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Acrylic is a type of plastic that can be used for many different purposes. It is often used to create theft-prevention walls in stores, to make display cases, and so much more. If you have a project that requires professional plastic construction, you will likely be given a few choices in terms of which plastic to use.
If acrylic is one of those options, give it some strong consideration. It's a great plastic with many benefits and is the perfect match for a wide range of different projects.
Highly Malleable
One of the major benefits of acrylic is how malleable and flexible it is. Once you heat it, it becomes like putty and can be shaped as desired.
This malleability allows you to achieve any look, style, or design you want with your plastic. So, if you have a custom idea in mind, it's possible with acrylic. For simpler projects, however, molds can be used to produce your item quickly and efficiently. This is a plastic that can do and be pretty much anything.
UV and Fade Resistant
A lot of plastic materials will start to lose their color over time. Some will even yellow with age, which is not attractive. However, that's not a problem you have to worry about when you choose acrylic.
Acrylic is a transparent material, so color fading is not an issue. Plus, acrylic is UV resistant, so it will never yellow even if you keep it in direct sunlight. In fact, many people choose acrylic when they're going to have a display outdoors or in a window and don't want it to be affected by the sun.
If you want your product to look the same in 10 years as it does when you first acquire it, acrylic should be your material of choice.
Lightweight but Strong
Something else to appreciate about acrylic is that it's a very lightweight material. Thus, anything that is made out of it will be easy to lift and transport, which can help to reduce any costs related to shipping or moving items.
Don't let the lightweight nature of acrylic fool you as to its strength, however. This material is incredibly durable and tough and can last for many years — the perfect combination!
Low Maintenance
Some materials require constant care and upkeep in order to continue looking good. Fortunately, acrylic is not one of those materials. You don't have to stain or varnish it, like you would with wood. In fact, there's really no maintenance required other than an occasional cleaning to keep it looking nice and neat.
Acrylic does require special, gentle cleaning that doesn't use abrasive materials or ammonia. However, this is cleaning that you can do on your own, so you don't have to worry about expensive cleaning bills or other upkeep costs.
Impact Resistant
As mentioned, acrylic is a surprisingly strong material. One unique way in which it is strong is that it's designed to stand up to even the toughest impacts.
So, if someone or something were to bump or plow into your acrylic item, there's a good chance that it wouldn't break. The good news is that, in the event that acrylic does break, it does not shatter in the dangerous way that glass does.
Thus, acrylic is not only strong enough to take almost any impact but also safe in the event that it does somehow get damaged or broken.
If you're convinced that acrylic is the right material for your next project, give it a try. You'll be very pleased with all of the advantages acrylic offers. To learn more about using acrylic, contact the experts at MGM Plastics.