Choosing your Acrylic Type

The way people display their collectibles is driven by creativity and individuality. That′s why Showcase Acrylics offers fully customizable acrylic display cases. Our customers have full control over the design of their box — all the way down to the type of acrylic we use to build the case. Using professional-grade materials and proven technology, we can help every creative vision come to fruition.

When customers choose Showcase Acrylics, they choose quality and an attention to detail that is unrivaled. We pride ourselves on our personalized style options, including matte, glossy, UV-protected, colored, and textured acrylics. With so many ways to personalize our acrylic display cases, we help build what customers want.

Our display boxes are made using two main types of acrylic: Cast and Extruded. Cast acrylic is made one sheet at a time, whereas extruded acrylic is made using a continuous flow process.

Extruded acrylic has a shorter fabrication process — the case can be built in 2 hours. Extruded acrylic uses solvent glue to weld the sheets of acrylic together.

Display cases made of cast acrylic boxes require a more time-intensive process. The glued seams cure for 48 hours and take a total of 4 days to produce, which includes routing,sanding, and hand polishing. Cast acrylic uses PS30, a two-component adhesive that creates bubble-free, highly-structural bonds.

The ways in which Cast versus Extruded acrylic are made causes each to have a different molecular chemistry and, therefore, distinct physical qualities like hardness, thickness, and scratch resistance. We′ve created this quick, easy-to-follow guide to help customers understand the ways in which the two types differ from each other:

Once customers decide which type of acrylic best fits their display case needs, their box can be further customized. Underneath the two main types of acrylic , we offer stylistic options within each category. Specific types of cast options include: clear, white, frosted, and mar resistant protection. Specific types of extruded options include: clear, Boxed Goods, colors, POP Touch, markerboard, and digital print.

If customers want to increase the function or aesthetics of their custom acrylic display case, we offer the following Acrylite products:

• ACRYLITE® Alltop : A multi-skinned sheet made of specialty extruded acrylic that offers the highest light transmission and optical clarity
• ACRYLITE® Heatresist: A specialty extruded acrylic that has a higher heat deflection temperature
• ACRYLITE® Heatstop: Heat-reflecting multi-skinned sheets made of specialty extruded acrylic that offer greater energy efficiency by offering heat insulation and cutting air conditioning costs
• ACRYLITE® Hi-Gloss: A high-gloss sheet made of specialty extruded acrylic to enhance the beauty and aesthetics of a display box
• ACRYLITE® LED: Made of either specialty extruded acrylic or cast acrylic, this product works with LED and edge lighting to maximize the transmission of light without disturbing hot spots
• ACRYLITE® Optical: Speciality extruded acrylic sheets with optical functionalities, high light guidance and distribution provide a uniformly bright and perfectly sharp picture
• ACRYLITE® Reflections: Attractively mirror-coated and reflective solid extruded acrylic sheets with a metallic, glossy, matte, or rainbow-colored surface
• ACRYLITE® Resist: Speciality extruded acrylic made with specific high-impact compounds provides toughness and weather resistance
• ACRYLITE® Satinice: Made with either specialty extruded or cast acrylic, this product is characterized by velvet surfaces that are pleasant to the touch and discretely light-diffusing
• ACRYLITE® Solar: Perfect for high-efficiency solar modules, this specialty extruded acrylic made with ultra-pure molding compounds allows for specific light transmission properties and high-resistance to UV light and weathering
• ACRYLITE® Soundstop: This specialty cast acrylic offers effective noise control and wind-protection with its sound-reflecting, impact-resistant, highly transparent sheets
• ACRYLITE® Textures: Solid specialty extruded acrylic sheets with a variety of classical and modern surface textures, combined with trendy colors or a rainbow effect

Showcase Acrylics provides professional-grade acrylic boxes that help collectors and museums put their best artifact forward. For more information about our fully customizable acrylic display case or to receive a quote, please give us a call at 224-802-2425 or CONTACT US ONLINE.