01384 633082 sales@sentinelplastics.co.uk

Clear Plastic Guards

Clear Plastic Guards – Covers – Shrouds – Screens – Windows

When choosing your type of Plastic for your Clear Plastic Guard or similar, careful consideration should be taken. For example; is it for impact safety, splash resistance, display protection only , sneeze guard, corner cover or just a simple viewing window. These are just some of the questions you may have to consider when deciding on the correct plastic for the job.

Transparent, Clear Plastic Guard Materials in Brief

Click the links for in depth descriptions.

PETG offers good impact strength, excellent thermoforming and fabrication characteristics, and excellent resistance to chemicals. Easily cut, sawn, drilled, routed and bent. Not scratch resistant unless coated via a secondary opp. Technical term is Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol.
Polycarbonate, commonly known by the manufacturer’s names of Makrolon GP® and Lexan sheet®. Combining high impact and temperature resistance with optical clarity. Easily cut, sawn, drilled, routed and bent. Polycarbonate is also an excellent candidate for fabricating to use in a wide range of applications. Not scratch resistant unless coated via a secondary opp. Much stronger impact resistance than Acrylic, PVC or PETG.

Lexan Fabrication - Polycarbonate Fabrications - Plastic Fabrication

Experienced Plastic Fabricators – Machined and Assembled Polycarbonate Covers

Acrylic – Data Acrylic is a plastic material with outstanding optical clarity. Acrylic sheet is easy to fabricate, bonds well with adhesives and solvents, and is easy to thermoform. Extremely popular for retail display. Easily cut, sawn, drilled, routed and bent. The better choice for scratch resistance but offering far less impact strength. The technical name is Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and it comes in Extruded or Cast forms. The price of acrylic is cheaper than Polycarbonate and PETG.

PVC has good hardness and mechanical properties, Good electrical insulating properties, Very high chemical & moisture resistance. Equally PVC has excellent forming characteristics, dimensional stability, bondable, self-extinguishing and importantly compared to others fairly inexpensive. Easily cut, sawn, drilled, routed and bent. Not scratch resistant unless coated via a secondary opp. Also loses out against PETG and Polycarbonate on impact resistance. Technically known as Polyvinyl Chloride.

Transparent, Clear Plastic Guard Materials – Some Typical uses.

PETG – Food guarding, its high level of chemical resistance lends it perfectly for use with foodstuffs and in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
Polycarbonate – Is highly suited to high protection situations, interior and exterior. Machine guards, vehicle safety screens, Impact guards, Security windows.
Acrylic (Perspex) – Well known for its display preferences. Photo framing, retail display, decorative lighting, lenses, low impact shields, signs and signage, trophies and awards, decorations and jewellery.
PVC Is also commonly used for very similar instances to Acrylic but does not retain the same clarity over time. Signage, fume cabinets, industrial applications, point of sale and finally poster covers.

Sentinel

Machine Guards are most commonly made from Polycarbonate, PETG, Acrylic or Clear PVC.

The close tolerance machinability, transparency and sheer toughness of Polycarbonate make it the ideal material for machine guards. Polycarbonate is available in both general purpose and FDA grades when food contact is a concern. Polycarbonate is also inherently self-extinguishing and can carry a V-0 flame test rating. PETG guards can also be FDA approved and when chemical resistance is a priority.

Clear is the dominant color, but, all of the materials listed above are also available in varying grades of smoke/grey/bronze shades if that is desired.

Plastic Fabricators – Fabricating PETG Guards and Covers.

Plastic Machine Guards

We machine, bend, glue and weld using Polycarbonate, PET-G and Acrylic’s to customer specification, manufacturing robust guards with high visibility that can let you see the product being made and gives you the protection from moving parts.

A high proportion are made from polycarbonate which gives good visibility and strength for protection. Sentinel fabricate in different materials depending on their suitability, polycarbonates, acrylic and PET-G.

PET-G which has a class 1 fire rating has a similar quality to polycarbonate.

We are extremely versatile and are here to help with any requirements you may have. Our team are highly knowledgeable and able to provide valuable assistance and advice appropriate to the manufacture of your Plastic Machine Guards.

Experienced Plastic Fabricators

Sentinel Experienced Plastic Fabricators

Go To Plastic Machining. Or Plastic Fabrication.

We consider ourselves to be one of the top experienced Plastic Fabricators. Sentinel Plastics has many years under its belt as Plastic Fabricators. Customers know, we have highly experienced staff with up to date fabrication capabilities, gives us the ability to manufacture parts from simple to highly complex shapes.

Importantly our Plastic Fabrication services are available on the vast range of Engineering and Insulation plastics in today’s market. Most noteworthy is this is all in-house plastic fabrication, and not sub contracted out. A diverse range of plastic shapes can be produced by our experienced plastic fabricators with rapid delivery. Reliable and specialised Plastic fabricators, in Perspex acrylic, PETG and polycarbonate. As well as all types of engineering plastic materials from PVC, Polypropylene, polyethylene to ABS and much more.

Especially relevant is that Sentinel Plastics Ltd offers a comprehensive machine shop to manufacture components and parts to your exact requirements. While most Companies Plastic Fabricators can concentrate on specific types pf plastics, or methods of manufacture. Most noteworthy Sentinel is one of those unique Companies Machining Plastic Shapes in all plastics and using a variation of methods.

