Acrylic, which is better known as plexiglass, is one of the most widely used synthetic materials in the world. Even if you haven’t heard of this type of plastic before, chances are that you’ve at least come into contact with or used it at some point in your life. Acrylic is extremely versatile and strong, making it perfectly suitable for a wide range of applications across numerous industries. From construction to retail, there’s no shortage of uses for plexiglass acrylic sheets.
What Is a Plexiglass (Acrylic) Sheet?
The word “plexiglass” was originally a brand name that eventually became the commonly used term for acrylic sheets in the construction and building supply industry. Acrylic is essentially polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), which is a highly durable and versatile synthetic polymer material.
Whatever you choose to call it, plexiglass or acrylic, is also a thermoplastic material. When exposed to extreme heat, it can be moulded into a wide variety of shapes and configurations to suit a large variety of applications. Plexiglass is commonly transparent to create visual clarity, but it can also be made in a wide range of tints depending on your specific preferences.
Uses of Plexiglass Sheets in Various Industries
Plexiglass (acrylic) sheets are extremely durable, versatile, and malleable. These are important qualities that make this type of synthetic plastic material ideal for a number of applications, including:
- Signage
- Sneeze guards
- Store displays
- Skylights
- Protective countertop systems to separate customers from sales associates/cashiers/retail workers
- Aquariums
- Submarine viewing spheres
- Exterior lights in automobiles
- Spectator guard and protection in ice hockey rinks
- Aircraft windows
- Riot control protection for police and emergency responder vehicles
- Lighthouse lenses
- Sunlight redirection for buildings
- Various medical technologies and implants such as intraocular lenses, eyeglass lenses, bone cement used for orthopedic surgery, cosmetic surgery
- Dentistry (artificial teeth)
- Artistry (modern furniture design)
This list doesn’t cover the full scope of applications that plexiglass (acrylic) sheets are used for, but it gives a good indication of just how easily adaptable this material is. More recently, plexiglass sheets have been increasingly used for PPE and sneeze guards in public spaces to protect consumers and essential workers while preventing the spread of COVID-19.
Benefits of Plexiglass (Acrylic) Sheets
There are a lot of worthwhile benefits to using acrylic sheets for various applications. Acrylic plastic is lightweight, yet extremely durable and malleable at the same time. It’s also easy to fabricate and manipulate to take on whatever shape or configuration you need for any application.
Acrylic has many of the same qualities as glass in that it’s transparent and easy to clean and maintain. Unlike glass, however, acrylic is thermoplastic, completely weather resistant, and shatterproof.
Plexiglass (Acrylic) Sheet Suppliers in the GTA
Canada Plastics & Belting Inc. is headquartered in Toronto. We specialize in retail and wholesale distribution of plastic sheets, PTTE belts, fabrics, and tapes. As a leading stockist and supplier of plexiglass (acrylic) sheets in the GTA, we have strong partnerships with several world-class manufacturers in the field of PTFE-coated glass fabrics, tapes, belts, screen printing supplies, and more. If you need plexiglass materials or products, contact us today to learn about our diverse line of materials.