Category Archives: Blog

Why is a Diamond Polisher the Best?

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Diamonds are one of the hardest known and available materials on Earth, which gives them many use cases in acrylic fabrication for cutting, machining, and polishing. A diamond polisher can achieve unmatched smoothness and clear edges on acrylic and is considered the best way to refine a part after cutting. The process improves the look of the part by removing excess plastic and restoring a high-quality finish and clarity to the cut surface.

Diamond is an arrangement of many millions of carbon atoms, each of which is bonded to four other carbon atoms. They form a tetrahedron structure (triangular pyramids) and can continue this pattern infinitely to form a very strong and sturdy structure. This contributes to the diamond’s great hardness which is highly sought after by any diamond polisher. To use them in acrylic fabrication, tiny diamonds are attached to a disc or polishing cloth and these are run along the surface. Using diamonds will remove any burrs or flashes in your acrylic fabrication and restore pristine visual clarity to the cut edge.

There are a few different methods of polishing plastics. These include manual polishing with a cloth, flame polishers, and using a diamond polisher. Flame polishing is a more budget-friendly option and can be somewhat more effective on curves but its quality is far exceeded by diamond. Some of the most common uses for diamond polishing include quality retail displays and clear plastic trophies.

When looking for acrylic fabrication specialists, it is essential that they are also diamond polisher experts. FX Plastics can precision cut and fully polish acrylic for the perfect finish every time.

How Do CNC Laser Cutting Machines Work?

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CNC Laser Cutting has become commonplace in the manufacturing industry, hailed for its incredible precision and flexibility. Because of its many benefits, plastic fabricators Sydney make extensive use of the technology. Many people would know how useful CNC laser cutting is, but how exactly does light cut so well? The word Laser is actually an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. The light in laser cutting is a heavily amplified beam, giving it the power needed to melt through solids like acrylic sheets used by plastic fabricators Sydney.

CNC laser cutting begins with computer designs of the desired part. Designs are normally produced in a CAD program and then translated using a CAM program by plastic fabricators Sydney. These translations guide the CNC machine. The machine uses a resonator to produce an intense beam of light in the head of the cutter which is focused out of the head as an incredibly thin beam using a lens. The light being so heavily focused produces a large amount of energy at the focal point which can melt or even vaporize the material. Most CNC laser cutting machines use a stream of an inert gas such as nitrogen to blow molten material out of the cut.

Laser machines are very versatile and can be used for a range of materials. Changing the focal length and depth of focus (by altering the lens or original beam) allows CNC laser cutting to be done for many material types and thicknesses. To learn more about laser cutting and other acrylic fabrication methods contact FX Plastics, master plastic fabricators Sydney.

Steps in the Acrylic Design and Fabrication Process

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Since its first production in the late 1920s, acrylic has become deeply entrenched in the manufacturing industry. It is loved for its general strength and high transparency making it great as a glass replacement or whenever a clear plastic display is needed. Design and fabrication of acrylic are incredibly versatile, being able to create a plethora of different parts for different purposes. Some of the main uses of acrylic include windows in aquariums, plastic display cabinets, and more recently hygiene screens for COVID-19. The design process for acrylic is an important part of ensuring quality products, FX plastics are experts in the design and fabrication of plastic products.

To take an idea or need for an acrylic product and make it a reality, these steps are taken:

  1. An initial draft design is produced; this may be a hand-drawn or computer model. This will ensure the requirements of the product are met such as space requirements in a plastic display.
  2. The initial model is made into a final CAD drawing, which includes all correct dimensions.
  3. The CAD drawing is used to guide a state-of-the-art CNC laser cutting machine to precisely cut the required shape.
  4. The freshly cut part is diamond polished for smooth edges in the plastic display.
  5. The quality new part is installed and put to use. One great thing about acrylic is its thermoplastic’ nature, meaning it can be heated and reformed to be bent to exact fits on site. This makes the design and fabrication process even more flexible if requirements were not quite right.

To learn more about the acrylic design and fabrication process, contact FX Plastics, the experts in all things acrylic.

Why Use Acrylic for Covid-19 Protective Shields?

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Over the past few months, COVID-19 has remained a constant issue in Australia. Although there was recently some reprieve, with a long streak of zero cases, a few minor outbreaks have re-emerged. These cases reinforce the need for proactive action from business such as installing Covid-19 protective shields to protect their staff and customers. It doesn’t look like COVID will be fully gone for some time, so preventative measures like acrylic sheets allow businesses to operate and survive in the interim.

