Acrylic (PMMA)
The clearest plastic we stock, and the one that stays clear outdoors. Harder and glossier than polycarbonate, and more brittle. In sheet, rod and tube.
What Acrylic is
Crystal clear thermoplastic with excellent optical properties and weather resistance.
Acrylic or polycarbonate
The two get quoted against each other constantly and they fail in opposite directions. Acrylic is harder, holds a polished edge, resists scratching and does not yellow outdoors — which is why it wins on display, signage and lighting. Polycarbonate takes the impact that shatters acrylic, which is why guarding and safety glazing go the other way. If nothing is going to hit it and it has to still look good in five years, acrylic is usually the answer.
Machining Acrylic
Acrylic is brittle at the cutter: it chips and cracks rather than smearing, which is the opposite failure mode to polycarbonate. Sharp tooling, high speed and a steady light feed give the cleanest result, and it is the one common plastic that will flame-polish to an optically clear edge. Drilling is where parts are lost — a standard twist drill grabs as it breaks through and cracks the sheet, so the point geometry has to be modified and the material backed up. It also holds casting and moulding stress and crazes when solvents reach a stressed edge.
Need Acrylic parts machined to print?
Send us a drawing and we will quote it. Precision plastic machining in Linden, New Jersey since 1968.