 are formed in the base workpiece 10. Furthermore, a groove 11 is formed at each edge region 16 of the base workpiece 10. The grooves 11 can therefore be formed in both a longitudinal and a transverse direction of the base workpiece 11. The 6 pairs of adjacent grooves 11 allow 7 plate-shaped workpieces 15 to be produced from the base workpiece 10. It is understood that the number of pairs of adjacent grooves 11 formed in the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 can be any number. For example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 or more pairs of adjacent grooves 11 can be formed in the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 in order to divide the base workpiece 10 into 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 or more plate-shaped workpieces 15.The number of grooves 11 can be selected depending on the number of plate-shaped workpieces 15 to be produced and / or the size of the base workpiece 10.

[0055] Fig. 4 shows a schematic partial sectional view of the base workpiece 10, in which a cross-section of one of the grooves 11 is shown in detail.

[0056] The grooves 11 are machined into the surface 12 of the base workpiece 11 along a longitudinal extent. The design element 13 is formed along one edge region 18 of a groove 11. According to the Fig. 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the design element 13 is formed as a chamfer. Alternatively or additionally, the design element 13 can also be formed as a fold, a step, a rounded edge, or in another manner along the edge region of the groove 11.

[0057] The reference element 16 is formed along the opposite edge region 19 of the groove 11, wherein the reference element 16 is formed as an inclined surface along the edge region 19 of the groove 11. This inclined surface has an angle of inclination N of at least 40°, preferably at least 50°, more preferably at least 60°, to a principal extension plane E of the base workpiece 10. Alternatively or additionally, the reference element 16 can also be formed as an edge, a rebate, a surface or the like on the edge region of the groove 11.

[0058] A floor section 20 is formed between the design element 13 and the reference element 16, such that the design element 13 and the reference element 16 are spaced apart from each other. The floor section 20 extends along the longitudinal extent of the groove 11 between the design element 13 and the reference element 16.

[0059] The design element 13 and the reference element 16 are formed at a distance A of at most 5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm, more preferably at most 2 mm.

[0060] In a fourth process step S4, the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 is printed, painted and / or coated by a (printing) unit after the grooves 11 have been introduced.

[0061] The printing unit can be either integrated into the machining center or provided separately. In particular, the printing unit is positioned after process step S3 for creating the plurality of grooves 11 and before a subsequent process step S5 for dividing the base workpiece 10 into the multiple plate-shaped workpieces 15.

[0062] The printing unit is, in particular, a digital printing unit. The printing unit can be an inkjet printer capable of multicolor and / or single-color printing. Thus, the printing unit can print multicolor workpiece decorations, such as a simulated wood grain or similar, and single-color decorations on the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10. A positioning device can control a single-axis or multi-axis positioning movement of the printing unit relative to the base workpiece 10 for the printing and / or coating process.

[0063] The printing unit can be coupled to a detection device that uses one or more cameras and / or sensors to detect at least one of the reference elements 16 in order to control the printing unit to execute the printing and / or coating process depending on at least one detected reference element 16. Alternatively or additionally, the workpiece can also be aligned by at least one stop or other mechanical elements.

[0064] In the printing and / or coating process, it is preferably provided that the entire surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 is printed and / or coated. The entire surface 12 here refers to those surface areas of the base workpiece 10 that form the top surfaces 17 of the finished plate-shaped workpieces 15, as well as those surface areas formed by the plurality of grooves 11, i.e., the design elements 13, the reference elements 16, and the bottom sections 18. In other words, the printing and / or coating process prints and / or coats the surface 12 of the base workpiece 10 with the design elements 13, reference elements 16, and bottom sections 18 formed by the grooves 11.

[0065] Alternatively, the printing and / or coating process can also be designed so that only those surface areas of the base workpiece 10 are printed and / or coated which form the top surfaces or visible sides 17 of the finished plate-shaped workpieces 15, as well as those surface areas formed by the design elements 13 of the grooves 11.

[0066] In a fifth process step S5, the base workpiece 10 is divided into several plate-shaped workpieces 15. The machine tool is coupled to a detection device which uses one or more cameras and / or sensors to detect at least one of the reference elements 16 in order to control the machine tool to execute the machining operation depending on at least one detected reference element 16.

[0067] In Fig. 3An exemplary dividing line 21 between the pair of adjacent grooves 11 is shown to indicate a position for introducing a separating cut to divide the base workpiece 10.

[0068] The base workpiece 10 is divided between the respective pair of adjacent grooves 11 in such a way that the design elements 13 and the reference elements 16 are retained on the respective divided plate-shaped workpieces 15. For dividing the base workpiece 11, the machine tool comprises one or more machining tools, in particular one or more saw tools, by which the base workpiece 10 is divided into the several plate-shaped workpieces 15. Preferably, several machining tools are arranged parallel to one another in order to divide the base workpiece 10 into the several plate-shaped workpieces 15 in a single machining step.

[0069] Thus, the base workpiece 10 is divided by the machining tools in such a way that a separating cut is made between each pair of adjacent grooves 11, the separating cut being spaced apart from the adjacent grooves 11 so that the mutually facing reference elements 16 remain on the divided workpieces 15. In this way, after the base workpiece 10 has been divided, the reference elements 16 remain on the plate-shaped workpieces 15 for subsequent machining steps to align the respective plate-shaped workpiece 15 and / or a machining device, as do the design elements 13, in order to form the workpiece edges 15 on the finished workpieces 15 as defined by the design elements 13.

[0070] In a sixth process step S6, a reference edge is formed on each of the divided plate-shaped workpieces 15, for example by a machining process, in order to form a defined contact surface or alignment surface for a subsequent machining step S7.

