Polycarbonate sheets are perfect for a high level of security in a variety of settings. Retail businesses, office buildings, homes, schools, and sporting venues all benefit from protection against vandalism, the elements, and more.
Polycarbonate sheets are impact resistant, offer good transparency, and are durable. They are available in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses or can be custom created to your specs. Acme Plastics carries a large range of polycarbonate forms, including: Twinwall and multiwall polycarbonate sheets, which are used primarily as a translucent building material, cladding, roofing panels, skylights, greenhouse panels, sheds, verandas, and more; bullet-resistant sheets offer three levels of resistance and are offered in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses; polycarbonate rods are available in a wide range of diameters and sizes; and polycarbonate tubes can endure high stress and impact and withstand various elements, including fire.
Here, we would like to discuss in more detail how polycarbonate sheets can offer added security to both your property and your person.
How Polycarbonate Sheets Can Improve Security
Here are three properties of polycarbonate sheets that can offer added security:
Impact Protection
Polycarbonate sheets can provide impact protection from various projectiles. The shatter-resistant material creates a safety barrier from bullets, severe weather, and even errant sports balls (golf balls, hockey pucks, etc.). Bullet-resistant polycarbonate reduces the impact of kinetic energy of certain types of ballistics. It is available in three levels of resistance and a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses.
Heat Resistance
Polycarbonate sheets are naturally heat-resistant so they can be exposed to high temperatures. Certain color polycarbonate panels with heat-blocking additives can absorb heat and sheets can also be combined with flame-retardant materials without significant material degradation. These properties make it ideal for construction and engineering projects where safety and flammability are concerns. Being able to withstand high temperatures, polycarbonate panels are also a great choice for windows and siding in certain climates.
UV Protection
Polycarbonate sheets provide excellent light transmission while naturally blocking ultraviolet rays. This has a variety of sun-protection uses—from fade-proofing products in a window display to providing UV protection to people relaxing under a pergola roof.
How Strong are Polycarbonate Sheets?
To give you an idea of how strong polycarbonate sheets are: Polycarbonate is 250 times stronger than glass and can undergo significant deformations without cracking or breaking. That’s because polymers in polycarbonate form an exceptionally strong bond to the carbonate groups in polycarbonate’s chemical chain. Called a “crosslink,” it is extremely difficult to break.
Where to Use Polycarbonate Sheets
Polycarbonate sheets can be utilized in homes, office buildings, businesses, schools, even automobiles and airplanes. The many benefits of polycarbonate sheets make the material applicable for many use cases.
Greenhouse panels and nurseries – Polycarbonate allows 90% of light to pass through and retains heat 60% better than glass, making it an excellent and efficient choice for greenhouse panels. What’s more, polycarbonate panels are shatter resistant and can withstand high temperatures helping to protect the plant life growing inside.
Barriers and fences – Lightweight polycarbonate panels can be easily installed as fencing using a frame or support structure. For example, strong, impact-resistant, clear polycarbonate panels are used as barriers on hockey rinks to protect fans from a wayward hockey puck while they view the action on the ice.
Windows and roofing – Since polycarbonate is naturally resistant to ultraviolet light, it is often used in storefront or restaurant windows to protect products or window displays from fading over time. Flat panels can also be installed as roofing material over a pergola to help protect furnishings—and the people relaxing on it—from weather and sunlight.
Impact- and bullet-resistant windows and panels – Sometimes called bulletproof glass, bullet-resistant polycarbonate disperses projectiles’ kinetic energy upon impact. This protection is commonly used in banks, law enforcement/court buildings, and jewelry stores (windows and display cases) but can be used in aircraft and missile components as well as automotive parts and machinery (i.e., machine guards). It’s also a smart choice for exterior architecture, and even residential buildings that may be prone to higher risk of damage, such as homes on a golf course.
Safety shields – The strength of polycarbonate sheets offers additional impact- and shatter-resistant safety when used as sneeze guards in business, retail, and school settings. It is also used in police riot shields due to the material’s light weight and durability.
Protective eyewear – Polycarbonate’s optical clarity, light weight, and durability make it a popular choice for safety glasses and goggles. Lighter than glass, it’s nearly impossible to break and can be tinted for better resistance to sunlight or to filter other light conditions.
Skylights and windows – Polycarbonate’s high optical clarity makes them and a clear alternative to glass. Also, polycarbonate is six times lighter than glass and 250 times more impact resistant.
Best Options for Starting Out
Polycarbonate, with its strength and malleability, can be applied in many uses with results superior to glass. At Acme Plastics, we carry a wide range of polycarbonate forms, including sheets, bullet-resistant sheets, rods, tubing, and twinwall and multiwall sheets.
Feel free to reach out to our knowledgeable customer service representatives with any questions you may have about which polycarbonate sheet is best for your project. Our team can also custom cut polycarbonate sheets based on the exact specifications of your needs.