Acrylic sheets have some properties which make them very desirable for this purpose. They are used generally as a replacement for glass. Acrylic weighs substantially less than glass (usually less than half) and it has up to 20 times more impact resistance. These make it much more durable, especially out in the open as Covid-19 protective shields where impacts or bumps are likely in regular use. Along with added strength, if the sheets manage to break, unlike glass they will not form shards but thick, blunt edged pieces. This is a great added safety as Covid-19 protective shields are generally in close proximity to faces where shards could cause serious injury to staff or customers.

It isn’t just its in-service properties that make acrylic sheets a desirable alternative to glass. They are also much easier to manufacture and product rapidly on mass. Glass must be molded and extruded for forming but acrylic can be produced as sheets, laser cut to size and easily bent or formed on site to fit the exact required shape. This is much easier for the scale required for Covid-19 protective shields. In the event that screens become contaminated, they are easily cleaned but are not chemical safe and damage can be easily polished out.

For more information on using acrylic screens, please contact FX Plastics, experts in Covid-19 protective shields fabrication.

Why Diamond Polishing is Essential for Acrylic

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When purchasing fabricated plastic products, there is nothing better than a clean and smooth finish with a pristine shine. It adds another layer of quality to the piece and looks very appealing. One of the best ways to achieve high quality on acrylic sheets is through the process of diamond polishing. Many processes used to form acrylics such as sawing and laser cutting will leave the surface rough and matte. This is typically not wanted as the aim of acrylic sheets is usually to be clear.

When using diamond polishing, the acrylic surfaces are passed over sharp diamonds rotating quickly, these will clean the surface of excess plastic and leave a smooth, clear finish. There are many benefits of using this polishing technique for acrylic sheets. Firstly, the quality of the resulting finish is the best you can get for acrylic sheets, with the resulting edges being as clear as the uncut surface. Diamond polishing will also remove any potential weaknesses in the material, making the product tougher and more durable. As the technique is quite inexpensive, it can drastically improve your value for money.

Despite its many advantages, there are some limitations to diamond polishing; it can only be done to straight or flat surfaces. Acrylic sheets with rounded corners or edges will require another polishing method such as flame or manual polishing to obtain a clear surface.

FX Plastics are expert manufacturers of acrylic products in Sydney. They can design, cut, and diamond polish acrylic to provide the highest quality product at the best value for your money. Contact us today for more information or a quote.

Different ways to polish acrylic

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Polishing acrylic sheets is necessary if you want smooth and translucent to clear finishes to your plastic products. There are three main methods of polishing acrylics, each method producing a different result. Different types of products will require a different method of polishing. The three methods used by most fabricators are Diamond polishing, Flame polishing, and manual polishing.

Diamond Polishing

This method results in perfect smoothed out edges on straight or sloping surfaces. Suitable for acrylic materials up to 2100mm in length this method will ensure your product does not have any structural weak spots improving on the longevity of the product. Overall diamond polishing results in attractive and longer-lasting products typically used for high-end retail, thick materials, and items that will be viewed up close.

Flame Polishing

This method of polishing acrylic sheets involves heating the surface so much that it causes slight melting to create smoothness around the edges. This is necessary on items with edges that are difficult to reach/access or for holes. It’s far cheaper than the other two methods and is faster to do whilst still providing high-quality finishes.

Manual Polishing

The last method used by plastic fabricators for acrylic sheets is manual polishing. Through utilizing a rotating polishing disk or polishing cloth with paste this method requires extensive manual labor and takes longer than diamond or flame polishing. Manual polishing is commonly used in larger items, low volume items and to repair or remove scratches.

Don’t get Complacent, Stop the Spread and use COVID-19 Protective Shields.

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Top plastic fabricators in Sydney are doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 protective shields are increasingly being used by many fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, medical practices to lower the risk of infection spreading during transactions. Protective shields are a precaution that causes no harm and demonstrates a business’s duty of care during these struggling times. Perception upkeep is an absolute must for any business especially now, so don’t be the business that leaves its customers in the dark wondering “what are they doing during this pandemic”.

COVID-19 Protective shields are made of acrylic sheets and are cost-effective. Plastic fabricators from Sydney, FX Plastics are a subsidiary for Covidscreens who offer quality protective shields at an affordable price and do much more than just sell them to you. The services they offer include site investigation, customization, installation, and maintenance. The stress and work is taken out of your hands and handled by professionals who are here to help your business and the wider society with stopping the spread of infection in beautiful Sydney. Inquire today at www.covidscreens.com or www.fxplastics.com.au to find out more about COVID-19 Protective Shields or Acrylic sheets and plastic fabricators.

