Fluorescent acrylic GS cut to size (transparent)

Buy fluorescent cast acrylic GS cut to size online at a low price

Weather-resistant ✓ Strong glowing effect ✓ Available in red, orange, yellow or green ✓

We offer transparent fluorescent cast acrylic GS sheets cut to size in a thickness of 3mm, available in red, orange, yellow or green at competitive prices. The solid acrylic sheets are transparent and enriched with high-quality colour pigments and fluorescent dyes. This creates an intense self-illuminating effect that is especially visible at the cut edges. Depending on the colour, the pigments reduce the light transmission of the otherwise crystal-clear transparent sheets. Cast acrylic is UV-resistant and weather-resistant and, with a low water absorption of no more than 0.5%, is considered a weatherproof and waterproof plastic. The glossy, smooth surfaces typical of acrylic are protected on both sides by a protective film against damage and scratching that could occur during further processing, storage or transport. The film can nevertheless be removed easily from the surface.

We offer acrylic sheets cut to size online in dimensions up to 1500mm x 1000mm. Larger formats are also available on request. The minimum size that can be cut with our CNC panel saws is 30mm x 30mm. Sawing produces rough-sawn cut edges. By using special saw blades and a sawing programme developed specifically for acrylic, the cut edges are extremely precise. As a result, little additional edge finishing is required to smooth the edge unless polished cut edges are specifically desired.

Properties of fluorescent cast acrylic GS cut to size

The fluorescent acrylic sheets are not extruded but cast. During this process, the PMMA raw material is mixed with colour pigments and poured into a mould between two plates, producing a homogeneous sheet with an outstanding surface finish. The self-illuminating effect is created by adding fluorescent dyes and is particularly visible at cut edges, engravings and drill holes. In daylight, the effect creates intense colours at the cut edges. Under moderate lighting conditions, such as at dusk, the edges appear as though they are being illuminated by a light source.

Due to its chemical composition, acrylic is naturally UV-resistant and weather-resistant. Because the sheets are cast, cast acrylic GS also offers even greater resistance to ageing than extruded acrylic XT. This is an important factor in ensuring many years of unrestricted enjoyment of the colours and luminosity without prolonged UV exposure causing the sheets to become brittle or the neon-like colours to fade.

• Fluorescent red cast acrylic GS: similar to RAL3024 (luminous red), light transmission approx. 12%
• Fluorescent orange cast acrylic GS: similar to RAL2005 (luminous orange), light transmission approx. 37%
• Fluorescent yellow cast acrylic GS: similar to RAL2007 (luminous bright orange), light transmission approx. 72%
• Fluorescent green cast acrylic GS: similar to RAL6038 (luminous green), light transmission approx. 87%

Application examples for glowing cast acrylic GS

Coloured fluorescent acrylic is much less common than acrylic without a glowing effect. The material is mainly used for fashionable home accessories and lighting elements. Thermoforming makes it easy to create bowls, vases and artistically shaped lampshades whose curves also produce a relatively strong self-illuminating effect across the surface. Fluorescent acrylic is also used without thermal forming, for example as covers for brick-built models, scale models of vehicles, and eye-catching shelves and displays for new products in retail stores. Thanks to our precise cuts, these can be produced very easily using suitable adhesives.

In modern art, acrylic is shaped, cut, bent or bonded into highly abstract forms and objects. This produces works of art that attract the viewer's attention, especially when fluorescent acrylic is used. Through the interplay of light and shadow, it is often not the art object alone but the combination of the object, the incident light and its effect that defines the actual artwork. You do not need to be Salvador Dalí to achieve this, however, because acrylic is very easy to process. With a little skill, the necessary tools and a creative idea, artistically crafted decorations can be produced with ease.

Thanks to its weatherproof properties, glowing acrylic is extremely popular for making decorations for patios and gardens. Decorative stakes made from multicoloured elements in the shape of flowers, bees and butterflies are particularly popular. They create an eye-catching feature among flowers, blossoms, grasses and shrubs and can also add a cheerful splash of colour to the dull greys of winter.

• Fluorescent acrylic is used to make decorative stakes for potted plants and garden planting
• The brightly glowing transparent sheets are used for model display cases and showcases
• Artists value the easy-to-process acrylic as a material because of its self-illuminating effect
• Transparent sheets with glowing edges attract a high level of attention in product presentations
• Orange fluorescent acrylic is very popular in the Netherlands for decoration, for example during international football matches
• Coloured acrylic is thermoformed to produce lampshades, vases and art objects
• and many other applications

Processing fluorescent acrylic

Fluorescent acrylic is mainly used for decorative purposes because of its enormous luminosity, with the glowing cut edges playing a decisive role. From cutting and engraving to bonding and thermoforming, the colourful acrylic can be shaped in almost any conceivable way.

Cutting and drilling cast acrylic GS

With fluorescent acrylic sheets, the self-illuminating effect of the cut edges is used deliberately. A clean cut is therefore crucial. In many cases, our custom-cut acrylic sheets require no further processing. Thanks to our many years of experience in sawing plastics, we ensure a smooth, precise cut edge. Sawing acrylic is not particularly complicated, however, so simple tools can also be used to produce cuts and cut-outs. A sharp saw blade with medium-density teeth, a low rotational speed or stroke rate and a solid support generally produce the best result. Saw blades with teeth that are too coarse or vibrations in the sheet during sawing may cause chipping or breakage. If the saw blade has teeth that are too fine, such as a metal saw blade, or if the sawing speed is too high, the blade becomes hot quickly. This softens the saw chips and may cause them to melt into the cut edge. A table saw or handheld circular saw is well suited for straight cuts. A jigsaw or scroll saw is the better choice for small cut-outs, curves or free-form shapes such as letters and lettering. Milling with a router or CNC-controlled portal milling machine follows the same principle. The sheet should rest firmly on the surface and be milled at a reduced speed and low feed rate. With a polishing cutter and the correct settings, perfect milled edges can be achieved that almost match the cut produced by a CO² laser.

