Why Cast Acrylic is a Clear Winner
Acrylic in general is a versatile substrate, great for a wide range of applications across the signage and display industries.
It's ideal for cut lettering, push thru signage, backgrounds for mounted displays and branding, office dividers and most recently sneeze and hygiene screens.
Here we look at Cast Acrylic verses Extruded Acrylic and why the Cast version is a better choice:
Why Choose Cast Acrylic?
From quality and manufacturing aspects, Cast Acrylic out-performs other acrylic sheet due to a number of elevated properties, including:
• Increased Strength
• Clear, Consistent Appearance
• Variety of Colours and Thicknesses
• Greater Chemical Resistance
• Superior Resistance to Discoloration
Cast Acrylic Ahead of Extruded?
Cast Acrylic is a higher grade of acrylic as it offers greater thermal stability and better chemical resistance than standard Extruded Acrylic.
Cast Acrylic is produced via two different methods: Cell Cast and Continious Cast, with the Cell Cast variety being the superior quality. (read more: The Three Types of Acrylic).
The surface finish, warp resistance and optical clarity of Cast Acrylic sheets are superior to those of the extruded type, attributable to the manufacturing process, which as the name suggests, puts the material under pressure via extrusion.
Cast Can Stand the Heat
Cast Acrylic has a slightly harder surface, it is thermo-formable and can be reworked hot, which is not always possible with Extruded sheets. Cast Acrylic is more pliable and less likely to warp, chip or melt during processing, making it ideal for CNC router cutting.
We choose to stock SIGNCRYL™ Cast Acrylic Sheet for this very reason - High performance levels when processing on the CNC router provide a much superior result. We offer a full in-house CNC service and can process your router cut lettering and shapes quickly and acurately.
Added Strength
Cast Acrylic is stronger overall and delivers greater structural integrity. It has been created, as the name suggests, by gently casting the material, rather than extrusion under pressure.
Because the extruded material is limited in thickness, Cast Acrylic is a better option for larger structures, installations, etc. It offers greater physical integrity, outstanding surface hardness and extended durability, and excellent UV stability.
Highly Impact Resistant
Acrylic is virtually shatter-proof, it is up to ten times more impact resistant than glass.
Due to its performance and optical clarity, acrylic is ideal for applications such as office screens, dividers and hygiene protection such as sneeze screens.
Tips:
When cleaning Cast Acrylic it is recommended to use an alcohol/water mix or mild soap and a microfibre cloth. It is important to avoid acetone, gasoline, ammonia and carbon tetrachloride when cleaning as these can cause cracks and comprise the clarity.
When painting Cast Acrylic it’s best to use paints with low or no VOC.
Easier Routing
When routing Cell Cast Acrylic you can use a slower speed because of its high heat tolerance. This means it won’t melt when routing and is less likely to adhere to and clog router bits.
Cell Cast gives a nice clean edge right off the router table versus a rough edge from Extruded which needs polishing to remove unwanted acrylic particles that may have melted to the sheet. So Cell Cast is a great time saver.
Easier routing also means less wear and tear on machinery and router bits, which will last longer and won’t require changing as often.
I see the light…
When creating push thru lettering for backlit signage, it is generally best to use Cell Cast Acrylic, especially if using 12mm or thicker. This will produce a more consistent optical spread with better light dispersion across the finished piece.
The combination of different thicknesses and finishes of Cell Cast Acrylic makes it perfect for stacked lettering applications.
We stock and highly recommend SIGNCRYL™ Cast Acrylic Sheet which is a Cell Cast Acrylic (read more The Three Types of Acrylic), for its elevated processing and performance levels.
Give us a call on 1800 555 060 if you'd like a sample or would like your next CNC project created with SIGNCRYL.