Businesses at risk of spreading COVID-19 are installing Hygiene Screens.

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As discussed in the previous blog, a new priority has been set by many essential services on ensuring that health and safety measures are put in place during the COVID-19 outbreak to help reduce the spread of infection. A device for ensuring that a satisfactory level of health and safety is maintained between customers and staff is Hygiene screens or COVID-19 Protective Shields. The device blocks potentially infectious particles from transmitting between parties in a non-invasive manner allowing for regular transactions to function for businesses. It is not just the health sector that are installing these devices but every essential service still running during these times that are involved in face-to-face transactions with many customers on a regular basis. This includes retail stores, supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, petrol stations, etc.

Installing COVID-19 Protective Shields (Hygiene Screens) definitely should be considered by these customers however, it is not the only measure that should be implemented. Employers have been advised by WorkSafe to provide handwashing facilities and maintain those facilities, provide soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizer where available and put up signage that encourages and informs customers and staff of the importance of maintaining health and safety measures during this pandemic. Furthermore, personal protective equipment in the form of masks and gloves should be provided to the staff. These measures in combination with the installation of COVID-19 Protective Shields functioning as Hygiene Screens will ensure the reduction of the risk of COVID-19 spread within the confines of your business place. Every employer should be taking these necessary steps provided by WorkSafe and even are encouraged to go the extra mile by taking their own measures to help improve the health and safety of society.

Reap the Benefits that Come with Engaging the Best Laser Cutting Services in Your City

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A number of people might not be aware of it, but lasers increasingly coming into use in a myriad of applications with each passing day. Many people might associate laser beams with sci-fi movies or aerospace applications. But, in reality, laser cutting services in Canberra and other places use lasers to assist various kinds of businesses on an everyday basis. Therefore, you might not realise it, but your life could well be incomplete were it not for the presence of various applications and devices that use laser technology.

In the industrial sector, workers use lasers for slicing and transforming objects with minimal fuss. For instance, in the laser material processing sector, a laser will strike an object, resulting in the object undergoing various kinds of alterations. These alterations or changes take place because of the absorption of photons. For the uninitiated, photons refer to particles of light emitted from the laser. On striking the object for a specified span of time, these particles of light will change into heat energy.

Lasers are devices that control the manner in which highly stimulated atoms emit photons for creating streams of light. When a laser strikes an object or a material, only three activities can take place. Therefore:

  • The object or material will reflect the laser light stream
  • The object or material will transmit the laser light stream or,
  • The object or material will absorb the laser light stream

In some cases, two or all three of the above-mentioned activities could take place at the same time. It is worth mentioning that laser beams have a specific wavelength and colour. In addition, they offer tight and concentrated light. This is quite unlike light that a torch provides, which usually scatters or disperses in all directions.

The use of lasers has revolutionised the manufacturing industry. Laser cutting is particularly useful in the petrochemical, automotive and construction sectors. But, it is worth mentioning that this technology is increasingly becoming invaluable for manufacturing a diverse range of products for all kinds of industries. Laser cutting has helped manufacturing companies produce their wares more accurately, more quickly and relatively less expensively. Not surprisingly, many businesses are on the lookout for laser cutting firms all across the country to capitalise on the competitive edge that laser cutting technology typically provides.

What is a Laser?

Several people might find it hard to think that a beam of light could cut through various materials more easily than a spinning or rotating blade. This is especially so if the materials that needed cutting were metallic, glass, wooden or other hard substances. But, when these individuals reflect on this aspect, they will probably be thinking of traditional beams of light. Using traditional beams of light to cut through hard materials would certainly be a hopeless proposition. In contrast, if you were to use a concentrated laser beam, you would be able to accomplish this objective with minimal fuss.

For the uninitiated, a laser denotes a device that emits light. This device emits light based on a process of optical amplification, which traces its origins to the principles of stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The first laser emerged in 1960 by Theodore H Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories. The term LASER is an abbreviation for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Some people might feel that a laser is similar to other sources of light. However, this is not the case. Unlike other sources of light, lasers emit light coherently. This trait enables workers to focus the laser beam on a specific spot in fields such as lithography and laser cutting. Lasers can emit light with a very narrow spectrum as well. This means that lasers can emit a single colour of light only, if required.

