Considering it’s one of the most versatile and durable materials in the world, there are countless uses of acrylic sheets. Acrylic sheet suppliers and distributors provide their materials to various industrial and commercial businesses that manufacture many different types of structures and products.
Since clear acrylic weighs half as much as standard glass and has 17 times its durability and ability to withstand damages, the industrial and commercial applications of acrylic sheets are incredibly expansive. Acrylic is also a fraction of the cost of glass and much lighter and easier to transport, which makes it the material of choice for a number of different structural projects and everyday products.
Here are some of the most common uses of acrylic sheets today.
Home Improvement and Decor Projects
If you consider yourself a DIY guru that loves to save money without compromising material and project quality, then acrylic is the ideal material for you. Acrylic can be used for a number of applications and projects around the house including:
- Window cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom
- Kitchen and bathroom backsplashes
- Glass windowpane replacements
- Picture frames
- Wall-mounted shelving units
- Furniture including coffee tables, end tables, and bed frames
Acrylic is extremely easy to carry, install, and handle. This makes it the perfect material for DIY novices and experts. Acrylic sheets are also incredibly lightweight and flexible. That means you can carry them and cut them down to size without the assistance of another person.
By contrast, glass sheets are extremely heavy and fragile and require several people just to lift them. This makes DIY home improvement and decor projects nearly impossible to complete on your own.
Acrylic is a type of engineering thermoplastic that can easily be molded into virtually any shape or design according to your stylistic preferences. It also comes in a variety of colors and transparency levels with various light transmittance percentage values. Acrylic sheets can be completely clear, frosted, semi-opaque, or opaque.
Acrylic Sheets for Greenhouses
If you love gardening, you know that greenhouses provide a huge advantage for your outdoor plants. Whether you want to grow a vegetable garden, fruit, or a variety of plants, greenhouses offer maximum protection and optimal growing conditions for a wide range of greenery to help you meet your horticultural objectives.
Clear acrylic sheets provide optimal light transmittance and UV protection so your plants will always get enough sunlight without being overexposed to ultraviolet radiation. Different shading or transparency options also allow you to control the temperature inside the greenhouse throughout the growing season.
Acrylic Cabinet Doors and Windows
To further expand on the notion of using acrylic sheets for home renovations or decor projects, acrylic is an affordable replacement option for glass cabinets and windows. Acrylic is also far more durable and scratch-resistant than glass. It’s also easier to clean and maintain. Purchasing new glass for your cabinets and windows can run you thousands of dollars, especially if it’s a whole-house project.
Acrylic comes at a fraction of the cost and it lasts a lot longer than glass, which means you get more value for your dollar out of it. Additionally, acrylic is also available in many different colors, shades, textures, and transparency levels so it can be customized according to your stylistic and privacy requirements. Its lightweight nature also means you don’t have to worry about damaging it if you accidentally shut the windows or cabinet doors too roughly.
Plastic Swimming Pool Windows
Swimming pool windows are another popular use or application for acrylic sheets. Public and private pools can both benefit equally from installing acrylic windows instead of glass. Acrylic sheets are far more flexible, durable, and capable of handling high-pressure conditions than glass. This includes swimmers constantly bumping up against the sides of the pool and acrylic paneling.
Glass, on the other hand, can only handle so much pressure before it cracks or shatters, and this poses a potentially serious hazard to swimmers. Hence, acrylic panels are the perfect combination of form and functionality while also enhancing safety standards.
Fiber Optic Cabling
The glass was traditionally used as a protective barrier for the tips of fiber optic cables and wires. It was used due to its transparency and ability to transmit light. But glass has a lot of limitations.
For one thing, glass is extremely fragile and rigid, which means it can’t be bent or maneuvered, and it needs to be handled carefully. Acrylic provides the necessary level of flexibility to move with ease while still allowing for the necessary amount of light transmittance to make the wiring functional.
Acrylic as a Glass Replacement
Given its cost-saving, practical, and aesthetic attributes, acrylic is quickly becoming a common replacement for glass across various industrial and commercial applications. From skylights in shopping malls and residential structures to commercial display cases and storefront windows, there’s a massive surge of acrylic applications currently taking place.
Acrylic sheet suppliers are able to offer their clients a variety of stylistic and structural options including frosted, clear, and colored aesthetics. Customized acrylic sheets or panels can also be used for sneeze guards in restaurants and to encourage physical distancing inside retail stores. They can be attached to existing structures or installed as freestanding safeguards. The great thing about acrylic plastic sheets is that they share the same attributes as glass without all of the downfalls like fragility, heavyweight, and high cost.
Sporting Equipment
As mentioned, acrylic plastic is incredibly versatile to the point that it has many different applications that you probably never even considered before. Countless types of sporting equipment including the soles of running shoes, bike helmets, tennis racket handles, and even the baseboards in hockey arenas are all made of acrylic. That’s because acrylic plastic sheets are durable enough to withstand the immense pressure of contact with a puck that travels 100mph and body-checking.
The exhibit, Trade Show, and Convention Displays
If you’ve ever walked through a museum or made the rounds at a trade show or convention, then you’ve most likely encountered many plexiglass or acrylic plastic displays without even noticing or thinking about it. Most vendors prefer acrylic over glass for these events because it is lightweight and durable structure allows for easy setup and tear-down. Plus, acrylic sheets can be custom-designed and fitted according to the aesthetic of the event.
Custom Acrylic Sheet Distributors in Canada
Canada Plastics & Belting Inc. are frosted, sign white, and colored acrylic sheet distributors and suppliers in Toronto and the GTA. We have a wide selection of templates and customizable acrylic sheets that are suitable for numerous applications and fit your budget.
Contact us today to learn more or visit our showroom.