Acrylic sheet has incomparable advantages such as excellent plasticity, crystal-like texture and various colors. Therefore, it can be widely used in advertising, home decoration, lighting, craft product, exhibition, transportation and other fields. People who come into contact with acrylic sheets for the first time often have doubts. Why are acrylic sheets divided into cast acrylic sheet and extruded acrylic sheet? How are they different? Next, we will analyze the difference between the two in detail for you.
Difference between Cast Acrylic and Extruded Acrylic
■ The production raw materials are different. The cast acrylic sheet is made of liquid MMA raw material through casting process. It is harder and has good weather resistance. Extruded acrylic sheet is made of solid PMMA raw material through extrusion process. It has better machinability. The relationship between liquid MMA and solid PMMA raw material is similar to that of water and ice.
■ Thickness tolerances are different. The cast acrylic plate is affected by gravity. And the tolerance of the plate will continue to increase from the edges to the middle. Since the extruded acrylic plate is uniformly extruded from the mold, the tolerance can be well controlled.
■ The production cycle is different. It takes a long time to produce cast acrylic. So it is suitable for small batch production. The extruded acrylic has a high degree of automation. It can be mass-produced. But its color and specifications are inconvenient to adjust.
■ The prices are different. Affected by comprehensive cost and process, the price of cast acrylic is generally higher than that of extruded acrylic.
Cast Acrylic VS Extruded Acrylic
How to choose materials according to your requirement and achieve higher comprehensive benefits?
Cast acrylic sheet has a higher molecular weight. It offers excellent stiffness, strength and excellent chemical resistance. Relatively speaking, the time in the softening process is slightly longer. It has good flexibility in color system and surface texture effect. And the product specifications are complete. It is suitable for various special purposes. For example, larger-sized sign boards, or acrylic products such as furniture, swimming pools, aquariums, and bathroom that require thicker sheets.
Compared with cast acrylic, extruded sheet has lower molecular weight, weaker mechanical properties, but higher flexibility. This feature facilitates bending and thermoforming processes. Its softening time is short, which is beneficial to various rapid vacuum blister molding. It is suitable for acrylic products used in indoor environments. Such as luminous lamp shades, display panels, windows, etc..