Acrylic is easy to drill. A standard cordless drill fitted with an HSS drill bit is sufficient. A type HK plastic drill bit, specially designed for drilling brittle plastics such as acrylic or rigid PVC, makes drilling even easier and more precise. This has a particularly positive effect on the glowing effect around the edge of the drill hole. Compared with standard metal drill bits, the sharper drill tip penetrates the hard surface more easily and does not heat up as quickly thanks to its deep, elongated spiral flute. Regardless of the drill bit used, a low drilling speed should always be selected. No pressure should be applied to the drill bit, and the sheet should rest on a firm supporting surface to prevent chipping when the drill exits.

Polishing the rough-sawn cut edge can slightly enhance the glowing effect of the fluorescent sheets, but it also requires a relatively large amount of work. A sanding block and fine sandpaper in various grit sizes are required. Starting with a fine grit to level out irregularities and grooves, increasingly finer sandpaper is used with each step. In the final step, a polishing paste such as our S-Polybond PMMApolitur for acrylic is used to polish the surface of the cut edge to a high gloss. Flame polishing requires less work but involves considerable risk. A gas torch is used to heat the edges so that the rough surface is levelled by slight melting. If the flame remains in one place for too long, however, the acrylic may burn. Damage of this kind can only be repaired with considerable effort, provided the burning is very minor. With laser cutting, as offered for our laser-cut acrylic sheets, the edges no longer need to be polished because the contactless cutting process produces uniform, smooth and glossy cut edges. Other advantages of laser cutting include the very low dimensional tolerances and the ability to cut custom shapes, arcs and curves as well as mounting holes and cut-outs.

Printing, painting and applying film to cast acrylic GS

Acrylic is generally very suitable for printing, painting or applying adhesive film. However, these surface treatments are rarely used with glowing acrylic. Fluorescent sheets are used less for their smooth, transparent surfaces than for the glowing effect of their cut edges. Nevertheless, the red, orange, yellow and green fluorescent sheets can also be used to create eye-catching information signs or product displays. Additional lettering applied with self-adhesive film can then identify the company or product.

Engraving cast acrylic GS

Acrylic can be engraved gently using a CO² laser. Engraving is also very easy with a CNC milling machine and produces excellent results. A multifunction tool, such as a Dremel® fitted with a milling attachment, also makes engraving possible without specialist machinery. The tool is carefully guided over the smooth surface at a low speed, in the same way as drawing by hand. Because coloured acrylic sheets are transparent, the desired design can be attached to the back of the sheet with adhesive tape and the outlines traced using the milling tool. It is important to remember that the graphic, and especially any text it contains, must be engraved in mirror image so that the engraving remains legible when viewed from the smooth side.

Engraving creates a particularly eye-catching effect on fluorescent sheets. Due to the strong glowing effect that occurs at cut and milled edges, the engraving itself also appears to glow.

Bonding and sealing cast acrylic GS

Due to the manufacturing process, cast acrylic contains no internal stresses and can therefore be bonded very effectively using solvent-based adhesives without the risk of stress cracks forming at the cut edges. With our acrylic adhesive PMMAprofi, we offer a low-viscosity cold-welding adhesive with a very strong capillary action due to its water-like consistency. This means that the adhesive penetrates even the finest gaps and ensures a secure bond between the fluorescent acrylic parts. The capillary effect also has the advantage that a continuous, full-surface joint is formed when bonding the sheets. This allows the glowing effect at bonded cut edges to remain uninterrupted and free from bubbles.

As an alternative to solvent bonding, acrylic can be bonded to itself or to other materials using a silicone sealant. A transparent sealant is recommended for transparent sheets. Parasilico AX Plastics T is an excellent choice because it is highly transparent and provides very good adhesion to many different materials.

Cleaning cast acrylic GS

Acrylic can be cleaned in a similar way to glass, but PMMA is sensitive to contact with solvents and alcohols. For this reason, only cleaning agents that are free from these ingredients should be used on the surfaces. Standard washing-up liquid is very suitable for cleaning the glossy surfaces. Special cleaning agents such as our S-Polybond acrylic cleaner PMMAclean not only clean the surface but also protect it effectively. The antistatic action of our cleaner also helps prevent the plastic from attracting dust as quickly as it would after cleaning with a mild soap solution. Smooth surfaces, regardless of whether they are plastic, glass or painted, should always be cleaned with a soft, lint-free cloth. Microfibre cloths should preferably be avoided because they can scratch surfaces over time and make them appear dull. The resulting fine micro-scratches then have to be removed laboriously using a polishing paste suitable for the surface.

NOTE: Our fluorescent acrylic sheets are covered with protective film on both sides to protect the surfaces. The protective film must be removed before processing the surfaces, for example before applying adhesive film, printing or engraving. The film must also be removed before thermoforming the acrylic pieces because it cannot be thermoformed.