


These stock sizes can also be cut, shaped, and machined once they’re produced. This process can be completed for plastic sheets of various gauges and dimensions. Once the molds cool down, the plastic is solid and can be removed from the rows, leaving stiff sheets of the same size and material. This process is often completed in bulk with multiple cooling rows filled at one time. These thermoplastics often start as liquid polymers that are squeezed through a tiny slit for casting. Thermoplastics include popular materials like acrylic and polycarbonate, which can be easily molded or melted when heated to a specific degree, though the melting point of each polymer varies. However, the basics are fairly consistent across many popular plastic sheet products. So the specific processes and polymers used may vary slightly. There are a huge array of plastic materials available today. Whether you’re just getting involved with the powerful world of plastics or are already very familiar with the qualities of specific plastic sheets, here’s a guide to the elements you may not have considered.

However, many industry professionals are so comfortable with the specific materials they already use, that they may not dedicate much thought to what goes into producing plastic sheets or all the different material options available for different purposes or use cases. If you work with plastics regularly, you’re likely quite familiar with the basic qualities of plastic sheets.
