Sheffield Plastics Polycarbonate Sheeting are considered unbreakable
Makrolon Polycarbonate products offer a unique balance of helpful features including temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastics and engineering materials.
Polycarbonate is definitely a rugged material. Whilst it has increased impact-resistance, it’s got reduced scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating could be applied to polycarbonate eye wear lenses and polycarbonate exterior motor vehicle equipment. The properties associated with polycarbonate are generally similar those of common Acrylic materials, although polycarbonate is always stronger, it is usable in a wider temperature range and is a bit more expensive. This plastic polymer is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than several types of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of around 150 °C (302 °F), as a result it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools will have to be held at high temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) to help with making strain- and almost stress free products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large deformations without breaking. Subsequently, for small changes in shape, it can be processed and formed at room temperature using standard sheet metal techniques, which include forming bends with a brake. For even sharp angle bends with a tight radius, no heating is generally necessary. This makes it attractive prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are required, which can’t be made from sheet metal. Please keep in mind PMMA/Plexiglas, which happens to be similar in looks to polycarbonate, but is brittle and cannot be bent without heating.
The light weight of polycarbonate, compared with glass, has led to growth and development of electronic view screens that replace the traditional glass with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink as well as LCD screens, though CRT, plasma screen and other LCD technologies generally still require glass for its higher melting temperature and the ability to be etched with finer detail.
Other miscellaneous items created from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, riot shields, instrument panels, and common style blender jars. Many toys and hobby goods are manufactured from polycarbonate parts, e.g. fins, gyro mounts, and flybar locks for use with radio-controlled helicopters.
For use in applications subjected to weathering or UV-radiation, a special surface treatment could be needed. This can be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or a coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
The Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that at the beginning, starts as a solid material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, the pelletized resin is heated until they melt in to a thick liquid. This liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly pushed into a mold with the empty part being the size and shape of the part you want, compressed under high pressure and cooled to create a finished product , that only takes about a minute to complete.