Resources: the reference material we use ourselves
Tolerance tables, material comparisons, forming windows and export terms — written by the people who run the machines, not by a marketing department.
Tolerance tables, material comparisons, forming windows and export terms — written by the people who run the machines, not by a marketing department.
Start here
MOQ, samples, payment, Incoterms, shipping documents, tolerances, colour matching, cleaning, lead times. Grouped by topic so you can jump to the one you need.
Read the FAQSeven transparent sheet materials side by side on clarity, impact, chemical resistance, machinability and cost — plus a 30-second selection table by application.
Compare materialsIncoterms we quote, ports we ship from, transit times, what documents travel with the goods, and how export packing is specified.
Export detailsTechnical guides
Each runs roughly 1,000–1,800 words with the tables we actually work from. Seven are listed here; the index has all forty.
Five transparent materials on seven dimensions, plus cast versus extruded sheet and the eight application cases that settle the choice.
Material selectionThree tolerance bands for three situations, achievable values by size range, and why acrylic is not metal under heat.
Tolerance guideSpan, load and edge support decide thickness. Tables by support condition, plus ribs versus extra millimetres.
Thickness guideThe forming window, pre-drying for thick sheet, four sources of trapped bubbles, minimum bend radius by thickness.
Heat bendingFeed rate, spindle speed, tool geometry, workholding — and the part-design changes that have to go with them.
Machining defectsFive critical dimensions and the tolerance each really needs, plus four ways to interface with sheet metal at ±0.5 mm.
Panel precisionFour guard types, thickness by position, the fogging problem, and why you cannot tap threads directly into acrylic.
Guard material choiceThe full list with abstracts, word counts and reading times, if you would rather browse than jump.
Technical indexWhat a drawing needs to contain for a quotation to be accurate the first time — views, tolerances, finish, material grade, quantity break.
Ordering checklistReference tables
General fabrication ±0.3 mm · production parts ±0.2 mm · CNC and laser features ±0.1 mm. Tight limits need an agreed reference temperature.
Samples 3–7 business days · standard production 7–15 business days · larger or highly complex jobs scheduled against the drawing. Every batch is filmed before packing, and the shipment is held until you confirm the video.
Cast sheet 2–50 mm, standard 1220×2440 mm and 2050×3050 mm. Larger assemblies are produced by bonding, with the joint line agreed on the drawing.
ΔE ≤ 2 under D65 against a retained master swatch; ΔE ≤ 1.5 when the buyer also holds a swatch. Measured per batch, not per shipment pair.
150–170 °C for line bending. Thick sheet is pre-dried because moisture is the main cause of bubbles and white haze at the bend.
Foam interleave, corner protection, double-wall carton, pallet and shrink wrap for sea freight. Neutral packing available on request.
Send the question with a sketch or drawing. If it is a real technical question we will answer it whether or not it turns into an order.