Cut to size Acrylic/Perspex Sheet, Tube and Rod from Simply Plastics

Acrylic (chemical name Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)) is commonly referred to as Perspex, however Perspex is just a brand name. Other brands include Plexiglass, Acryglas, Acrycast, Policril, Quinn, and Plazit.

Perspex is used in a vast variety of different ways - it's chemical properties, wide range of colours and finishes, availability and cost, make it the material of choice in applications and industries ranging from home repairs and general DIY through to construction, furniture design, retail displays, signage, lighting and interior design. In the home it can be used to replace broken greenhouse glass panels, as bathroom/kitchen splashbacks or even to replace broken picture frame glass. In commercial environments acrylic mirrors, acrylic block for retail displays and LED diffusers for lighting are commonly used. We stock and supply all of the Perspex product ranges, all of which we can provide cut to size and ready for use.

The Perspex brand has become synonymous with the manufacture of the highest grade acrylic available. It's clear Perspex sheet transmits 92% of all visible light (unmatched by any other manufacturer), is internationally recognised as a safety glazing material meeting the requirements of ANSI Z.97 and BS 6262, offers a ten year weathering guarantee and is manufactured right here in the UK. Perspex also boasts market leading environmental credentials having committed to meeting a detailed set of environmental targets by 2020.

Perspex is also very well known for the wide range of materials and colours it offers which is again unmatched by any other acrylic manufacturer. To the best of our knowledge, we stock and supply the widest range of Perspex colours in the UK including clear cut to size acrylic, high gloss coloured acrylic, frosted, fluorescent, matte effect naturals, metallic, tinted and their latest offering - the sweet pastels range. All of these materials are available cut to size and ready for application.

We are well equipped to deliver the most demanding acrylic fabrication projects. Our plant consists of two state of the art Multicam Apex 3R 3x2 metre CNC routers, 2 high power 200W UK manufactured lasers, Italian manufactured SCM table saws and a diamond polisher capable of polishing up to 90mm thick acrylic to a commercial grade (one of only a dozen or so machines in the UK). We also have flame polishers for polishing the most intricate acrylic components. Our investment in machinery manufactured to the highest standards enables us to work to tolerances as small as 0.1mm.

Our team of machinists and fabricators can draw on their combined experience of well over 30 years to ensure we can deliver projects and components of all types using a variety of different plastics and composites. If you have any questions about the services we can provide please get in touch.

Acrylic is manufactured in two versions - cast and extruded. Cast acrylic is made by pouring the hot liquid acrylic ingredients between two sheets of glass which are separated by rubber gaskets - the thickness of the gasket determines the thickness of the acrylic sheet being made. The sealed glass plates are placed into an oven and allowed to heat during which the chemical processes and changes take place. Finally, the sheets are allowed to cool. Extruded acrylic is made by pouring hot liquid acrylic ingredients into a form or die before the acrylic is forced through rollers which leaves the material with an even thickness and finish. Cast acrylic is generally regarded as a better quality material and offers a number of advantages over the extruded variant such as being more resistant to chemicals and solvents, less prone to scratching, easier to machine and fabricate and available in a far wider range of colours and surface finishes i.e. gloss/matte.

Acrylic is an extremely versatile material which provides great results when being laser cut or laser engraved. Both extruded and cast acrylic can be laser cut, however extruded acrylic can be left with a slight burr on the edge of the material after laser cutting whereas cast acrylic is left with an extremely smooth edge. Depending on the power of the laser tube it is possible to cut acrylic up to a thickness of 25mm whilst maintaining a square edge. Clear cast acrylic is normally favoured when producing awards and plaques because once engraved it turns a frosty white colour which creates a stunning finish. Certain colours do not react very well when laser cut because the pigment or dye in the acrylic reacts poorly to heat, however the edge discolouration can normally be reduced by modifying settings on the laser such as the cutting speed, the volume of air flow and the amount of power being used.