A furniture panel leaves the plant with its edge already finished, banded or veneered, and that edge is the most expensive linear metre on the board. It is also the part that gets knocked when panels are stacked, moved between stations and loaded. A folding U channel covers the finished edge and turns the corner at the end of the stack.
The finished edge is the vulnerable part
A banded edge cannot be repaired invisibly. A chip means re-banding the whole edge, which usually means remaking the panel.
Tape and foam wrap protect the edge but neither holds a band off it, and both have to be removed before the panel goes into a cabinet. A U channel does the same job and comes off in one movement.
Specification at a glance
Furniture board is 16-25 mm, so the inside width is predictable. The leg should clear the band and stop short of any drilling line.
| Panel | Inside width | Leg | Note |
|---|
| 16 mm melamine | 17 mm | 40 mm | PVC band |
| 18 mm MDF | 19 mm | 40-50 mm | Common |
| 18 mm veneered | 19-20 mm | 40 mm | Clearance for veneer |
| 25 mm worktop | 26 mm | 50-60 mm | Heavier |
| Drilled panel | As panel | Short of drill line | No covering holes |
Between stations and into the pack
Inside the plant, short pieces on the corners are enough, because the panel is not travelling far. For the outbound pack, a folding channel along the edge with a notch at each corner protects the whole run.
Where panels are packed face to face, the channel sits between two panels and its own thickness becomes part of the stack dimension. A 3 mm wall is usually enough; a 5 mm wall changes the carton size.
Band, veneer and the drill line
PVC and ABS banding is tolerant of a close fit. Veneer is not: a channel pressed onto a veneered edge can lift the veneer at the corner, so a little clearance is safer.
Keep the leg short of the drilling line. A protector that covers a dowel hole has to be removed before assembly, and it will be removed with a knife.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Will the channel damage a veneered edge?
A close fit can lift veneer. Allow a little clearance on veneered panels.
Can it cover a banded edge?
Yes, with the inside width increased by the band thickness.
Should the leg cover drilled holes?
No. Keep it short of the drill line so it does not have to be cut away at assembly.
How thick a wall for a carton pack?
3 mm is usually enough. A 5 mm wall changes the carton dimension.
Can corner pieces and edge lengths be combined?
Yes, and that is the usual outbound pack.
For a quotation, post the panel section, the angle and the destination port to mona@hengnicepacking.com.
