Glass is a wonderful material that has been used since ancient times but it does come with challenges that has pushed people to find alternatives. On one hand, it can be transparent, aesthetically pleasing, resistant to chemicals, oblivious to heat, and can be formed into different shapes. On the other, it can be quite heavy and prone to breakage. Modern materials like advanced plastics have proven to be worthy options for those that want glass-like properties without sacrificing strength and weight. Acrylic sheets are great examples of these. Perspex is among the leading brands that you may wish to consider when shopping for your project’s materials. They provide the following advantages:
Lightweight
There are certain structures that you may want to build with wherein transparency or translucence is a high priority but using glass would make it too heavy. For instance, you could build a glass roof but then you would need a great deal of supporting elements underneath just to make sure that the whole thing does not buckle under its own weight. Substitute Perspex into the equation and the structure becomes a lot lighter. A greater area can be covered without needing as much support which reduces the complexity of the project. All else being equal, this is the way to go for weight reduction.
Shatter-resistant
There are some applications wherein glass is the traditional choice because it can encase an object without fully blocking the view. These include display cases in museums, jewelry stores, and similar places. The valuables are tucked inside for safe-keeping, away from the hands of those who might wish to get them. However, it is too easy to shatter this case with a hammer or other heavy objects. One blow is all it takes. Acrylic, however, is different in that it is stronger against impact forces. A thief would have to make repeated blows and even then there would be no assurance that the surface will break.
Cut to Size
Most sellers of acrylic sheets will but able to cut the materials down to the specified size of their customers. Using laser technology, the edges will be clean and sharp. The measurements will be precise such that holes and grooves should have no trouble aligning when time comes for assembly. This service can be provided for all types of sheets from the plain clear variants to Frosted Perspex Cut to Size. Just pick your preferred type, color, thickness, and surface treatment. Give them the specifications of each piece that you would like to be cut. This is usually done through a CAD software.
