What is Acrylic Sheet?
Acrylic sheets (PMMA) are widely available under brand names, including plexiglass sheets, Lucite, Perspex sheet, and others. As a transparent and rigid plastic, PMMA sheet is often used as a substitute for glass in products such as shatterproof windows, skylights.
Acrylic plastic, is much lighter than glass, it’s half the weight of glass. It provides superior clarity, with a transparency rate of up to 93%.
Features of perspex sheet
- Scratch resistance: 2HB Pencil surface hardness, higher than polycarbonate sheet
- Impact resistance: 17 times stronger than glass
- Light weight: Acrylic sheet density is 1.2kg
- High light transmission: 93%, which is 2% higher than polycarbonate.
- UV stabilised: Acrylic sheet can be UV treated for outdoor application
- Easy to cut, machining and thermoforming and fabrication
- Cost-effective: more economical price compared to both polycarbonate sheets and glass.
Types of Acrylic sheet
There are two types of acrylic sheets based on their production method: cast acrylic sheets and extruded acrylic sheets.
Cast acrylic sheets are produced by mixing liquid ingredients in glass molds. This casting process is more labor-intensive, more expensive, it’s suitable for less quantity order. However, it yields a harder, sturdier, and more uniform final product.
Extruded acrylic sheets are made by heating acrylic pellets until they’re like a thick liquid. This liquid is pushed through a machine that shapes it into a flat sheet. Once it cools down and becomes solid, it’s cut into the right sizes. Extruded acrylic sheets offers better impact resistance and is more dimensionally stable, cost cheaper than cast acrylic sheet.
