Where is acrylic commonly used
Call Home Improvement Advantages of acrylic sheet for home improvements and upgrades: Easily installed Comes in a variety of finishes Easily replaces glass Kitchen Backsplash Replace an old kitchen backsplash with a piece of color acrylic sheeting. Home Decor Advantages of acrylic for home decor: Less expensive than buying decor from a store More durable - 17 times more durable than glass A unique piece that no one else has Picture Frame Large wall frames can be expensive.
Wall Shelves Shelves made from acrylic sheet will stand the test of time better than plywood or glass. Home Furniture Advantages of using acrylic for furniture: Cost effective Can easily be cut to size Easily molded into any shape Simple DIY projects Coffee or End Table Safer than traditional glass, tables made from acrylic sheets hold up better against wear and tear and are 17 times more resistant.
Bed Frames Bed frames made from acrylic sheet can be much more durable than wood and less likely to crack or break. The most common type of acrylic paint is car paint. In the early days of fiber optic wiring, the tips of the cables were coated in glass. This was done to provide protection to the fiber optic line itself, while still allowing light to transmit through the line and carry the data from point A to point B.
These days, the use of acrylic plastic has begun to dominate glass in the field of fibre optics. Acrylic provides the same benefits as glass, but has one additional key quality — acrylic remains intact when bent or stretch, where glass breaks. Glass blowing, glass sculptures and stained-glass windows are all quite magnificent displays of creative technique and talent. However the same works can be displayed in acrylic plastic instead of glass. Acrylic plastic lasts longer in natural conditions and is not as susceptible to accidental damage.
Furthermore, acrylic plastic is slightly easier to mould than glass. Fluorescent lighting has come under scrutiny in recent times due to the large amounts of blue light they emit. Fluorescent lighting has been linked to mental health conditions like depression, anxiety and insomnia. The first heating causes thermoset materials to set similar to a 2-part epoxy resulting in a chemical change that cannot be reversed.
If you tried to heat a thermoset plastic to a high temperature a second time it would simply burn. This characteristic makes thermoset materials poor candidates for recycling.
Acrylic is an incredibly useful plastic for applications requiring transparency where high impact resistance is not an issue. Acrylic is very scratch resistant compared to other clear plastics. It is a lighter alternative to glass and an economic substitute for polycarbonate in applications where strength is not a crucial factor. It can be cut into extremely fine shapes using laser cutting technology because the material vaporizes upon impact with the concentrated laser energy.
If optical clarity is of extreme importance, than we will use Acrylic. We have machined Acrylic on the CNC, and also made hand-formed pieces. Usually after machining, the parts need to be polished to remove the tool marks and restore the optical clarity. A few examples include the following:. Discoveries that led directly to the development of acrylic plastic go back to when acrylic acid was first created. In the modern era it is manufactured by a large number of firms, each typically with their own production process and unique formula.
Acrylic is available in sheet stock and round stock, making it a good candidate for subtractive machining processes on a mill or lathe. A wide variety of colors are usually available. Acrylic sheets are also available in certain fluorescent colors.
The color of the sheet is not as apparent when looking directly at the sheet, but the color really pops along the edges, almost looking like it is being illuminated, even though there is no light source. Acrylic can be purchased in an extraordinary range of colours and can also be made in specific colours to order. We always carry 80 different colours in our warehouse as sheets of varying thickness. Acrylic can be supplied with a number of surface finishes, such as frosted, matt, shiny or mirrored.
See our standard range of coloured acrylic. Acrylic can be supplied in sheets of various dimensions and thicknesses — for details, please see our product range. See range of acrylics. We sell and process extruded and cast acrylic in almost any imaginable colour. The most common methods of processing acrylic are cutting by laser or cutting plotter , CNC milling and turning , cold and heat bending and thermoforming. Acrylic can also be glued and polished. We offer engraving and digital printing of acrylic, which extends the range of design possibilities.
Printing allows for a tailor-made product which is immediately eye-catching. Read our in-store brochure. If you place an order for cutting of acrylic sheet with Induflex, we can have your product ready for delivery within five working days. If it is exposed to higher temperatures for a period of time, it will soften. Read data sheet. In view of the many attractions in terms of colour and structure as well as processing possibilities, acrylic is suited to all manner of products where visual impact is a priority.
For instance, acrylic can be used as partitions, for exhibiting goods, in display cases, signs and other display materials for shops as well as in decorative items. Acrylic is FCM-approved, meaning that it is suitable for food uses including the storage of food. Acrylic has a higher light transmission than glass and represents an alternative to glass in many products and industries. Acrylic is however less scratch-resistant than glass, so products that are made for sliding, such as car windows, are best made from glass.
Acrylic is a common component of electronic equipment, Hi-Fi modules and lighting, such as lampshades. Here, its weight and visual appeal, coupled with light transmission, are all plus points in comparison to metal, for instance. Where visual impression is concerned, acrylic is certainly a favourite. In certain circumstances, requirements of the finished product may mean that polycarbonate is preferable. In some instances, polycarbonate may be the better solution for screens. In this table you will find density, light transmission and scratch resistance of the clear materials:.
Induflex works with some of Europe's leading suppliers.