Acrylic Plastics
Plastic is one of the hundreds of material types Advanced Seals & Gaskets can offer, available in many grades and products. One of the more popular grades on offer is Acrylic Plastics, which may also be referred to as Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) or more commonly by the trade name ‘plexiglass’.
Acrylic plastics are manufactured in the form of sheets, rods and tubes in a range of standard sizes, thicknesses and colours, however, acrylic plastics can also be extruded in bespoke sizes and quantities to order.
Acrylic plastics are easy to fabricate using drills, saws, thermoforming and even die cutting for very thin materials, as well as being easy to bond using various solvents and adhesives.
Our in-house conversion facilities allow us to take sheets, tubes and rods of plastic and cut them into usable parts including pads, circular discs, washers and strips, all supplied with a plain finish or coated with a choice of self-adhesives.
What is Acrylic Plastic?
Acrylic Plastics a thermoplastic material meaning it becomes soft and moldable once it’s heated to a certain temperature and then solidifies upon cooling. Acrylic plastic is strong, flexible and completely transparent making it a popular choice for use in place of glass due to having similar visual properties but with greater resistance to breaking.
Acrylic plastic is often used to manufacture a range of washers and seals as they’re lightweight and one of the preferred alternatives to metal due to their durability and resistance to corrosion. Acrylic plastics can be manufactured in a range of grades for different purposes and applications including general-purpose, abrasion and impact resistant, bulletproof, ESD, etc.
Customers can take plastic in the form of finished cut parts, but often prefer to take materials in sheet form as they have the flexibility to cut their own strips, gaskets, washers, etc out as and when they are required in the desired quantity.
Product Enquiry
For information on Acrylic Plastics please complete the following quick enquiry or call us on +44(0)1384 252555.
Product Specification & Key Characteristics
- Colour: translucent, white, red, yellow, green, blue
- Grades: general purpose, abrasion-resistant, impact-resistant, ESD, Bullet proof
- Finishes: clear, opaque, metallic, mirror
- Tensile Strength: 10,000 PSI
- Max service temperature (in air): 160°F
Full technical data can be supplied upon request,
or downloaded from our online portal.
Help and guidance
If you would like to speak to a representative to discuss your specific application or requirements please call our sales office direct on 01384 469100, alternatively you can send an E-mail. Simply click on the link and forward us your details along with your question and we will contact you immediately.
Samples - Technical Acrylic Plastics
Samples can be submitted for testing upon request.
Call now for sample requests or further help.
Why use Acrylic Plastic?
Acrylic plastics are used in applications where transparency is required but not a material that is impact resistant or as strong as plastics such as polycarbonate. Acrylic plastic is a lightweight alternative to glass and is often found used to manufacture items such as buttons, motorcycle helmet visors, viewing ports of submersibles and aircraft, signage and even used for the production of eye lenses and other medical devices.
Acrylic plastics can be cut and converted into a range of shapes and products using various techniques including laser cutting, die-cutting, sawing and even thermoforming (where the material is heated until it is soft, re-shaped and then left to cool and harden). Acrylic plastic parts can be manufactured in either plain or self-adhesive backed, peel-able liner on one or both sides.
Acrylic plastics also have good chemical and weathering properties meaning it remains almost unchanged aesthetically over years of exposure and is a popular material choice for a huge range of applications including point of sales displays, interior decoration, interior decoration, industrial applications, food display protection, bath or shower screen and even to construct aquariums.
Advantages of using Acrylic Plastic
Using plastic materials and products converted from them offer a whole host of benefits, not only are they cheaper and lighter in weight in comparison to metal and some sponge options, but also offer more resistance to wear and corrosion (will not rust unlike metal gaskets).
Despite being a fairly rigid material, plastic can still be compressed to create a tight seal and as well as being great for insulation applications as it does not conduct heat or electricity. Acrylic plastic is also FDA approved and so safe for use within food preparation and production, often used as screens and display units.
Acrylic plastic materials and products offer outstanding strength and optical clarity, they’re easy to fabricate and will hold adhesives well. For more information on how plastic can help with your application, please give our sales team a call.
Benefits of Using Acrylic Plastic
- Acrylic plastics offer good dimensional stability and resistance to weathering
- Strong, lightweight alternative to glass
- Highly transparent and optically clear
- Acrylic plastics are easy to fabricate and machine
- Acrylic plastics are easy to bond and will hold most adhesives
Different Grades
Advanced Seals & Gaskets work with a multitude of material manufacturers and suppliers, giving our customers more choice of plastic - our most popular materials being:
- PTFE
- Polycarbonate
- Polypropylene
- HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
- PVC
- ABS
- Polyester
- Acetal
- Nylatron
Please contact us using the form below or by calling us on +44(0)1384 252555.