Mar. 17, 2025
Fabricating products out of acrylics using processes like solvent welding (cementing), break forming, flame polishing, and drape forming requires a lot of expertise.
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As experts in plastics and plastic fabrication, we often receive queries about different aspects of working in a variety of plastics materials. Take acrylic, for example. Many people are confused as to what acrylic is, the ways in which it can be formed, how it can be manipulated and fabricated, and what it can be used for, so let's address these questions.
Acrylic is a thermoplastic, which means that it becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling.
First synthesized in in the laboratories of the German chemical firm Röhm and Haas, the scientific name for acrylic is polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA for short. These days, people often refer to acrylic using various trade names and brands, such as Acrylite, Astariglas, Crylux, Lucite, Optix, Perclax, Perspex, Plexiglas, and others.
Yes! In fact, many sources start off by stating that acrylic is transparent, but this is only one possibility. In its natural state, acrylic is indeed transparent and exhibits glass-like qualities such as optical clarity and brilliance. However, by means of different additives, acrylic is available in a variety of colors (regular, pastel, fluorescent, iridescent), all of which may be offered in transparent, translucent, and opaque forms.
Acrylic also is available in metallic colors that are designed to emulate the look of natural metals, such as anodized aluminum, brushed aluminum, bronze, copper, and rose gold. Furthermore, acrylic is available with a variety of coatings, such as antimicrobial, mirrored, and scratch-resistant finishes.
As was previously noted, acrylic exhibits glass-like qualities such as optical clarity and brilliance. In addition to being lightweight, rigid, and extremely durable, acrylic has high impact resistance (10 times that of glass) and exceptional dimensional stability.
Its low water absorption, high resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light, excellent resistance to chemicals and contaminants, and the fact it will not corrode makes acrylic innately weatherable and inherently suitable for use in outdoor and other hostile environments.
Acrylic finds use in a tremendous breadth of applications, from corneal transplants in cataract surgery to aquariums to windows in airplanes, skyscrapers, and even submarines.
Due to acrylic's pleasing aesthetic qualities, a small sampling of commercial applications include cosmetic displays, top-of-counter (TOC) displays, other point-of-purchase (POP) displays, brochure holders, shelves and retail fixtures, frames and display cases, LED diffusing lighting panels and any other units that require forming and clarity.
Acrylic is available in a variety of shapes and sizes, including sheets ranging from 0.01' to 4' in thickness (or more for specialty applications) and up to 108' square, rods (round and square) from 0.06' to 6' in diameter, and tubes from 0.25' to 24' in diameter. There are also custom-sized options that could be considered and that would be available from a skilled acrylic fabricator such as HP Manufacturing.
The two main manufacturing methods are 'extrusion' and 'casting.' Extrusion is a continuous manufacturing process in which the acrylic is heated into a superhot liquid with the consistency of thick corn syrup and then forced through a nozzle where it becomes rigid as it is cooled by air. One aspect of this process is that the properties of the extruded acrylic are heterogeneous, which means they may vary depending on the direction of extrusion.
Casting also involves heating the acrylic into a superhot liquid. In this case, however, the liquid is poured into a cast or mold. Casting is more expensive and more labor intensive, but it results in more homogeneous products that are harder and sturdier than their extruded counterparts. In addition to working better with laser cutting, cast acrylic is more pliable and less likely to bend, chip or melt during fabrication.
There's also a process called 'continuous casting' in which a continuously extruded sheet of acrylic is extruded and air-cooled, thereby allowing sheets of any desired length to be created.
The term 'fabrication' embraces multiple activities, including machining, assembly, and finishing. Machining is typically performed using computer numerical control (CNC) machines but may (more rarely) be performed by hand. All of the common machining operations may be employed, including cutting, turning, routing, milling, drilling and grinding (see also our blog Machining Plastics Tips and Tricks).
Laser cutting may be employed to achieve complex radius shapes, and additional processes may be used to manipulate the shape of the acrylic, including strip heating, break forming and drape forming. In the case of strip heating, the acrylic sheet is brought into proximity with a length of resistance wire (the 'strip'). When current is passed through the resistance wire it heats up, reaching temperatures as high as 500°C, which causes the acrylic to soften, after which it can be bent into the desired angle.
Break forming, which also is known as break bending, uses a similar mechanism to that employed for bending large sheets of metal. In this case, however, the edge over which the acrylic sheet is to be bent is heated, thereby causing it to soften before the bending takes place.
