What Finishing Processes Are Used In Acrylic Fabrication?

Acrylic Fabrication Dubai| Image Resource: chrysels.com

Acrylic fabrication involves manufacturing small parts and combining them to make a large product. Acrylic sheets should be handled carefully to avoid any scratches. If the sheet gets scratched then finishing can be done to restore it. Machined and sawed edges also need to be finished to get a high gloss.

The finishing and polishing techniques methods vary depending on the size of the acrylic piece. The acrylic fabrication Dubai is carried out along with the finishing. The different finishing techniques used are sanding, machine buffing, polishing and flame polishing.

Finishing processes

Sanding

If an acrylic sheet gets scratched and the imperfections are too deep then sanding should be done. You can run your finger on the scratch and if it can be felt then sanding is required. The finest sandpaper is used to remove the imperfections, a coarse paper will make the scratch deeper. The piece is then polished using wet sanders or dry sanders.

Machine buffing

This method can be used if the acrylic piece is sanded before or the scratch is too deep. An abrasive which is a standard polishing compound needs to be used first. Most of the scratches are covered in the first abrasive-coated wheel; the acrylic sheet is buffed at the second wheel which is charged with tallow. A soft loose buff is used for polishing.

Polishing

A properly drilled hole in an acrylic sheet has a smooth semi-matte finish that can be polished. The inner surface of the hole is rough. A wooden or metal rod is pushed through the hole. Steel wool or sandpaper or emery cloth is wound around the rod and gripped in the slot. When the surface is made smooth buffing compounds are applied.

The edges of household accessories, decorative items and jewellery need to be well polished. The saw marks can be removed from the edges by scraping. Hard steel or carboloy scraper can be used to get a smooth edge. A faster way of polishing is to buff the edges using a felt wheel charged with an abrasive or tallow. The final polish can be done by using a soft cotton buff.

Flame polishing

This is a fast and economical method of polishing the edges. When exposed to the flame the surface of the sheet melts and smooths the surface. Operator skill is required and when done properly it can give the clearest finish. This method is mostly used for flat external surfaces.

Cementing acrylic sheets

Cementing is a versatile and simple method of joining pieces of acrylic sheets. Cementing allows the manufacturing of parts that cannot be produced due to process limitations. Solvent cement and polymerisable cement can be used. Polymerisable cement offers better joint strength and appearance.