Why are acrylic and polycarbonate materials becoming increasingly popular as glass substitutes?

Glass has a long history dating back to 3600 BC and has been the predominant material used in windows since Roman Egypt. Glass was manufactured in Egypt or Syria, according to archaeological evidence, and is utilized in a variety of applications, including architecture and construction, interior design and furniture, automobile and transportation, packaging, tableware, and so on.

The world has changed. Alternatives to glass windows are now easily available and frequently more advantageous to house and business owners equally, thanks to the contemporary world’s increased awareness and usage of plastics.

Continue reading to discover the glass alternatives and how AKMY Polyplast can satisfy your needs for the best window glass alternatives.

What types of Plastic can be used as Glass alternatives for Windows?

While we may believe that glass is the best material for windows, other plastic materials have several advantages as a replacement to glass windows can use several plastic materials. We’ll take a look at two different polymers, acrylic/plexiglass, and polycarbonate, to see how they compare to the typical window glass.

Why is Acrylic a better choice Than Glass Windows?

Acrylic, often known as plexiglass, is gaining popularity as an alternative to glass windows. While manufacturers have used watertight acrylic windows for many years, plexiglass acrylic sheets are gaining popularity among company owners and households. Its expanding popularity is largely due to a growing awareness of the various advantages of acrylic plastic over glass windows.

Cheaper

Acrylic sheeting is less expensive to make than glass equivalents. Furthermore, the plastic’s lightweight qualities allow transporters to ship it at a lesser cost. Reductions for manufacturers eventually add up to cost savings for company owners and consumers.

Stronger

Acrylic plastic sheets are 17 times stronger than regular glass. Shattering plexiglass covering requires a lot more direct force.

Furthermore, acrylic sheeting reduces the likelihood of breaking into your property. Most burglars will abandon their forced entrance efforts if a window does not break within a few seconds.

Safer

While transparent plexiglass is sturdy, it may break it with enough perseverance or force. Acrylic plastic windows, unlike glass, will not shatter into a thousand small fragments of sharp, lethal Glass. Glass is too fragile, inflexible, and heavy to utilize for producing distinctive, large-scale shapes and components, especially for an architectural project.

Better Light Transmission

Clear acrylic sheets are more transparent than glass, which may surprise you. Clear acrylic sheets enable more than 90% of light to flow through! Furthermore, acrylic windows do not reflect glare or light. Acrylic, unlike glass, does not deteriorate as the sheeting thickness grows, making it an excellent substitute for glass windows.

More Advantages

Acrylic sheeting is the most adaptable form of plastic on the market! Acrylic may be created in a variety of unique forms to satisfy specific requirements, including mirrored, colored, and fluorescent acrylic, as well as abrasion-resistant, light-diffusing, anti-static, bullet-resistant, UV-filtering, and many other alternatives. Acrylic has also been utilized to produce window glass blocks.

Why are Polycarb windows better than Solid Glass?

Polycarbonate sheeting was created to satisfy industry demands due to glass and acrylic sheeting limitations when utilized in particular conditions and demanding applications. Schools, subways, bus shelters, and psychiatric facilities required a window material that was excellent in impact resistance, structural strength, and design flexibility. Although more costly, polycarbonate plastic windows outperform acrylic and glass windows. Here are some of the benefits of polycarb windows over glass windows – and even other types of plastic windows:

250x Stronger than Glass

Polycarbonate plastic windows are also 30x stronger than acrylic. Transparent polycarbonate plastic is extremely impact resistant, yet it is also as Clear as Glass. It offers a level of security that no other transparent glazing material on the market can match.

Superior structural support

Polycarbonate sheets are lightweight compared to glass, yet they require less structural support than any other glass system. When challenging architectural projects, glass and acrylic materials are structurally constrained.

On the other hand, polycarbonate plastic sheets succeed where many other plastic and non-plastic materials have failed.

Design Versatility On-site

Before installation, glass and acrylic materials must be pre-formed and fabricated. On-site cutting and cold-forming of polycarbonate sheets are possible.

Specialty sheets

Polycarbonate plastic, like Acrylic, is manufactured into a wide range of goods with distinct performance characteristics. Polycarbonate sheets can be bulletproof, colored, mirrored, tinted, anti-static, abrasion-resistant, and many more properties. This adaptability comes in handy when manufacturing polycarb windows.

Why choose AKMY Polyplast?

AKMY Polyplast with 40 years of industry experience offers you the best plastic replacement for glass windows. We have the largest manufacturing capabilities where the varieties of polycarbonate and acrylic products are available in sizes and colours. AKMY is dedicated to continual development in sustainable environmental results, allowing green engineering for the globe and serving as a steward in the communities in which we work.

Contact AKMY Polyplast to learn more about our plastic sheeting if you’re interested in employing acrylic or polycarbonate as alternatives to glass windows.