Patent ID: 8056236

Claim:
Method for manufacturing floor panels, of the type, which comprises a top layer having a composition based on a synthetic material and which, at least at two opposite sides, has profiled edge areas that comprise at least coupling parts, comprising the steps: starting from a board-shaped material, forming the floor panels at least partially by means of a laser treatment of said board-shaped material; removing a portion of material from the top layer by the laser treatment; and further comprising the steps of forming at least one profiled edge area at least partially by said laser treatment, and including, by the laser treatment, forming a final upper edge of the floor panel, at least over a portion of the circumference of the floor panel; wherein for forming the floor panels of the board-shaped material, use is made of said laser treatment as well as of at least one or more other treatments, which are performed by one or more mechanical cutting tools; and wherein said laser and other treatments are used to remove excess material when forming the profiled edge area wherein at least two cuts are formed, including a first cut made by the laser treatment extending at least partially through the top layer, and a second cut made by at least one mechanical cutting tool, such that both first and second cuts border a quantity of excess material including at least a portion of the initial top layer, and which quantity of excess material is entirely removable from the board-shaped material by the presence of both first and second cuts, or is connected to the board-shaped material solely by a remaining weakened material portion, and is therefore readily removable from the board-shaped material.