Acrylic vs Glass

Acrylic vs Glass
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  • Acrylic vs Glass

Acrylic vs Glass

The design possibilities for acrylic sheet are virtually limitless making the design limitations of glass unacceptable today. With more design flexibility than glass, ACRYLITE® acrylic can accommodate a wider range of requirements.

Acrylic is available in an unlimited array of standard, custom, and designer colors. If there is a specific color in mind that is not found in our portfolio, Roehm America LLC offers custom matching for almost any color. Our acrylic can also be painted, engraved, or hot stamped for added effects. We also offer various surfaces and textures, such as ribbed and prismatic, and additional forms, such as rods and tubes, to help produce unique and exotic designs.

The simplicity with which acrylic can be produced is another advantage. Custom sizes and unique forms are simple to produce thanks to acrylic's outstanding cold-forming and thermoforming capabilities. Using common woodworking equipment, acrylic sheets can be cut, routed, or machined into complex shapes. Through our free fabrication instructions, Roehm America LLC offers professional guidance on suitable blades, tooling, and processes to guarantee success when fabricating.

Design Flexibility Comparison

*Tempered glass cannot be cut to size or into shapes after tempering
  Acrylic Sheet Plate Glass
Color Availability Excellent Poor
Cold Forming Capability Fair Not Possible
Thermoforming Capability Very Good Very Poor
Cut to Size Capability Excellent Fair to Nearly Impossible*
Cutting Shapes Excellent Poor to Nearly Impossible*
Decorating Excellent Fair

Applications & Benefits

Acrylic is used in hundreds of different applications. Some of the more common applications where acrylic is used in place of glass are listed below along with the benefits acrylic can provide.

Architectural Glazing Framing Furniture, Fixtures & Displays Transportation Glazing
impact strength chemical & scratch resistant abrasion resistant crash tested
heat stopping protection ink adhesion for digital printing ADA compliant color selection
low thermal conductivity shatterproof crystal clarity & water clear edges graffiti resistance
mechanical bending light weight fabrication ease impact strength
thermoformability non-glare impact strength light weight
UV filtering and transmitting preservation protection light weight noise abatement
  reduced breakage during shipping    

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