Acrylic Plexiglass Sheets

The Difference Between Cast and Extruded Acrylic

We offer two different kinds of acrylic sheets: cell-cast and extruded. Both types of acrylic polymers result from chemical reactions between monomers and catalysts. Each type of acrylic has its characteristics and features. With an array of glossy, matte, and textured sheets at the ready, finding the best material for your application is easier than ever before. Best of all, we offer a handful of customization services to suit any set of needs.

Cast acrylic is the highest quality acrylic available, providing the greatest optical clarity and thermal stability. Casting acrylic is labor-intensive and involves mixing liquid ingredients in glass molds. Although it is more expensive, the process of casting yields a more rigid, sturdy, and homogenous product, making it ideal for large structures and installations. Casting also lends to more chemical resistance than extrusion, making cast acrylic ideal for applications involving fragrance, lotions, or other solvents. Thick cast acrylic is well-suited to applications where standard sheets won’t do the trick. These super-thick, crystal-clear, and distortion-free sheets are great for machining.

Extruded acrylic is made by continuously pushing acrylic mass through a form to yield an impact-resistant, heterogeneous product. Properties may vary depending on the direction of extrusion. Extruded acrylic is more affordable and dimensionally stable than cast acrylic, making it a cost-effective solution in general fabrication and a wide range of applications. Due to its malleability and low melting point, this acrylic is better suited t polishing as well as cementing and thermoforming. Extruded acrylic is also less susceptible to dirt, lint, or particulate contamination in the production process. Like cast acrylic, it will not yellow as a result of prolonged sun exposure due to its ability to resist ultraviolet light degradation. Despite cold, heat, humidity, and sunlight, our transparent acrylic sheets maintain original color and appearance. You can use extruded sheets in greenhouse glazing, shed or garage window installation, and a variety of indoor applications.

Acrylic Sheet Solutions

ACRYLITE^® acrylic sheets are among the highest-quality plastics manufactured in the world. These thermoplastic panels are often used as a lightweight alternative to glass and other materials because they offer excellent optical quality, high light transmission, weather resistance, and sound reflection. Like most plastics, ACRYLITE sheets respond to temperature changes by expanding or contracting at a far greater rate than glass. Some shrinkage may occur when general-purpose ACRYLITE is heated to a forming temperature, but post-forming stability is exceptional.

Acrylic sheets are also more flexible than glass and many other building materials. If insulation is a concern for the project at hand, you will be relieved to know that ACRYLITE’s surface resistivity is higher than that of most plastics. In fact, ACRYLITE extruded acrylic has a light transmittance of 92%, compared to 80-90% transmission for most clear glass products, and is warranted not to lose more than 3% of its light-transmitting ability in 10 years. UV-filtering acrylic absorbs more than 98% of the radiation in the ultraviolet range below 400 nanometers.

Plexiglass sheets offer an energy-efficient alternative to standard glass, which is conducive to residential applications such as window glazing, designing a backsplash in a kitchen, updating cabinets, and so much more. Transparent-colored ACRYLITE can be used to reduce glare and solar energy transmittance. Plexiglass also has excellent resistance to attack by many chemicals. At only half the weight of glass and approximately 43% the weight of aluminum, acrylic sheet offers a lightweight alternative that is safe and easy to install. Acrylic panels can also be sectioned in a wide variety of ways, using hand tools or power tools. The possibilities of acrylic are endless.

At TAP Plastics, we have a variety of sheet products to choose from that are cut to size. Here’s an overview of our main acrylic sheet solutions and the best uses for each.

ACRYLITE AR Abrasion Resistant: If you desire abrasion and chemical resistance on one or both sides, ACRYLITE AR sheets may be just what you need. AR acrylic is ideal in areas where frequent handling, heavy traffic, and regular cleaning are commonplace. These highly resistant acrylic panels have been used for store fixtures, furniture, menu boards, picture framing, instrumentation displays, sports arena glazing, museum vitrines, architectural glazing, machine guards, touch screens, and more.

Chemcast BR Bullet Resistant: These acrylic sheets are virtually unbreakable, giving them a distinct advantage over glass in terms of safety and security. Chemcast BR is a transparent cell-cast acrylic sheet that meets UL752 Level 1 requirements, which is the specification used to identify a material’s level of bullet resistance. Thickness tolerances are consistently checked on a sheet-by-sheet basis to ensure that the material will provide the required protection you need. Bullet-resistant acrylic can be cut, cemented, flame-polished, and fabricated for indoor or outdoor applications using many of the same techniques used for a standard sheet.

• BR 1.25 sheets are 1.25-inch thick, transparent cell-cast acrylic sheets that meet the UL752 Level 1 requirements.

Acrylite Extruded Acrylic: If extruded acrylic is better suited to your specific application, these continuously manufactured acrylic panels may be the solution you need. Extruded acrylic offers the easy handling and processing of extruded products along with the high optical characteristics and low-stress levels expected of cast products. Our customers have used this lightweight, rigid, and weather-resistant thermoplastic for skylights, signage, window glazing, window frames, picture framing, point-of-purchase (POP) displays, optical displays, and more.