Drape forming is a highly specialized process that is used when sophisticated multidimensional curves or shapes are required. In this case, the acrylic sheet is first heated to soften it and make it pliable, after which it is pressed into or over the desired form, possibly assisted by gravity and/or the use of a vacuum.
Following machining, multiple pieces of acrylic can be assembled using a cyanoacrylate cement (commonly known as superglue), with heat (welding), or by using chlorinated solvents (solvent welding) to dissolve the plastic at the joint, which then fuses and sets, resulting in an almost invisible joint that is stronger than the surrounding material.
Finally, finishing may include buffing (either by hand or using automated machines) to achieve a glass-like finish. Alternatively, a process called 'flame polishing' (also known as 'fire polishing') achieves much the same effect using a flame, which causes the surface of the material to briefly melt allowing surface tension to smooth the surface. Operator skill is critical with this method but, when done properly, flame polishing produces the clearest acrylic finish.
Here at HP Manufacturing, we've been working with plastics since our company was founded in . In the case of acrylics, we warehouse an exceptional range of shapes, sizes, and colors of extruded, cast, and continuous cast materials.
The company is the world’s best Custom Acrylic Fabrication supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Of particular importance to our customers is that we partner with companies who provide quality materials whose color is consistent throughout and that will cement well, both properties that are not always true of cheaper materials from many other sources such as Asia.
Over the decades, we have built a tremendous amount of expertise and an enviable reputation with respect to machining and finishing acrylic parts and creating sub-assemblies' everything that's required to satisfy our customers' exacting requirements while meeting tolerances others find difficult to achieve.
Manufacturers, please click here to request a quote.
At Plastic Zone Inc., we've been fabricating acrylic for more than 35 years. During this time, we've developed surefire custom acrylic fabrication methods capable of delivering a practically infinite number of different results.
Also known as plexiglass, polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA for short, acrylic is a type of thermoplastic that's technically classified as a type of glass. Acrylic is many times stronger than glass, however, and it can range from fully transparent to entirely opaque.
Compared to other thermoplastics, acrylic is uniquely easy to shape and fabricate. Sheets of acrylic can be made in essentially any size, and then acrylic fabrication companies can use tools to make acrylic into thousands of different specialized parts or finished items.
Acrylic is one of the most durable and versatile types of plastic. Highly desirable for its unique ocular properties, acrylic is also undeniably useful when translucent or opaque.
Some of the most impressive benefits of acrylic include:
There are an essentially limitless number of different ways that acrylic fabricators can manipulate this versatile and durable thermoplastic. With acrylic design fabrication, a client can supply a specialized acrylic item design, in which, your fabrication company can then create using its advanced industrial equipment.
Alternatively, an acrylic fabrication company can use its own techniques to fabricate finished items made with this versatile plastic. If you have an idea of what you want your acrylic item to do but don't quite have a design in mind, get on a call with your acrylic company.
Together, you and your acrylic company can narrow down the exact type of custom item you need to create. Or, your acrylic company might recommend a fabricated item from its existing catalog that would already fit your specific needs.
Acrylic can be fabricated in lots of different ways. The acrylic fabrication process involves, however, a consistent set of tools, and it follows a predictable set of steps.
The finishing touches an acrylic fabricator puts on their products make all the difference. Whether you need multiple acrylic pieces joined or you'd rather connect your fabricated acrylic to a different substance, you should have a wealth of options at your disposal.
Acrylic producers use a variety of different tools during the fabrication process. Saws are equipped with special acrylic-cutting blades, and everything from saber saws to table saws might be used.
Using advanced acrylic fabrication processes, you can make acrylic:
Acrylic fabricators produce finished acrylic pieces using a universal set of steps:
Depending on the intended application, a wide variety of different finishing touches may be required to produce a completed acrylic item. To determine which types of finishing touches are realistic, connect with your acrylic supplier and inquire about the full extent of their fabrication abilities.
Due to its unique attributes, acrylic is widely desired for basic applications like windows and signs. With advanced fabrication techniques, however, the potential applications of acrylic expand considerably.
Here are some examples of the ways that fabricated acrylic can be used:
For nearly four decades, Plastic Zone Inc. has designed, fabricated, and distributed acrylic and other types of plastic, supplying the needs of the Los Angeles community. Our techniques are unmatched, our fabricators are talented, and our vision is just as big as yours.
Contact us today to learn more about acrylic fabrication and find out if this solution is right for your needs. Give Plastic Zone a call at (818) 345- today to get started.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Clear Acrylic Keepsake Box. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
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