Acrylic, also called Poly (methyl methacrylate) or PMMA, is a clear plastic used in many different ways, such as for signs, displays, and other commercial products. It’s a popular substitute for glass because it’s lighter, stronger, and lasts longer. Acrylic fabrication uses advanced tools and expert workers to shape acrylic plastic into different forms. In this article, we’ll explain everything you need to know about acrylic fabrication, including its benefits, methods, steps, and uses.
What is Acrylic Fabrication?
Acrylic fabrication is the process of shaping acrylic sheets or pellets to make different products and designs. The process includes methods like cutting, bending, machining, forming, and finishing using different tools and techniques. It’s a versatile job where we create a wide variety of products.
Benefits of Using Acrylic in Fabrication
Acrylic’s unique combination of durability, clarity, weather resistance, and ease of fabrication makes it an excellent choice for many plastic fabrication projects. Whether you need strength, transparency, or customization, acrylic is a material that meets a wide range of needs in various industries. Let’s take a look at the top reasons why acrylic is so popular in plastic fabrication:
High Transparency and Clarity
Acrylic offers excellent optical clarity, allowing up to 92% of light to pass through. This makes it perfect for applications where clear visibility is important, such as display cases, battery casings, or piping systems that need regular inspection. Its transparency ensures that you can see components clearly and keep them in good condition.
Exceptional Durability and Strength
Acrylic is known for its strong and durable nature. It has a higher tensile strength than glass, meaning it can handle significant impact and pressure without breaking. This makes it ideal for lightweight yet strong products, such as storage tanks, machinery guards, and ductwork.
Lightweight
Despite its strength, acrylic is lightweight, which makes it easy to handle, transport, and install. This is especially useful in applications where weight is a concern, such as in displays or signage.
Resistance to UV and Weathering
Acrylic is highly resistant to UV radiation and weathering. It doesn’t yellow or become cloudy when exposed to sunlight, and it can withstand harsh weather conditions like rain and hail. This makes it an excellent choice for outdoor applications where the material needs to stay clear and durable for a long time.
Easy Fabrication and Customization
Acrylic is easy to work with, which makes it a popular choice for manufacturers. It can be cut, shaped, and molded into many different forms using specialized tools. This adaptability allows for endless customization, making it ideal for businesses that need tailored solutions for their projects.
Cost-Effectiveness
Acrylic is more affordable than other materials like glass or polycarbonate, offering a cost-effective alternative for many applications. It’s also easy to replace if damaged, saving on repair costs.
Recyclability
Acrylic is recyclable, which makes it an environmentally friendly choice. It can be reused to create new products, helping reduce waste and support a circular economy.
Methods of Acrylic Fabrication
Extruding Acrylic
Acrylic extrusion is a process in which acrylic pellet material is pushed through a tool or die with a specialized shape. and then these extruded acrylic sheets can be used for the second machining to create the final parts. some acrylic products with a fixed cross-sectional profile are also can be produced by this extrusion process, such as acrylic tubes, rods, films, profiles, etc.
Casting Acrylic
Acrylic sheets can also be made by casting. this process involves pouring the molten Acrylic pellets material into a mold, and cure for a few hours until it becomes semi-solid status, and then removing it from the mold, using heat and pressure to force air bubbles out of the acrylic sheet. these cast acrylic sheets can also be used for the second machining to create the final parts. Generally, cast Acrylic sheets are generally easier to machine than extruded acrylic.
Injection molding Acrylic
Injection molding acrylic is a very common method to create large-scale acrylic products when the product shape is complex. this process uses an injection machine to inject molten acrylic pellet material into a mold with high pressure, and then the acrylic material cools and cures in the mold to form the final product. it creates acrylic products directly from the acrylic pellets.
Cutting Acrylic
When you need to cut acrylic to the right size for your project, there are four main ways to do it:
- Score Acrylic sheet: For thin acrylic sheets, you can score the surface with a plastic scoring blade. This method is done manually.
- Saw cutting Acrylic sheet: For thicker acrylic sheets, you can use a table saw, jigsaw, or circular saw to cut through the material.
- CNC router cutting Acrylic: A CNC router can be used for cutting acrylic with high precision, giving you exact dimensions.
- Laser Cutting Acrylic: Laser cutting is perfect for cutting thin acrylic sheets with very detailed and accurate cuts.
Bending Acrylic
Some products such as signage, stand are made by bending acrylic. An acrylic sheet can be bent by heating when heating to 160 degrees Celsius without discoloring the material. there are several ways to bend acrylic sheets.
CNC machining Acrylic
CNC acrylic sheet is widely used for CNC prototyping to make acrylic prototypes. CNC machining provides high precision and high quality as the injection molding parts, it can leverage the material’s unique properties, such as its clarity, UV stability, and impact resistance. Different CNC machining processes can be used for Acrylic sheets.
CNC milling Acrylic
One CNC process to shape acrylic sheets is to mill them. Milling is a process of removing material from the surface of the plastic sheet with high-speed rotated cutting tools. CNC milling acrylic creates acrylic parts with complex shapes such as optic light guides in automotive lighting.
CNC turning Acrylic
CNC turning acrylic uses a lathe where the acrylic block is rotated while a cutting tool is fed into it to remove the material. this process can produce cylindrical acrylic parts.
CNC drilling Acrylic
To drill holes in acrylic, you also can use CNC drilling with a drill bit with a diameter to remove the material from the hole.
Thermoforming Acrylic
Thermoforming Acrylic is mainly used as packaging for consumers and large customized products such as acrylic trays and acrylic boxes. It refers to the process of heating thin acrylic sheet material until it reaches a pliable temperature, then pushing the acrylic sheet into a mold to form a product shape. there are three kinds of thermoforming acrylic processes.
