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At INDUSTRIAL PLASTIC SOLUTIONS to bend Acrylic we use a strip heater with an element running between two water-cooled tubes, made from stainless steel. These tubes should be adjustable so that the gap between the two tubes can be increased or decreased depending upon the thickness of material that you are bending. For example 3mm acrylic the gap should be set to 12mm, for 6mm material the gap should be set to 18mm, for 8mm material the gap should be set to 24mm – 26mm etc...    Rule of thumb is generally 3 times the thickness of material equals the gap between tubes.

 When bending Polycarbonate it is essential that your sheet is free from moisture, which will in turn will prevent bubbles from appearing in the material. If bubbles do appear it is generally due to leaving material upon the strip heater for too long, or the heat is set to high. Polycarbonate generally is bent whilst the material is hot but not as pliable as Acrylic. If using this method it will help reduce chances of bubbling.

Polishing Acrylic, can be done in a couple of ways first is to buzz the edges so that a smooth surface is created removing the coarser saw marks and then using a buff to give that glass edge finish. Or you can flame polish the acrylic using Hydrogen and Oxygen setup which delivers a far superior finish which is not unlike that of glass. In some instances small pieces of acrylic can be bent using a hot air gun and forming them over a piece of tube.

Happy Bending.

Any questions may be posted to George at http://www.industrialplasticsolutions.com.au

When machining plastics eg. Plastic Bushes it is important to ensure that heat is kept to a mininum. Coolant (Soluble Oil) is often used when drilling holes. Whilst drilling the plastic bush be sure to peck drill, this is working the drill a short amount into the Plastic Bush and then withdrawing the drill to remove the swarf which allows the coolant to flow into the Plastic Bush and cool the material.

Speeds should be adjusted accordingly to the size of the drill being used. The larger the drill the slower the speed. Cutting tools should have a zero rake angle as this works the best on all plastic materials. Following these rules your Plastic Bush will turn out fine and within tolerance.

Happy Turning.

Industrial Plastic Solutions can plastic weld most Thermoplastics. Using quality welding rod our tradesmen are able to plastic weld a variety of plastics including HDPE, LDPE, PVC, PP, ABS, etc...

By using the following steps we are able to determine whether a particular plastic can be welded.

1. First we identify the plastic to be welded by using the floating water test. Using a small piece of plastic taken from the component to be welded we drop it in a container of water. If it floats then the plastic is likely to be Polypropylene, or Polyethylene. If it sinks then the plastic is likely to be PVC, ABS or Polycarbonate.

2. We can then use the adhesion test with welding rod. By heating up the welding rod, and the plastic sample to be repaired, press the welding rod onto the plastic part by applying hot air. Push the welding rod onto the plastic part to begin plastic weld. If the cooled down rod stays firmly in place or can only be pulled off with difficulty, both plastic materials are the same.