Everything You Need to Know About Acrylic

Make Your Creative Visions a Reality:
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about
Plexiglas® Acrylic – but were afraid to ask

by

Goal
To provide a basic overview of several transparent plastics that have been used
in Retail Design. With a specific, in-depth emphasis on Acrylic.

Agenda
• Transparent Plastics used
– Types and familiar brand
names
• Retail Environment Usage
• Acrylic
– Types
– Physical characteristic
– Performance Factors
– Acrylic’s availability
• Retail Environment Usage
• Design Uses
• ‘A look to the future’
• How can we help?

Common Transparent Plastics Used in Retail

Acrylic Polycarbonate PETG
Plexiglas ® Lexan ® Vivak ®
Acrylite ® Tuffak ® Ultros ®
Optix ® Makrolon ® Spectar ®

Key Features
Glass Acrylic PETG PC

Optics / Clarity +++ +++ + +

Impact Resistance + ++ +++ ++++

Color Versatility + +++ + ++

• ‘The reason we used
acrylic was that we
wanted a thicker,
stable easel to help
support the pricing
information. The part
needed to have a
higher end look, and
as the acrylic would
relatively never
receive impacts or
stress, acrylic was
our best solution.”

• “It was important to
have crisp looking
parts for a good
looking display, with
clean, flame polished
edges.”

• “…shows a special part
created for this display,
and combines the upper
end look we want from
acrylic,”

• “This example uses a
bead-blasted clear
acrylic to help provide
3 items… 1)
showcase the Geek
brand, 2) provide
privacy for the
technician behind the
wall, and 3) allow the
technician to have
visibility to the sales
floor.”

Wide Range of End Markets

Automotive Aerospace Sign

Medical
Transportation
ACRYLIC

Electronics Construction

Retail Security Light/Optics

Two basic types of Acrylic Sheet

• Cell cast (also continuous cast)
Filling liquid MMA into a glass ‘cell’ with vinyl spacers
used to create thickness dimension

• Melt Calendared
Manufacturing process similar to extrusion, however
the calendaring process allows for the minimization of
stress buildup prevalent with extrusion processes, and
increases the surface optical qualities.

US Acrylic Consumption By Markets

7% CAGR*
Metric Tons

*CAGR-Compound Average Growth Rate
Source CEH

Innovations for Retail/ Signage
Colors &
Patterns
Impact
Grades
LED Lighting

Edge-Lit Frosted
Sheets Family

Projection
Screens
Edge
Effects
Security Barrier

Key Features of Acrylic in Retail Environment

•Optically Clear Transparency………..92% Light Transmission
•Impact Resistance…………………….Stronger than glass (16x)
•Light Weight ……………………………<50% glass, <43% aluminum
•UV resistance ………………………….Color Stability
•Formability……………………………..Complex and creative designs
•Patterned / textured surface …………Hides fingerprints and mars
•Gloss surface/edges available………Clean eye catching displays
available
•Machinability……….………………….Can be cut,drilled and routed

Available options for Acrylic

• Custom Grades
• Various Patterns and textures
• Wide range of thickness
– .060” to > 2.000” thick
• Broad Range of Color Systems
– Transparent
– Translucent
– Solar Tints
– Fluorescents
– Frosted / Diffusing
– Edge Colors
– Opaque
– Day/Night

What can you do with Acrylic?

Almost anything with regard to Fabrication

• Cutting

• Machining

• Finishing

• Forming

• Fastening

Plexiglas® ELIT II

Thin Profile
•Slimmer and Sleeker displays
Aesthetics
•No ‘light’ tubes visible to interfere with
graphic / image quality
‘Green’ Storyline
•Efficiency
–Better able to utilize energy
efficient light systems
•Less materials
–6” to 10” metal case not needed
Can be bent for use on a curved surface
•Use on pillar / column

Applications for Elit II

• Menu boards • Advertising Signs
• Shelving • City Posters
• Partitions • Way finding signs
• Luminous displays • Large photographs
• Directories
• Many others

Menu Boards POP Interior Parts Advertising

Plexiglas Frosted

•Dramatic, rich effects while hiding light
source
•Shatter-resistant and UL listed
•Resists scratches
•Hides fingerprints and smudges
•Virtually maintenance-free
•Allows maximum light transmission
while diffusing the light

Rear Projection Screens

•Exceptional Image quality
•Lightweight
•Eye catching designs with high stopping
power
•Easy to cut, drill, rout, finish and cement
• Common application areas Digital
Signage, Tradeshows and Exhibits

http://modernisticinc.com/index2.htm

Plexiglas Edge Effects

•Dynamic color changing effect
•Two eye-catching color combinations
•One-side frosted or standard
•High-polish finish
•Frosted surface hides fingerprints
•Fabricates and thermoforms as easily as
standard acrylic

Available Help from Altuglas

• Plexiglas web page
– Color chip gallery
– Plexiglas Expert System

• Plexiglas web store
– Samples available for ‘mock
up’ displays
• Fabrication CD
• Color Lab
• Development center with pilot
plant capabilities
• Fabrication seminars

Thank you for your time and attention

What is the most common substrate that you use in your designs

Glass
Acrylic
PC
PETG
Wood
Metal

•What are your top three reasons for NOT using acrylic
Cost
Sustainability
Product variety
Unfamiliarity
Others

Everything You Need to Know About Acrylic

Everything You Need to Know About Acrylic

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Everything You Need to Know About Acrylic