Chemcast GP (General Purpose) Acrylic: If a cell-cast acrylic sheet is better suited to your specific application, this general-purpose sheet may be perfect for your project. Chemcast GP offers excellent optical characteristics, thickness tolerances, light stability, and low internal stress levels for consistent performance. These versatile acrylic sheets can be easily sawed, machined, thermoformed, and cemented, making them suitable for most commercial applications. Plus, it absorbs ultraviolet light up to approximately 360 nanometers. Chemcast GP has been used for decorative paneling, lighting fixture diffusers, aquariums, hockey rinks, shower enclosures, school glazing, signage and more.

ACRYLITE OP-3 UV Filtering Acrylic: If you need a greater ultraviolet light transmission for framing articles of value or professional artwork, look no further. ACRYLITE OP can handle the demands of any framing or glazing application, while providing museum-quality UV protection and the finest optical clarity imaginable. Sheets are made of natural high polymers from cellulose and protein which are particularly sensitive to UV radiation. These continuously manufactured UV-filtering sheets defend against irreversible damages caused by both natural and artificial light, protecting paper-borne artwork, prints, and other documents from fading, yellowing, or becoming brittle over time. Best of all, the UV protective qualities are part of the sheet structure and cannot be scratched away.

ACRYLITE Resist 65 High Impact Acrylic: Are you looking to save without sacrificing the structural integrity of your application? Formerly known as ACRYLITE PLUS, this impact-modified sheet combines the beauty and clarity of acrylic with high-impact performance for longer-lasting, more cost-effective store fixtures and point-of-purchase (POP) displays. ACRYLITE Resist can be easily fabricated and machines, including cutting, routing, forming, and cementing. Our customers have used ACRYLITE Resist 65 sheets in the design and construction of greenhouses, hotels, offices, retail facilities, and much more. Even in dim areas, this high-impact acrylic sheet maximizes light and visual clarity.

ACRYLITE Satinice White and Colorless: Wherever optimum light diffusion is required, we have you covered. Satinice acrylic sheets strike the perfect balance between light diffusion and transmission, making them the preferred acrylic surface for backlit application. Satinice clear acrylic features a frosted appearance from edge to edge, and the attractive surface is exceptional at hiding fingerprints, scratches, or signs of wear and tear. We offer both clear and white sheets that can be used to make stained glass windows, illuminated benches, privacy partitions, exhibition booths, and more.

Chemcast Black LED Plastic Sheets: One of the top concerns for people who produce backlit signage, commercial lighting fixtures, and POP displays includes LED hot spots. LEDs can cause a dotted pattern on standard acrylic sheet materials, but this isn’t the case with black LED acrylic sheets. Our black LED acrylic sheet hides bright LEDs even in low-profile signs and can transmit light of any color, making them suitable for retail displays, exhibition booths, and more.

Chemcast Clear Green Edge Acrylic: An acrylic sheet with a green-tinted edge creates the sleek and sophisticated look of glass coupled with the performance of acrylic panels. Ribbed plexiglass sheet features a textured yet still transparent surface, making it more of a specialty material for use in partitions, balcony glazing, bathroom cabinets, patio tabletops, and furniture components. Ribbed acrylic textures are bold and fashionable, allowing unique possibilities for designers and other industry professionals. We also supply textured Lucerne FFV and Innsbruck FFX acrylic sheeting for a unique finish

Colored and Textured Plexiglass

Colored plexiglass sheets are ideal for outdoor signs and there is so much variety to choose from. Colored Plexiglass is available in a variety of colors that add visibility and personality to a display; they're also excellent for brand building. Transparent, translucent, fluorescent and opaque colors and all available from TAP plastics under the umbrella of cut to size Extruded Acrylic Sheets, Ribbed Acrylic Sheets and Chemcast Acrylic colored plexiglass. Translucent colored plexiglass is also called sign plexiglass or sign acrylic because it is the ideal material for outdoor signage and will never break down or fade due to UV exposure.

Ribbed plexiglass sheet features a textured yet still transparent surface, making it more of a specialty material for use in partitions, balcony glazing, bathroom cabinets, patio tabletops, and furniture components. Ribbed acrylic textures are bold and fashionable, allowing unique possibilities for designers and other industry professionals.

How To Clean Plexiglass Sheets

Whether used for commercial glazing or residential windows, acrylic (also known as Plexiglass) offers many advantages over glass. Though the two may share a similar appearance, acrylic is more clear than regular glass and is only half the weight yet 17 times more resistant to impact than traditional plate glass. Acrylic is also easy for TAP Plastics to cut to size for use in a wide variety of applications around the home, office, and workplace. You can easily maintain that prized transparency if you know how to clean acrylic properly. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of cleaning acrylic so that you can keep your acrylic surfaces in excellent condition.

DIY - Cleaning Plexiglass Sheets