As mentioned earlier, not many people are aware of the extent to which lasers have come into widespread use in contemporary times. Laser cutting and welding companies specialise in providing laser cut intercom facia plates to spec. – among other things. Lasers are also an essential feature of optical disk drives, laser printers and barcode scanners. In the healthcare industry, lasers come into use in laser surgery and skin treatments. Law enforcement and military agencies use laser for marking targets. In addition, they use lasers for measuring the range and speeds of projectiles. Lasers are useful in DNA sequencing instruments and fibre-optics as well. And, many people would not have failed to feel impressed by laser lighting displays in fairs and trade shows. All of this does not merely highlight how versatile laser technology is. It also goes to show how this technology is affecting our lives more significantly than we might have thought possible.

What is Laser Cutting?

Laser cutting refers to a process by which workers cut precise patterns in a variety of materials, ranging from wood to metal. In the past, workers often used conventional machining tools to cut patterns into various hard surfaces. But, these devices did not provide the commensurate levels of accuracy and complexity that some applications required. The emergence of lasers in the 1960s, led to the evolution of laser cutting technology.

Laser cutting services in Sydney and other places use lasers for cutting various materials. The use of this technology is quite widespread in industrial manufacturing applications. However, in recent times, even schools and small businesses have been employing this technology to good effect. Industrial laser cutters are ideal for cutting flat-sheet material. But, they can cut structural and piping materials as well.

The process of laser cutting works by stimulating a gaseous medium i.e. carbon dioxide. This results in amplifying light reflected back and forth multiple times within the laser chamber. The beam of light will emerge from an aperture. Thereafter, it remains focused on to a specific point by a lens. Some of the most common process lasers will produce beams that are about 1/5th of a millimetre in width. These beams can focus 1,000 to 2,000 watts of energy at the desired point. This intensity is usually sufficient for melting a diverse range of materials.

However, this does not mean that lasers can penetrate entirely through all the materials placed before these beams. It is worth highlighting that as they penetrate a material, laser become less focused. In addition, they start losing energy as well. This is why experts recommend using this technology for making cuts that are below 20 millimetres in depth.

Another aspect that is worth dwelling on is the fact that lasers typically comprise photons. Because of this, materials such as copper and aluminium alloys can reflect away part of the laser’s energy. In addition, it is worth mentioning that these materials happen to be good thermal conductors too. As such, they will easily be able to distribute the incoming heat more evenly throughout their volume. Therefore, workers engaged in laser cutting will usually avoid using lasers to cut through such materials. Instead, they will use laser cutting techniques on surfaces that are poor at absorbing heat, such as stainless steel and carbon alloys. Materials that are poor at absorbing heat tend to concentrate heat into the path of the laser more easily. As such, cutting them with lasers becomes considerably easier.

For More Information About Laser Cutting Services, Visit Fx Plastics Today!

Battle between Plastic and Glass!

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An array of  many products being produced, acrylic or plastic is often preferred over glass. Some , acrylic items can be polished to attain the clear and polished look of glass using a diamond polisher. Apart from the aesthetics though, there are many more reasons why acrylic is the material .

  • Pieces made from acrylic are much lighter than their glass counterparts. Take the case of a plastic display cabinet versus a glass cabinet for instance.
  • Plastic is sturdier than glass and will not break as easily. They are also dent and impact-proof to certain degrees, so you no longer have to fear about your kids and pets running around the house. The only disadvantage is that it is more prone to retain scratch marks than glass.
  • Objects made with acrylic are cheaper than their glass or metal counterparts
  • Acrylic items are synthetic with UV-resistant coatings.

Acrylic has replaced glass in many areas including windshields for motorcycles and snow mobiles, display cases for museums or establishments, lighting fixtures, and many more. Complex acrylic fabrication procedures like CNC routing and machining will be required in the creation of many of the above mentioned products.

The way  Acrylic Fabrication Helping Businesses?

Acrylic fabrication has been helping businesses in a myriad of ways. For one, acrylic fabrication can help to create point of sale displays, plastic display cabinets and shelves that allows retailers to showcase their products in a stylish manner. This then attracts more customers to come over and take a look at the product, and can thus help in increasing the potential customer’s urge to want to buy the product – think “impulsive” purchases. In addition, these cabinets provides for a secured means for shops to display their products without fear because these cabinets are secured. The same is true for businesses in the food industry, where hygiene is important and flies are a common problem.

Acrylic fabrication is also a great method of creating branding materials for companies and businesses. Nameplates, signs, or labels can all be made through acrylic fabrication with the aid of computer aided drawing (CAD). In the same manner, cabinets and point of dale displays can also be customized into a wide array of designs and colours that reflects the company’s brand. This being said, there are more and more industries which are turning to acrylic fabrication companies to help them in promoting their business and institutions. For more information, visit FX Plastics Today!