Acrylic or polycarbonate? How to choose
Short answer: choose cast acrylic when the piece has to look good, and polycarbonate when it has to survive being hit. Acrylic is glass-clear, about ten times stronger than glass and laser cuts with a polished edge. Polycarbonate is about 250 times stronger than glass and won't shatter, but it has a slight tint and discolours under a laser.
Side by side
| Cast acrylic | Polycarbonate | |
|---|---|---|
| Clarity | Glass-like, stays clear | Slight tint |
| Impact strength | About 10 times glass | About 250 times glass, won't shatter |
| Laser cutting and engraving | Clean polished edge, engraves frosty white | Discolours; better cut with a saw |
| Outdoors | UV stable | Resists UV without yellowing |
| Weight | About half the weight of glass | About half the weight of glass |
| Best for | Frames, signs, displays, crafts | Windows, greenhouses, machine guards, rink boards |
When acrylic is the right call
Picture frames, retail displays, signs, engraved awards, splash guards, anything people look through or at. Cast acrylic comes in clear, frosted, colour, mirror and glitter finishes, and in thicknesses from 1 mm to 12 mm.
When polycarbonate is the right call
Shed and greenhouse windows, machine and equipment guards, hockey rink boards, anything that takes a puck, a ball or a tool. We stock it in 3 mm and 6 mm.
Either way, cut to size
Both materials are laser cut in-house to the size you enter, with the price shown before you order. Price a sheet.