This blog post discusses drilling holes in Polycarbonate sheet. It identifies many of the best practices to drill high quality holes without causing stress in the sheet, which could lead to part failure. Hole Diameter Feed Rate (in/rev) Drill speed (rpm) 1/8″ 0.001 1750 1/4″ 0.002 1500 1/2″ 0.004 500 For information, we have written […]
Category Archives: Technical
All materials change dimension with temperature. Plastics, in this case polycarbonate, tend to expand and contract more with temperature fluctuations than non-plastics, like metals or glass. To avoid buckling or deformation of the sheet during elevated temperatures, it is necessary to compensate by calculating the linear thermal expansion of Polycarbonate sheet. If the polycarbonate is […]
Cold Forming polycarbonate sheet is any forming formed below 300 F (149 C). Barrel vault skylights and some face shields are cold formed. In order for the part to maintain its shape a permanent frame must be used to hold the edges in place. As in all forming of plastics, inducing stress often leads to […]
This week we will continue our discussion on forming Polycarbonate sheet focusing on Low Temperature Thermoforming. Low temperature thermoforming takes place between 350 F (177 C) and 370 F (188 C). This type of thermoforming is used for parts that may require high optical quality or have minimal shape change. Unlike high temperature forming, a […]
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HighLine is able to offer a wide range of marine grade plastic sheets for both the commercial and recreation marine industry. In this blog post we will give an overview of each of these products and their main uses. UHMW-PE Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE) is highly resistant to abrasion and is therefore very […]
Here at Highline Polycarbonate we are committed to providing useful information in support of the products that we sell. This blog post is the first in a series of posts on how to form polycarbonate sheet into practical shapes for commercial use. This short series will cover high-temperature thermoforming, low-temperature thermoforming, cold forming, brake forming […]
Polycarbonate flammability is one of the most common reasons why companies phone us or read our technical blog. The high level of interest is because there is very little accurate information available from polycarbonate sheet producers and suppliers and that the subject can be confusing due to the highly technical nature. To address this issue […]
One of the most commonly known standards for plastics is the UL 94 standard. These small scale tests are intended to serve as a preliminary indication of their acceptability with respect to flammability in a particular application. You may often find the UL 94 flammability tests related to other UL standards associated with plastics like […]
This blog post will discuss the new technology of rail car window recycling. We will also discuss why refurbishment of old windows has not found a place in the market. Transit system operators often use hard coated Polycarbonate windows for their rail cars, trams and buses. During operation these windows can become dirty and therefore […]
“A laser blocking polycarbonate sheet is a type of material designed to protect against the harmful effects of laser radiation. To make polycarbonate sheet laser blocking, a special additive (or combination of additives) is included in the material during production. These additives absorb laser radiation and convert it into heat, preventing it from passing through […]