Many of the products manufactured today require the use of plastic components. These plastic components are often created by fabricating acrylic to produce the desired shape, weight, and form. Perfecting the acrylic fabrication process allows your company to generate more precise plastic components for your manufacturing applications.
Here are three simple tips that you can use to improve the quality and precision of your acrylic fabrication in the future.
1. Clean your acrylic properly.
Before you can begin the fabrication process, you need to ensure that your acrylic materials are properly prepared for processing. This involves cleaning the raw acrylic prior to cutting and shaping it.
Since acrylic is a soft a pliable material that can be damaged easily during the cleaning process, you need to exercise caution as you prepare your acrylic for fabrication. Use a cleaner with no ammonia or alcohol, as these chemicals can warp raw acrylic. Be sure to use a lint-free cloth to wipe down your materials so that no residue is left on the surface of the acrylic prior to fabrication.
2. Perform high volume cuts.
Reducing the amount of time required to generate the plastic components needed to complete your manufacturing tasks can be beneficial. One of the easiest ways to reduce processing times is by performing high volume cuts when working with raw acrylic.
High volume cuts occur when many pieces of acrylic are stacked on top of one another and cut in a single pass. Be sure that you are using both table and panel saws when performing high volume cuts to ensure accuracy and quality.
3. Monitor drill bit speed.
If you have to drill holes into your acrylic in order to create the plastic components used in your final manufacturing processes, it is critical that you take the time to carefully monitor drill bit speeds. Verify the recommended speed by checking the drill's manual, then don't deviate above or below this speed while fabricating raw acrylic.
By maintaining a steady and precise bit speed as you drill your raw acrylic, you will be able to preserve productivity while simultaneously ensuring quality.
Acrylic fabrication plays a critical role in many manufacturing processes today. Perfecting your acrylic fabrication technique through proper cleaning, the use of high volume cuts, and careful monitoring of drill bit speeds will ensure that the plastic components used to generate finished products are both precise and durable in the future.
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