Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Plexiglass Sheets - latest information on Plexiglas sheet offerings


It's 2010 - the Plexiglas brand just celebrated 75 years of supplying acrylic sheet under the trademark PLEXIGLAS. Wait, you think it's spelled PLEXIGLASS ? Yup. You and millions of other people think alike. So if I spell it plexiglass, it only so when you search for information, it will pop up in Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.

I highly recommend visiting the PLEXIGLAS® Acrylic Sheet Product Pages for downloadable product pages, spec sheets, MSDS, and other up-to-date literature from the Plexiglas web site.

In brief, you will find out about:

Plexiglas® G - Premium, architectural grade, cell cast. Best optical quality, highest resistance to chemicals and long-term design stress, superior weatherability. Plastic companies such as ePlastics.com sell Plexiglas G in thicker grades where the higher molecular weight makes a difference in how it cuts, glues, and polishes. Items such as aquariums should NEVER be made from anything but cell cast material. CAST acrylic is available in XXL sizes such as 96x186 by special order!

Plexiglas® MC - Economical, made by melt calendering process. Many of same features as Plexiglas® G with greater detail in thermoforming. This is GENERAL PURPOSE acrylic sheet and is found from 0.060" to 0.236" in thickness. The competition makes general purpose acrylic by "extruding" the sheet. 80% of what you see out there is extruded and it's great for most applications. It has a lower molecular weight and will require cutting and machining at different speeds/feeds than Plexiglas G.

Plexiglas® Frosted - Unique textured surface diffuses light to create dramatic effects. Ideal for retail merchandising or lighting applications. Frosted look engineered throughout the entire acrylic structure. There is a little bit of white color added to the sheet - the edge is whitish. Places such as ePlastics.com have this material in 0.125", 0.250", 0.375" and 0.500" thick in 48x96 sheets and will sell smaller pieces, cut to size and CNC machining of shapes.

Plexiglas® Clear-Edge Frosted - Sheet consists of a middle clear acrylic layer sandwiched between thin top and bottom frosted layers. Ideal choice for designers looking to create attractive lighting, shelving, tabletop and POP displays. One sided formulation also available. Arkema actually co-extrudes this and can lay a color of frost onto another color or clear material. Super-cool.

Plexiglas® T - The beauty of Plexiglas® MC with added impact resistance – seven times tougher than standard acrylic sheet. Most shops sell only full sheets with minimum quantities for purchase.

Plexiglas® T2 - Used in displays where additional durability is needed. 17 times tougher than standard acrylic sheet. Most shops sell only full sheets with minimum quantities for purchase.

Plexiglas® T3 - Greatest level of impact resistance. 22 times tougher than standard acrylic sheet. Most shops sell only full sheets with minimum quantities for purchase.

Plexiglas® Q - Excellent choice for retail, cosmetic countertop and point of purchase displays. Enhanced craze resistance and durability. Most shops sell only full sheets with minimum quantities for purchase.

Plexiglas® SQ - Primarily for sign market, made by melt calendering process. Exceptional surface finish and clarity with enhanced craze resistance.

Plexiglas® Non-Glare Plus - Newest addition to the Plexiglas® family of picture frame products. Added benefits include enhanced mar resistance, improved static resistance and writability.

Plexiglas® SG - Continuous process sheet, exceptional clarity, eight times the impact of standard acrylic sheet – plus outstanding thermoforming definition.

Plexiglas® SG Plus - For sign applications, same attributes of Plexiglas® SG sheet with enhanced craze and solvent resistance.

Plexiglas® SB - Bullet-resistant for use in banks, secure facilities and vandal-prone locations. This is UL rated and is 1.250" thick.

Plexiglas® ELiT II - Designed for use in POP displays, illuminated signage and lightboxes. This material has little particles inside - when you light from the EDGE with a bank of LED's, it will evenly light up your transparency - allowing for a very thin frame system.

TUFFAK® Polycarbonate Sheet Product Pages

Tuffak® A - General purpose polycarbonate, ideal for window glazing. Available in clear and solar tints. Same as Lexan 9034 and Makrolon GP.

Tuffak® CM-2 - With abrasion-resistant, high-impact coating, suitable for transit glazing or school windows.

Tuffak® T - Food-grade polycarbonate, meets FDA food additive regulation 21 CFR 177.1580, available in clear only.

Tuffak® V - For critical flammability, available in clear and colors. UL-94 rated.

Tuffak® W - For aircraft applications where optical clarity is critical.

Tuffak® XL - Superior weatherability with a built-in UV-barrier. Limited 10-year warranty against yellowing and loss of light transmission.