Plastic Fabrication and Plastic Bending (Plastic Line Bending)

Without doubt Sentinel Plastics fabrication capabilities takes many forms. These forms fall into many and varied material brackets. While being able to Weld and bend Polypropylene, PVC and Polycarbonate. Adhesives and Folding/ Plastic Line Bending other materials such as Perspex, ABS, PVC and PETG. Assembly also takes place with fixings or adhesives of Polycarbonate, PETG, Polypropylene and PVC. Capabilities include, plastic bending, combined with skills which have been developed through many years of experience. While our experienced Plastic Fabricators Division can cut, bend, glue, weld, saw, route, assemble, and polish just about any type of polymer to create virtually any product.

Experienced Plastic Fabricators of Plastic Guards

Bespoke projects require extra attention. Our technical knowledge and innovative processes are there to assist all the way from concept and design through to manufacture. Be it simple Perspex panels or polycarbonate machine guards through to complex plastic fabrication. Maybe Pride and dedication makes Sentinel a respected manufacturer of high-quality Guards, Screens, fabricated components, used in a wide variety of industries. We are a respected manufacturer of high-quality Customer Specification Parts which includes Guards and Screens. Plus many more variations of machined and fabricated components used in a wide variety of industries, all made from the huge range of industrial plastics available in today’s market.

Skilled at Plastic Bending guards to customer specification. We produce machine guards, finger guards, guide rails and safety guards from a wide range of plastic grades.

In Summary

Consequently, our emphasis is on the importance of offering a comprehensive machine shop, able to manufacture components and parts to customers exacting requirements. Unlike most others only Machining specific Plastics, Sentinel’s comprehensive knowledge on all types of plastic methods of manufacture.

Finally here at Sentinel Plastics Ltd we are versatile and very experienced plastic fabricators. For any requirements we always aim to be as helpful as possible. When molding or extruding is not a viable option, then we can help!

Call us on 01384 633082.

Or email us at sales@sentinelplastics.co.uk

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Plastic Specialists

Plastic CNC Machining and Fabrication Success

Go To Plastic Machining. Or Plastic Fabrication.

For 2018 Sentinel Plastics Ltd, CNC Machining Plastic specialists and Fabrication, we are investing and expanding more due to our popularity and keep up with growing demand.

Spending the sums of money we have, expanding our facilities and buying new CNC machines are all part of our growth strategies.

The outlay will ensure we, as engineering and industrial plastic specialists, continue to meet increasing demand while keeping at the forefront of industry innovations.

New developments, at our site in the heart of the UK, includes reconfiguring the manufacturing facility. Also a dedicated materials store and an incoming goods receiving area, as well as homes for newly acquired machinery.

Investment in online marketing, including a new website; www.sentinelplastics.co.uk, has ensured Sentinels presence remains international as well as national. With a fair percentage of interest now coming from the USA as well as european customers.

Bright Future – Plastic Specialists

Simon Inston and Lee Houghton, Managing director’s jointly announced to employees. “As a company, we have never been shy of making smart investments. We will continue to invest a significant amount in developing our premises and upgrading our equipment. Enabling us to easily facilitate the ever-increasing demand on production outputs.”

“It is how we remain at the forefront of our sector. And is the reason we win the levels of new and repeat business. This maintains our position as market leaders.”

Sentinel Plastics recent equipment purchases include 2 New Mazak CNC Machines, both expanding capacity and increasing the company’s capabilities. This will bring the total number of machines introduced to the company within the last 18 months up to 6.

Plastic specialists

The continued investment in current and new employees also enhances existing capabilities, as well as attracting new skills and young apprentices.

All this certainly points towards a bright future for all those involved in driving the companies continued success. Sentinel Plastics Ltd

Further information can be gathered from Google – LinkedIn – Twitter

Polycarbonate Machining

Busy Polycarbonate Machining

While watching our CNC Routing Machines today I realised Four of the Five were Cutting Polycarbonate machining ( Makrolon – Lexan ).

Polycarbonate Routing - Polycarbonate Machining

CNC Routing Polycarbonate -Lexan -Makrolon

Makrolon – Lexan- Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate Machining -Lexan -Makrolon

With its high transparency and smooth surface, Clear Polycarbonate Machining is an attractive material for a wide range of applications. Offering extreme impact resistance, even at temperatures down to -100°C. Unlike Acrylic, which requires heat to form, Polycarbonate sheets can be CNC Routed and cold-bent.

As a company Sentinel Plastics has become synonymous with Polycarbonate machining and fabrication. Within Industry Polycarbonate is the most popular choice of plastic when it comes to a requirement of strength and ultimately safety. While in its sheet form it is extremely impact resistant. For interior applications up to 6 mm thickness Polycarbonate has a B1 fire protection for classification.

Applications:

Especially relevant parts manufactured by Polycarbonate machining are machine covers, Glazing for schools and factories, Warehouse doors. Consequently a popular material. Widely used for Industrial vehicles and Lamp covers. Where a high level of heat is generated, being highly fire-resistant, versions exist for the use in Switch cubicles, electrical equipment.
Other uses for Polycarbonate are Trade fair structures, Public buildings. Within Industry, the clear plastic of choice is Polycarbonate. Hence the popularity and wide use as safety guards.

A UV coating can be applied to the surface of the smooth or textured polycarbonate sheets. Solid sheets retain their shine with no yellowing, nor change of color. The positive effect in applying a protective coating is that you are increasing the resistance to long-term weathering, which thus provides a long service life.

Available in:

Transparent clear and white translucent. Also available in bronze, grey, green, blue.

Available grades:

1: Polycarbonate sheet / FG food grade
2: Solid polycarbonate sheet / FR flame retardant
3: polycarbonate sheet / NR non reflective
4: Outstanding through reinforced UV protection.

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Some information gathered from Bayer – Read more here https://www.bayersheeteurope.com/50/Products/Makrolon.htm