Material Selection Guide
Polycarbonate vs. Acrylic
Which One Does Your Part Need?
Both are clear plastic sheet, and they are often confused — but they behave very differently. Here is how we decide which one to use.
The Short Answer
Choose polycarbonate when the part may be struck, flexed, drilled, bent, or used around energized equipment — machine guards, safety shields, and industrial covers. Choose acrylic when optical clarity, surface hardness, and lower cost matter more than impact strength, such as display cases, signage, and windows that will not be hit. For the industrial guarding and enclosure work PECOT does, polycarbonate is almost always the right material.
A Note on Brand Names
Lexan and Makrolon are brand names for polycarbonate. Plexiglass, Acrylite, and Perspex are brand names for acrylic. When customers ask for "Plexiglass," they often mean clear plastic generally — so it is worth confirming which material the application actually requires.
How They Compare
| Property | Polycarbonate | Acrylic |
|---|---|---|
| Impact resistance | Very high — flexes and absorbs impact | Low — brittle, shatters into sharp pieces |
| Failure mode | Dents or cracks, tends to stay in one piece | Shatters into fragments |
| Cold forming / bending | Can be brake-formed and line bent | Cracks if cold formed; needs heat |
| Machining and drilling | Tolerant — can be drilled near edges | Prone to chipping and cracking |
| Surface hardness | Softer — scratches more easily | Harder — better scratch resistance |
| Optical clarity | Very good | Excellent — slightly clearer |
| Flame retardant grades | Available (FR polycarbonate) | Generally not |
| Temperature tolerance | Higher | Lower |
| Relative material cost | Higher | Lower |
Where Acrylic Is Genuinely the Better Choice
We would rather point you at the right material than sell you the wrong one. Acrylic makes sense for display cases and retail fixtures, signage, picture framing and glazing that will not take impact, and any part where a harder, more scratch-resistant surface matters and impact is not a concern. It also costs less, which is a legitimate reason to choose it when the application genuinely does not need impact strength.
Where Polycarbonate Wins
For guarding, the difference in failure mode is the deciding factor. An acrylic guard that takes a hard strike can shatter into sharp fragments, which is the opposite of what a safety guard should do. Polycarbonate flexes and absorbs the energy instead.
Fabrication matters too. Polycarbonate tolerates drilling close to an edge and can be brake-formed into bent profiles without cracking, so a single piece can replace what would otherwise be several fastened pieces. Acrylic typically cracks under the same treatment. And because flame retardant grades of polycarbonate are available, it can be used in electrical and oil and gas applications where acrylic is not suitable.
What About Scratching?
This is polycarbonate's real weakness — it scratches more easily than acrylic. In practice, for machine guards and equipment covers, that is usually an acceptable trade for impact resistance, since a scratched guard still protects while a shattered one does not. Abrasion-resistant coated polycarbonate is available if surface durability is critical for your application.
Still Not Sure? Ask Us.
PECOT has been fabricating industrial plastics in Tulsa, Oklahoma since 1945, and we help customers make this call regularly. Describe your application and we will tell you which material fits — including when the cheaper one is the right answer. Submit a quote request, call (918) 622-9660, or email [email protected].