What is Makrolon and Lexan - shatterproof glazing with polycarbonate
Posted on Sep 3, 2017
Makrolon and Lexan are special materials with outstanding properties. Learn more about the shatterproof polycarbonate from the plastic sheet distributor S-Polytec
Surely everyone is familiar with this - you are planning a project, such as a patio roof, a conservatory, glazing, or simply a canopy and first have to get to grips with the subject. How do I set it up? Which appropriate building materials do I need and how should I use or process them? What do I use for the glazing or roofing of my terrace?
All these questions are certainly only a small part of what you have to deal with when planning such a project. To get answers to these questions, it is almost standard in this day and age to consult the search engines.
What is Makrolon, Lexan and Co.?
After a brief search on the Internet, one comes across a wide variety of plastic sheets with the most diverse designations and brand names, such as MAKROLON, LEXAN, QUINN PC, or POLYCASA PC. But what exactly is behind all these brands? Behind all these confusing names, there is the same thing in all cases - a special plastic called Polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate was developed in 1953 by Bayer AG and registered under the brand name MAKROLON, later the brand name LEXAN was added. Since then, the brand names have become established worldwide. Polycarbonate is usually available in opal (milky, cloudy) and clear transparent versions. There are also polycarbonate sheets with and without UV stabilisation, which is highly recommended for outdoor use.
What are the properties and advantages of Makrolon, Lexan (Poycarbonate)?
Probably the most important property of this plastic is its extreme impact resistance. Even blows with a hammer directly on the sheets cannot break this plastic, which is why LEXAN and MACROLON are often chosen as safety glazing and, not least, are also popularly known as armoured glass. Possible hail damage, falling, hard and heavy objects cannot break this material. But that is not all. Polycarbonate weighs about 50% less than glass.
Another important advantage is the flexibility and bendability, because polycarbonate can be bent excellently even when cold without breaking. While acrylic glass is hard and brittle and therefore breaks more easily, you can even cold bend polycarbonate sheets. This plastic effortlessly withstands temperatures between -40°C and +130°C. Furthermore, this plastic is a suitable insulator against electric current, but also against heat or cold. The U-value here is 0.20 W/m²K. Due to a special UV stabilisation, polycarbonate is equally suitable for indoor and outdoor use and is extremely weather-resistant.
Applications of polycarbonate
In industry, the impact-resistant plastic polycarbonate has been used for a long time. Among other things, polycarbonate is used for housings and housing parts of notebooks and smartphones, for car headlights, in vehicle construction and mechanical engineering, for roofing and protective walls in stadiums or in the construction industry, for glazing of mobile homes or aircraft, for illuminated signs and showcases, in trade fair construction and even in cockpits of modern jet aircraft.
In the private sector and in the do-it-yourself sector, polycarbonate is used in a variety of applications.
In the private sector and in the do-it-yourself sector, this material is also finding more and more applications and can be used by you for countless projects. Polycarbonate is suitable for all types of roofing and glazing - from hail-proof patio roofing to shatter-proof conservatory glazing. With this plastic, glass breakage is now a thing of the past. Polycarbonate is also suitable for the construction of greenhouses and canopies. Car tuning, model making, backlit shelves, TV walls, use as a decorative element, viewing windows in furniture, terrariums, aquariums and much more, are further examples of the use of polycarbonate.
Polycarbonate sheets from S-Polytec
Buy your polycarbonate plastic sheets (MAKROLON©, LEXAN©) conveniently online in your desired size.
In our online shop, we offer you the possibility to buy the impact-resistant Polycarbonate sheets in UV-stabilised design, directly in the sizes you need. Our cut configurator determines your individual, favourable price for your cuts in a flash. Thanks to state-of-the-art machines with computer control, our cuts are always accurate to the millimetre - regardless of whether you need just a single panel or 10,000 pieces.
We only use high-grade and high-quality plastic materials, as well as state-of-the-art machines for processing our materials. Our service offers you competent advice and easy processing of your orders, because our goal is to always be able to 100% satisfy you as a customer!
Your advantages with S-Polytec
- High material quality - Made in Germany
- Favourable prices, through optimised production processes and favourable purchasing conditions
- Fast delivery, through automation processes and optimised workflows
- One-off and series production possible, through state-of-the-art technology and high-quality machines
- Exact custom-made products thanks to CNC-controlled 3-axis milling
- Millimetre-precise cutting on computer-controlled panel saws
- Excellent machining quality, thanks to years of experience and the use of skilled personnel
- Excellent service and competent advice, through customer-oriented and trained staff
- Online consultant