Installation Guide

33
Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet is shipped in corrugated fiber
cartons or in wood-reinforced fiberboard boxes having a gross
weight of 400 pounds or more or on pallets weighing approximately
2,000 pounds. All Plexiglas
®
G and MC acrylic sheets are boxed
in standard packages. The number of sheets in each package
depends on the size and thickness of the sheets.
Containers should be handled carefully to prevent damage to
the Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet. When possible, forklift trucks should
be used to move containers. Otherwise a special hand truck
can be constructed or purchased to facilitate safe and economical
handling of cases of Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet.
Storage areas should be well ventilated. Air should circulate
freely and should be relatively moist and cool. The temperature
should not exceed 125°F. If Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet is stored in a
hot, dry environment or for extremely long periods of time indoors,
the adhesive on the masking paper may eventually dry out, making
it difficult to remove. Excessive moisture may cause the paper to
deteriorate and reduce its effectiveness for protecting the plastic.
Storage areas for Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet should be completely
separated from spray painting booths and other possible sources
of solvent vapors that may attack and soften the surface of
the material.
Plexiglas
®
should never be stored outdoors. Packages of
Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet should be stored on edge at a 10° angle
from the vertical. Two-by-three inch wood strips placed on the
floor about 42 inches apart will keep package edges off the
floor and facilitate handling with forklifts or hand trucks.
Formed sections of Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet must be stored in
relatively cool areas. If the parts are to be stacked, they must not
be nested, but should be placed in simple frames or racks that
fully support the parts so that they will not deform.
Masked Sheets
Plexiglas
®
G and MC acrylic sheets are supplied with either paper
or polyethylene masking. Paper masking may be difficult to remove if
stored for extended periods of time.
The masking helps prevent accidental scratching during normal
handling and fabrication operations, and should be kept in place
for most cutting and machining procedures. Although the masking
provides a significant degree of protection against surface marring,
the fabricator should avoid sliding the sheets over each other or
across rough or soiled surfaces.
Paper masking should be removed from both sides of the sheet
before it is thermoformed.
Masked pieces of Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet are best stored on
edge in A-frame storage racks. Typically these racks are constructed
of plywood and slotted angle iron. The supporting floor of each
partition is
1
⁄
2 inch thick plywood. The floor panel may be covered
with galvanized sheet metal for increased wear resistance. The
rack's A shape equalizes the weight and eliminates stresses on
building walls.
These racks give full support to the sheets yet permit easy
removal of individual sheets from any rack.
If masked sheets must be stored flat, avoid trapping chips and
dirt between the sheets. Such chips and dirt may scratch or press
into the surface of the material. Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet should not
be piled more than 18 inches high. Small sheets should be stacked
on top of the larger ones to prevent unsupported overhang.
It is good practice to store sheets of similar formulation, color,
and thickness together. Mark this and other pertinent information
on the masking of sheets that have been cut so they can be
identified when needed.
The adhesion of masking paper on the Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet
may increase over time, making it difficult to unmask. Use older
stock first. Newly received sheets should be placed behind the
older sheets in the storage bins.
STORAGE AND HANDLING