Drape Forming Acrylic
This process uses a Clamp to force the sheet against the mold, and then push the acrylic sheet into the mold. When the Acrylic sheet touches the mold, it will cool and then cease to stretch.
Pressure Forming Acrylic
This process uses air pressure from the top to form the acrylic sheet into a finely detailed molded shape. A pressure box is added to the tooling package.
Vacuum forming Acrylic
In this process, the parts are formed by the pressure of vacuum space between the mold and acrylic sheet it is widely used in creating numerous types of props and costume accessories.
Polishing Acrylic
Once after machining by CNC acrylic, Polishing is needed because the cutting tool will leave marks on the acrylic parts. Polishing will help remove any rough edges or scratches left. there are several polishing methods for acrylic parts.
- Hand polishing: use polishing paste and cotton cloth to work on acrylic parts manually.
- buffing wheel polishing: Use a Cloth buffing wheel and wax which is Great for DIY or at-home projects
- Flame polishing: utilizes a fine high-temperature flame which is based on hydrogen to polish acrylic.
- Diamond polishing: A specialty tooling is utilized to provide a polished finish using direct machine polishing.
Laser Engraving on Acrylic
Laser engraving on acrylic is commonly used for acrylic signs, innovative LED light displays, and unique ornaments with details on their surfaces. it uses CO2 lasers to burn and vaporize the needed area on the surface of acrylic to form the details.
Screen printing on Acrylic
Screen printing on Acrylic is a process to create markings or patterns on the surface of acrylic parts. it involves pushing ink through a mesh screen and onto an acrylic sheet, using a squeegee to fill the open apertures. After being exposed to UV light, the ink will dry and form the pattern.
Spray Painting and Dyeing Acrylic
Spray Painting and Dyeing Acrylic are used to add color to acrylic parts. Spray painting uses spray guns with air pressure to disperse into uniform and fine droplets and apply the painting to the surface of the object. Dyeing acrylic use a solution with dye and water to soak the acrylic part to leave the dye on the surface of the acrylic part.
Coating acrylic
This process is used to strengthen acrylic product performance with special types of coatings such as UV coating, hard coating, and anti-mist coating.
Steps of the Acrylic Fabrication Process
Cutting
The first step in acrylic fabrication is cutting the acrylic sheets to the required size. This can be done using methods like laser cutting, CNC routing, or sawing. Laser cutting gives clean and precise edges, while CNC routing is ideal for more detailed designs and patterns.
Bending or machining
To create curves or specific shapes, acrylic needs to be heated until it becomes soft and flexible. Techniques like line bending, drape forming, and vacuum forming are used to bend or mold the acrylic into the desired shape.
Machining, on the other hand, uses tools like drills or mills to cut or shape acrylic with precision. It’s ideal for creating complex shapes, detailed features, or smooth edges. Both bending and machining help customize acrylic for specific designs.
Polishing
Once the acrylic is cut and shaped, its edges may need to be polished to achieve a smooth and clear finish. Polishing methods like flame polishing, buffing, or sanding are used to remove rough edges and make the surface shiny and clear.
Bonding
To join acrylic pieces together, bonding or gluing is used. Special acrylic adhesives create strong, almost invisible joints, ensuring the final product is both durable and visually appealing. Precision is key to achieving clean and seamless connections.
Printing and Engraving
Acrylic can be customized with designs, logos, or text using printing and engraving. UV printing allows for vibrant, full-color images, while laser engraving creates detailed and permanent marks. These methods are often used for branding, personalization, or adding decorative elements to the acrylic.
Common Applications of Acrylic Fabrication
Acrylic products are perfect for many home, industrial, and commercial uses because they are clear, strong, and resistant to impact, sunlight, and extreme temperatures. Here are some other common uses:
Signage and Displays
Acrylic is often used to create clear and durable signs and displays. It’s easy to shape and see-through, making it a great choice for attractive and long-lasting signage.
Architectural products
Acrylic is also used in architecture to create artistic walls, windows, roofs, and even entire buildings. Its flexibility allows architects to turn creative ideas into reality with unique shapes and designs.
Clear Fixtures
In retail, acrylic is used to make custom fixtures like shelves, display stands, and showcases. It’s lightweight, strong, and versatile, making it perfect for creating functional and stylish displays.
Furniture product
Acrylic is popular in modern furniture and lighting. It’s used to make sleek, stylish pieces like tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures that add a sophisticated touch to any space.
Conclusion
Acrylic fabrication is a versatile process that allows you to create durable, clear, and visually appealing products. Its flexibility and many benefits make it an ideal choice for a wide range of industries and applications. If you’re considering acrylic fabrication for your next project, contact KUSLA today. Our expert team is here to help you design and produce high-quality acrylic products.
FAQs
Can I cut acrylic myself?
Yes, you can cut acrylic yourself. For thin sheets, use a scoring blade or utility knife. For thicker sheets, use a table saw, jigsaw, or circular saw with a fine-toothed blade.
What machine do you use to cut acrylic?
To cut acrylic, you can use a few different machines, including a laser cutter, CNC router, table saw, jigsaw, or circular saw. The choice depends on the thickness of the acrylic and the precision needed. For clean and precise cuts, a laser cutter or CNC router is often the best option.
Is Acrylic Easy to Machine?
Yes, acrylic is easy to machine and can be machined with different methods and tools such as cutting, bending, milling, turning, and more. Cast acrylic is generally easier to machined than extruded acrylic because Casting creates less internal stresses, so cast acrylic is less brittle than extruded acrylic.
