Blog: Is plastic the right material for me to use?
What is Plastic?
Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials used in a growing range of applications. Different common types of plastic include; polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), polycarbonates (PC), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA or acrylic), etc. Plastics are organic and made from several raw materials. Modern plastic started to be developed around 100 years ago.
Plastics are used in packaging, building and construction, transportation, medical and health, electrical and electronic, agriculture and sports. Plastics are everywhere. You can find plastic in the clothes we wear, the cars we drive and the houses we live in. Even the toothbrush you use every day contains plastic!
Why Should I Use Plastic?
Whether it is providing a tough and stain resistant covering for kitchen counters or as a department store’s candy display, plastic is an ideal choice for businesses and homes alike. Because of these advantages described below, it is currently displacing many other materials, most especially traditional glass, due to the wide range of custom plastic products that are now available.
What are the Advantages of Plastic?
Plastic is extremely durable and lightweight. Plastic are easily molded and have a variety of finishings. Plastic has good shock absorption capacity, corrosion resistant and chemically inert. Plastics can be recycled and are generally cheaper compared to alternative materials.
Plastics are used every day to our benefit. Plastic insulation can cut heat of cold loss in one’s home by up 70 percent. Capturing wind power is made possible by using plastic. Plastic is being used to replace aircraft and auto parts to make cars and planes lighter and more fuel efficient.
Clearer than Glass
Acrylic is well known for being more transparent than traditional glass, with over 90 percent of daylight being successfully transmitted through a Plexiglas pane. This can be extremely useful for uses where providing a clear view is important, such as in display units like a product display. Other examples include brochure holders, point-of-purchase displays and exhibition equipment.
Strength and Durability
Plastic avoids the greatest shortcoming of traditional glass, being both strong and flexible. This makes this material ideal for applications where both transparency and physical durability are needed. This can be especially useful for custom plastic products must endure weight or mechanical stress. Finally, the durability of plastic reduces the frequency and cost of any required maintenance.
Ease of Assembly
Plastic is lighter and more flexible than traditional materials; making it easy for even untrained individuals to assemble a prefabricated candy display or advertising stand, for instance. If made out of glass, the same type of display would be awkward, heavy and fragile.
Appearance
Not only is plastic durable, but it is also very attractive. Plastic can easily be treated with a variety of coatings, providing it with a distinctive appearance. One of the most common coatings is a UV coating to prevent harmful ultraviolet radiation from damaging the items protected by the plastic. In other cases, a wide variety of colors or designs can be applied to the plastic, making this material ideal for art installations, furniture or cosmetic displays.
Ultimately, plastic is an ideal material for a vast range of projects. Whether it is for a commercial product display or a private art object, plastic can provide the strength, durability and attractive appearance that can ensure that the final product will be both useful and attractive. Anyone interested in making use of this striking material should contact Akriform by phone or online for an immediate consultation. Akriform’s skilled staff help determine how Akriform’s selection of plastic products can fulfill one’s needs.