[0071] In this seventh process step S7, the narrow sides 22 of the plate-shaped workpieces 15, formed by the division of the base workpiece 10, are machined, in particular by machining, for example with a milling tool. This machining largely removes the reference elements 16, the bottom sections 20, and any material protrusions on the narrow sides 22 of the plate-shaped workpieces 15. When machining the narrow sides 22 of the workpieces 15, it is specifically ensured that the design elements 13 on the respective plate-shaped workpieces 15 remain untouched in order to form the workpiece edges 15 on the finished workpieces 15. The section removed from the plate-shaped workpieces 15 by process step S7 is in the Fig. 3 and 4 represented by the dashed lines.

[0072] Fig. 5Figure 1 shows a finished, plate-shaped workpiece 15. The illustration clarifies that, through the machining process, corresponding connecting elements 23, 24 are formed on the narrow sides 22 of the plate-shaped workpieces 15, which are created by dividing the base workpiece 10. The corresponding connecting elements 23, 24 can be formed around the entire circumference of the narrow sides 22 of the workpieces 15. The connecting elements 23, 24 are manufactured as a groove and a corresponding tongue, enabling the finished plate-shaped workpieces 15 to be joined together by a tongue-and-groove connection in later use, for example, as floor panels. The remaining design elements 13 on the plate-shaped workpieces 15 form a visually appealing and high-quality workpiece edge 14 between the joined workpieces 15.

[0073] It is evident to a person skilled in the art that individual features described in different embodiments can also be implemented in a single embodiment, provided they are not structurally incompatible. Likewise, various features described within a single embodiment can also be provided individually or in any suitable subcombination in several embodiments.

Claims

1. Method for producing plate-shaped workpieces (15), which preferably consist at least partially of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed material or the like, comprising the steps of: - providing a plate-shaped base workpiece (10), - introducing at least one groove (11) into a surface (12) of the base workpiece (10), wherein the introduction of the groove (11) forms at least one design element (13) and at least one reference element (16), - aligning the base workpiece (10) and / or a machining device depending on the at least one formed reference element (16), and - dividing the base workpiece (10) into at least two plate-shaped workpieces (15). 2.Method according to claim 1, wherein the base workpiece (10) is further divided in such a way that the at least one design element (13) and the at least one reference element (16) are retained on at least one of the at least two plate-shaped workpieces (15).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one design element (13) and the at least one reference element (16) are further formed spaced apart from each other and / or at least sectionally along a longitudinal extent of the at least one groove (11).

4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one design element (13) and the at least one reference element (16) are formed at a distance (A) of at most 5 mm, preferably at most 3 mm, more preferably at most 2 mm. 5.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one design element (13) is formed on an edge region (18) of the at least one groove (11), preferably as a chamfer, a fold, a step, a rounding or the like, and / or the at least one reference element (16) is formed on an opposite edge region (19) of the at least one groove (11), preferably as an edge, a surface, a slanted surface or the like.

6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the at least one reference element (16), in particular the reference element (16) designed as an inclined surface, is designed inclined at an angle (N) of at least 40°, preferably at least 50°, more preferably at least 60°, to a principal extension plane (E) of the plate-shaped base workpiece (10). 7.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one pair of adjacent grooves (11) is provided in the surface (12) of the base workpiece (10), wherein the reference elements (16) are formed on the mutually facing edge regions (19) of the pair of adjacent grooves (11) and the base workpiece (10) is divided between the reference elements (16) of the pair of adjacent grooves (11) into the plate-shaped workpieces (15).

8. Method according to claim 7, in which at least the design elements (13) of the pair of adjacent grooves (11) are further formed in a mirror-symmetrical manner to each other. 9.Method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a plurality of pairs of adjacent grooves (11) are further provided in the surface (12) of the base workpiece (10) and the base workpiece (10) is divided between the reference elements (16) of a pair of adjacent grooves (11) into a plurality of plate-shaped workpieces (15).

10. Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the surface (12) of the base workpiece (10) is furthermore printed and / or coated at least in certain areas after the introduction of the at least one groove (11) and before the division of the base workpiece (10), wherein a printing unit is preferably aligned for printing and / or coating depending on the at least one reference element (16). 11.Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the narrow sides (22) of the plate-shaped workpieces (15) formed by dividing the base workpiece (10) are further processed in such a way that the at least one reference element (16) is removed by a preferably machining process and the at least one design element (13) is retained as a workpiece edge (14) of the plate-shaped workpiece (15). 13.A processing machine for producing plate-shaped workpieces (15), which preferably consist at least partially of wood, a wood-based material, plastic, composite and / or mixed material or the like, in particular according to the method of any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising: - a conveying device for bringing about a conveying movement of a base workpiece (10), - a processing device for introducing at least one groove (11) into a surface (12) of the base workpiece (10), wherein the processing device has at least one processing tool by which at least one design element (13) and at least one reference element (16) can be formed by introducing the at least one groove (11), - at least one processing tool for dividing the base workpiece (10) into at least two plate-shaped workpieces (15), and - an alignment device.by which the base workpiece (10) and / or the at least one machining tool for dividing the base workpiece (10) can be aligned depending on the at least one reference element (16).

14. A processing machine according to claim 13, in which at least one printing unit is further provided between the processing device for introducing the at least one groove (11) and the at least one processing tool for dividing the base workpiece (10), wherein the printing unit is alignable depending on the at least one reference element (16) in order to print and / or coat the surface (12) of the base workpiece (10) at least in certain areas. 15.A machining machine according to claim 13 or 14, in which at least one machining unit is further provided, by which the narrow sides (22) of the plate-shaped workpieces (15) formed by dividing the base workpiece (10) can be machined in such a way that the at least one reference element (16) is removed by a preferably machining operation and the at least one design element (13) is retained as a workpiece edge (14) of the plate-shaped workpiece (15).

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