Guide

Material guide Extruded acrylic By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Extruded acrylic is enough when the edge is not the product and the joint does not have to disappear. It is the normal sheet for a thin back, a divider, a simple bend, and a slotted part that needs consistent […]

Cost guide Cast acrylic By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Cast acrylic usually costs more than extruded acrylic because the sheet is made differently, and because the parts that need cast also need more stations after the sheet. The premium is not a quality medal. It is the price of […]

Material guide Cast vs extruded By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Cast and extruded acrylic are both PMMA. They are not the same sheet. Cast is the usual choice for a polished edge, a solvent joint, and a face the customer looks at. Extruded is the usual cost choice for […]

Material guide Clear plastics By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Acrylic, polycarbonate, PETG, and PVC are not interchangeable clear sheets. Acrylic is the usual brand-facing display plastic. Polycarbonate is the usual impact plastic. PETG sits between them on toughness and forming. PVC is rarely the clear face of a premium […]

Material guide Scratch and impact By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Acrylic and polycarbonate fail differently. Acrylic is the harder face: it marks less readily, and it chips or cracks when it is struck. Polycarbonate takes the blow better, and an uncoated face scratches sooner. Pick the failure you can […]

Material guide Trade names By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 Perspex, Lucite, and Plexiglass are not three plastics. They are trade names for acrylic sheet — poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA. Buyers use whichever name their market grew up with. A factory that only reads the nickname can still ship the wrong […]

Material guide Names By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 In ordinary buying language, plexiglass and acrylic are the same family of plastic: PMMA. Plexiglass is a trade name that became the common word. It is not a different material, and it is not glass. The useful distinction is not the […]

Material guide Acrylic vs glass By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 For a custom display case that will be fabricated, shipped, and moved, acrylic is usually the practical sheet. For a fixed vitrine where a harder face and a glass look matter more than weight, glass is still the right […]

David Deng R&D Manager at Sanait | 10+ years in custom acrylic fabrication | 2,000+ custom display projects shipped across 20+ countries Direct Verdict for Display Engineers: Choose Cast Acrylic (PMMA) when optical clarity, surface scratch resistance, diamond-polished edge aesthetics, and laser cutting clean finishes are the top priorities. Choose PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol) when […]

Material guide Acrylic vs polycarbonate By David Deng · R&D manager, Sanait · Updated October 2026 For a retail display, acrylic is usually the right sheet. For a guard that may be hit, polycarbonate is usually the right sheet. The split is clarity and surface versus impact. Neither material wins on every line, and neither […]