Tailoring the right sheet for the requested application is no small matter. Market applications vary, while the offering of raw materials, received ready-made from the suppliers, is limited. This is one reason that at Plazit-Polygal we developed unique capabilities which manufacturers of standard sheets do not have. At the Company’s site in Bulgaria, we can manufacture the raw materials we need on our own – by polymerization of MMA monomers to produce the acrylic polymer (PMMA) we want. This capability, alongside compounding several materials together, enables us to obtain a homogeneous mixture with the desirable properties. This knowledge and control at the raw material level enable us to drill down to the nuance and adaptation level of the sheets, not available to other sheet manufacturers.
PLAZCRYL SUPER – We Independently Compound Sheets with Improved Impact Resistance
We took this in-depth knowledge about raw materials one step further in order to develop an acrylic sheet with improved breakage resistance. PLAZCRYL SUPER sheets combine acrylic rubber in the PMMA mixture. The sheets provide improved impact resistance while maintaining the excellent transparency characteristic of PMMA: sheet haze does not exceed 1% and light transmission is above 90%.
This type of sheet is not unique in the market. The acrylic rubber blend can be purchased as a prepared blend from raw material manufacturers around the world. Manufacturing these materials is a simple process at the operational level, however, the sheets produced are limited in their breakage resistance level, and the precise degree of elasticity cannot be controlled.
At Plazit-Polygal we chose a different method. We blend the rubber and acrylic by ourselves using unique mixing equipment installed on the production line, which enables us to obtain a homogeneous product with uniform properties. This capability gives us better control of the desired degree of elasticity and to reach the impact resistance optimally suited for the specific application. Product quality is high, as underscored by the fact that the sheets come with a ten-year warranty.
The PLAZCRYL SUPER sheets come in 0.7-20 mm thickness and 1000-2050 mm width. The sheets are available in smooth texture or various surface embossings. The sheets are weather resistant (UV) and are available as transparent sheets or in a range of colors. As a standard, the sheets are offered in five different degrees of elasticity, but the company is open to special requests.
Why is Impact Resistance so Important?
PMMA serves as an excellent alternative to glass. Glass is transparent, but its rigidity makes it breakable and even dangerous. Moreover, glass is heavy and the shipment and transport energy costs are high, in addition to the energy consumed in the glass manufacturing process which is also high.
By comparison, the PMMA sheet is lightweight, transparent, and with the right compounding with the addition of the rubber – demonstrates improved breakage resistance. It serves as an excellent alternative to glass for a range of applications, among them windows, transparent protective barriers for industrial equipment, motorcycle windshields, tractors, and even in-vehicle identification plates. The improved-impact sheets are easy to cut and polish and are suitable for thermoforming and vacuum forming.
Improved Sheet Performance is Continuous
The improved-impact acrylic sheets are not a new product at Plazit-Polygal. However, their continued development is never-ending. The developments focus on the raw material as well as on the process. We are open to special manufacturing requests from our customers, supported by our excellent development department.
