Cold Forming Acrylic Sheet

Release mechanism for hanging plexiglas acrylic sheets in heating ovens.

Cold forming acrylic sheet.

This device can reduce appreciably the labor required for clamping and unclamping sheets preparatory to forming. To calculate the minimum bend radius of curvature multiply the thickness of the sheet to be used by 330. This article uses a sheet about 1 4 thick so all times are about 10 to 15 minutes per step. I can t recommend for.

A mold any object shape you can press the acrylic into to give it shape mallet and or a peen for shaping caution i ve only tried this in an electric oven. Never heat acrylic sheet in a kitchen oven. Modify the timing as necessary. Hln supplies leeds plastic fabrication moulding specialists.

For thicker sheets it will take longer and for thinner sheets it will take less time. To bend sheet plastic and acrylic you will need. The two best tools for this are a small butane torch the type used in the kitchen work well or you can also use an embossing heat tool used by card makers and. It is important to provide sufficient clamping of the sheet during the forming process.

Cold forming is possible. Uk educational supply center centre mindsets online sells variously sized 3mm thick sample sheets of eastman s spectar copolyester at not completely outlandish prices. The recommended radius of curvature should be a value greater than 180 times the thickness of the sheet for plexiglas g sheet and 300 times the thickness for plexiglas mc sheet see table below. Heat source small projects with bends that are close together will need upon heat source which can be easily aimed at small areas.

Cold forming plexiglas sheet can be cold formed bent at room temperature in a smooth arc and held to a radius by forcing the material into a curved channel support. Tighter radii may result in crazing or cracking of the coating. Line bending or thermoforming a brasion resistant acrylic sheet is not recommended. Twenty four hours at 176 f 80 c dries most sheets.

It can also shorten the time required to transport the heated sheet from the oven to the forming equipment thus minimizing the possibility of cold forming. To reduce the length of the forming cycle pre dry the sheet in a spare oven and transfer it directly into the forming oven at 176 f 80 c after the drying period. Other materials inches inch f acrylic sheet 0000410 aluminum 0000129 plate glass 0000050 for indoor applications where temperatures normally remain the same 20 degrees f acrylic sheet does not generally require special considerations for expansion and contraction other than providing for a snug rather than tight fit since its movement.