Product Frequently Asked Questions


Select a product on the left to view a list of the most commonly asked questions.

ACRYLITE® LED sign grade

ACRYLITE® LED sign grade
  • ACRYLITE® digital print
  • ACRYLITE® Gallery for framing
  • ACRYLITE® Hi-gloss
  • ACRYLITE® LED color changing back lit black/white
  • ACRYLITE® LED light guiding edge lit rod
  • ACRYLITE® LED light guiding edge lit sheet
  • ACRYLITE® LED sign grade
  • ACRYLITE® Multi-Skin
  • ACRYLITE® Optical
  • ACRYLITE® Premium (FF)
  • ACRYLITE® Prismatic
  • ACRYLITE® Reflections
  • ACRYLITE® Soundstop
  • ACRYLITE® Tube
  • CYROLON®
  • General Grade cast

ACRYLITE® LED sign grade

  • Weathering of ACRYLITE® LED sign grade white (WRT30/7328) verses PETG and Polycarbonate.
    After 5000 hours of accelerated xenon weather testing, ACRYLITE® LED sign grade (SG) and other substrate samples demonstrate their weathering and light exposure results.

    acrylite verse polycarbonate

  • It is an impact modified acrylic sheet product developed specifically to meet the unique needs of the sign industry. What sets it apart from standard acrylic is its impact strength, which translates into reduced breakage during production, shipping, and installation.

    It's a universal product that works perfectly for any sign application, from channel letters to formed letters and shapes to back-painted signs. In addition to superior strength, it offers easy fabrication, excellent weather-ability, and remarkable color consistency.

    When you add it all up, it is the most versatile acrylic sign material on the market, making it the clear choice over other plastics, such as conventional acrylic or polycarbonate.

  • Most push-thru letter operations use aluminum for sign faces, however, impact-modified ACRYLITE® LED sign grade is an excellent choice if you need a translucent plastic. For sign jobs requiring extra illumination, use 1/8" or 3/16" ACRYLITE® LED sign grade for the face, and thick ACRYLITE® Premium (FF) sheet for push-thru letters.

    ACRYLITE® LED sign grade is rigid and tough, and it resists chipping and melting, making it an excellent alternative to metal faces. And its superior weather-ability gives you a durable sign that will last a long time. It’s one more reason why ACRYLITE® products offer you the best options for any sign application.

    Read more about selecting a substrate for high-end permanent sign faces

  • For push-or press-thru lettering, you need a product that routs easily and quickly, provides superior optical clarity, and gives you consistent results. That’s why fabricators rely on economical, continuously-manufactured thick ACRYLITE® Premium FF acrylic. It’s the ideal choice for push thru letters because of easy fabrication and blemish-free appearance. And it gives you the flexibility of run-to-size orders to match your needs. Roehm America can run thick ACRYLITE® Premium FF sheet to size to accommodate bigger letters and different shapes, so you end up with less scrap and higher yields.

    Some people question whether a continuously-manufactured product can be machined into push-thru letters as efficiently as cast acrylic sheet. But so long as you have proper tooling, thick ACRYLITE® Premium FF acrylic will fabricate smoothly and quickly. Using a single-flute Onsrud Cutter bit for fabricating will give letters a polished look.

  • At first glance import sheet pricing looks appealing, however, lowering your total cost of use will save more money. ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet significantly increases yields through reduced breakage and quicker fabrication cycles, whereas standard acrylic can chip, forcing manufacturers to make replacement parts, raising material, and labor costs.

    Color and thickness consistency are two quality factors that can affect your overall costs. Cast sheet batches are small — usually 10-20 sheets — and can produce a wide range of thickness variations within a batch and even a single sheet. And since batches need to be color matched, there is even greater opportunity for color consistency errors.

    ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet is continuously manufactured in runs of hundreds or thousands of sheets at a time, adhering to tight thickness tolerances during production, ensuring consistent results during fabrication.

    Pound for pound, it saves manufacturers up to 25 percent over polycarbonate. In addition to material cost-savings, it saves on labor and energy expenses because it fabricates more quickly and easily.

    Why pay more for polycarbonate’s excessive strength?
    ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet provides the strength needed to withstand harsh weather conditions. And its superior weather-ability means it will look good longer than a sign made with polycarbonate sheet.

     

  • Pound for pound, it saves manufacturers up to 25 percent over polycarbonate. In addition to material cost-savings, it saves on labor and energy expenses because it fabricates more quickly and easily.

    This acrylic sheet provides the strength needed to withstand harsh weather conditions. And its superior weather-ability means it will look good longer than a sign made with polycarbonate sheet.

  • ACRYLITE® LED sign grade acrylic sheet is designed to be more versatile and easier to fabricate than polycarbonate. While requiring the same tooling used for standard acrylic, it processes over a broader range of feed rates and tool speeds to accelerate production and quicken cycle times.

    Signs thermoformed with ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet have superior light transmission, clarity and mold definition. It thermoforms at lower temperatures than polycarbonate, cell cast and standard acrylic — even as low as 270°F — resulting in quicker cycle times and lower energy costs. It also does not need to be pre-dried for thermoforming, unlike polycarbonate. The acrylic sheet has the ability to achieve excellent part definitions at lower temperatures compared to polycarbonate and standard acrylic. It has consistently low shrinkage characteristics (less than three percent), and there is no breakage during mold release, so fabricators are assured the same results every single time. It can be heated with infrared heaters, circulating air ovens, and other conventional heating methods.

  • Weather-ability is another reason why this sheet outperforms polycarbonate. Polycarbonate will yellow and become hazy after only a few years of UV exposure, and it will lose much of its impact strength.

    Acrylic withstands the effects of weathering much better than polycarbonate, and ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet has been specially formulated to combat the elements without losing its color or impact strength for many years. In fact, even polycarbonate that has been pre-treated with UV-protection will show signs of weathering much sooner than ACRYLITE® LED sign grade sheet.

    Read more about selecting a substrate for high-end permanent sign faces

  • For channel letter manufacturing, the biggest cost component is labor, and that’s why ACRYLITE® LED (Resist SG) is the ideal choice for fabricators. It’s a “forgiving” product that’s easy to handle, routes much faster than other materials, resists chipping and melting, and offers superior impact resistance to prevent breakage.

    Cementing set-up time is quicker, and it can be easily cemented to itself and to other acrylics, as well as to trim cap, creating strong bonds for channel letters.

    “ACRYLITE® LED (Resist SG) saves us about 30 percent in fabrication costs,” reports Brian Giles of CAL SIGN Wholesale, Inc. (Modesto, CA), a wholesale sign manufacturer who produces many recognized national sign programs. “We have virtually no breakage with it whatsoever, even when cutting difficult letters, and we have minimal scrap.”

    Read more about selecting a substrate for high-end permanent sign faces

  • Qualities to consider in choosing the right material for interior signs: safety, performance, and cost.

    Glass offers performance because it stands up to public environments, but it’s heavy, difficult to fabricate and handle, and time-consuming.

    It combines acrylic’s easy fabrication and handling, with a proprietary abrasion resistant coating. This makes it many times more resistant than standard acrylic to scratching and marring from frequent public contact. Manufacturers have the option of using a one-sided abrasion resistant sheet, while the uncoated side is ideal for silk-screening.

    Read more about selecting a substrate for high-end permanent sign faces