What is Acryl?
The answer to the question of what exactly acrylic is is not so simple. This is partly because the material has many different names. Other names include acrylate, acrylox, plexiglass or perspex. In addition to the different names used for the material, there are also different brand names. Enough names for something with the same raw material, namely PMMA. PMMA is similar to polycarbonate. Both materials have different properties in common. For example that it lets a lot of light through and therefore can be used as lens of LED lighting. Within acrylic, a distinction is made between extruded and cast. Two different ways of producing with each their own advantages.
Extruded or cast?
As previously mentioned, there are two different ways in which acrylic can be produced. Each form has its own advantages. Cast acrylic is often much clearer. It is also available in many different thicknesses and dimensions. In addition, there is little or no tension in the material. It also has a higher thickness tolerance. Because it takes a bit more labour, the purchase price of the material is also a bit higher. Naturally, extruded acrylic also has various advantages. This material has a high stress in the material and is a bit cheaper in price. This acrylate has a lower thickness tolerance. A disadvantage is that it has a higher chance of cracks and fractures during processing.
Acrylic at TRALERT®
Acrylic can also be found in various TRALERT® products. A good example of this is at various LED wide-angle lamps. The acrylic can be found in the lens of the lamp. Furthermore these lamps often have a flexible neck of rubber for a long lifetime. The acrylic lens can also be found in three of our LED marker lights. The three marker lights where this is the case, are not equipped with a reflector.
