Anyone worked with polycarbonate or acrylic sheets?

[TechWise]

I have a project in mind where I need to sheet the sides of a sheep race. In the past, we used 9mm plywood which didn't last long when it got wet. We tried marine ply but it also didn't last too long as it has to stand upright which makes it too easy for the water to get down between the layers. The constant abrasion and impacts also took their toll. For a subsequent version, we used Solway Stockboard. It's a good improvement in terms of durability but it is very heavy, and terrible for warping in the heat. It's also not rigid enough for a couple of bits where we need a sheet that is free standing, especially on a hot day where it becomes soft to the point of uselessness.

In my quest to find a better solution, I'm now looking at Polycarbonate sheet. It's quite expensive obviously compared to the previous options but it will pay for itself no problem if it doesn't need routine replacement. All the vendors always rave about its fantastic impact resistance, but I can't seem to find any info about its rigidity. I would need something with rigidity comparable to plywood. I'm also not sure what thickness to go for. I used 9mm stockboard since it is quite soft. Polycarbonate comes in 10mm or 5mm and I'm really hoping that 5mm would do the job. It would be secured either side of a sheep race, bolted at all four sides, 600mm high with an upright every 800mm.

Has anyone done this sort of thing before?

 

[Highland Mule]

I seem to recall you can buy sheets in B&Q of all places - it’s used for greenhouse glazing or something. Might be worth buying one to try, or even just going for a look? I had a small sheet to replace a shelf in a very old fridge, and it seemed a bit flexible when under light loads.

 

[solo]

What about using the plastic sheeting that pig feed hoppers are made from?
We used Bliby plastic ones here. @JP1 may be able to give you some further direction.

 

[JP1]

What about using the plastic sheeting that pig feed hoppers are made from?
We used Bliby plastic ones here. @JP1 may be able to give you some further direction.

Our pig feeding hoppers are made from 10mm or 12mm polypropylene and of bolted construction

6mm or so Polycarbonate sheeting may be suitable but how long would these sheets need to be and what sort of frame would support them

We sell polypropylene EcoSheet in 1,5m x 3m sheets 15mm thick, one side stipple anti-slip, one side smooth. It's main use is in small sections under wet feed troughs in very corrosive environements. It's heavy but doesn't warp

We clad the lower parts of some gates and races with 20mm or 35mm Paneltim panels or as gates / divider panels in 35 and 51mm Paneltim

Happy to help further if OP would like to contact me

 

[bravheart]

I seem to recall you can buy sheets in B&Q of all places - it’s used for greenhouse glazing or something. Might be worth buying one to try, or even just going for a look? I had a small sheet to replace a shelf in a very old fridge, and it seemed a bit flexible when under light loads.

Was looking for some sheeting the other day, B&Q locally was home delivery only and no examples in store.

 

[Skintagain]

Poly carbonate would crack. Good for one off impact but fatigues over time cracks around bolt holes etc.

Also it is affected by UV and chemicals over time and goes brittle.

Cnc machine windows use it and the 10 or 12mm last well enough but it is better sunken into a frame and glued in to stop it moving and have no holes in it.

You can get 2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12mm thickness.


5mm wouldn’t be thick enough but 10mm is very heavy.

I would say ally sheeting would be hard to beat.

 

[kmo]

Would EKOply (ecosheet) be an alternative.

EKOply | Ecosheet | 100% Recycled Plastics | Wynnstay Agriculture

EcoSheet panels are made from 100% recycled plastics. They are smooth-faced, hard-wearing boards offering a good alternative to plywood. Request a FREE quote today from Wynnstay Agriculture.

www.wynnstayagriculture.co.uk

 

[Highland Mule]

Was looking for some sheeting the other day, B&Q locally was home delivery only and no examples in store.

I definitely picked a sheet up somewhere - maybe try Wickes if they’re open? But as others have written, I’m not sure it’s the right stuff anyway.

 

[Hilly]

Sheep race = galvanised tin .

 

[br jones]

Acryllic 12mm would do the job ,plenty of online sellers

 

[Skintagain]

Acryllic 12mm would do the job ,plenty of online sellers

It would be very heavy though. An 8x4 sheet of 12mm. A sheet of 8x4 polycarbonate is 40 kg from memory.

 

[Dry Rot]

Why not use a commonly available product that is not expensive and easy to replace? Like galvanised sheet steel or aluminium or even timber? (Plywood may rot but boards made from the correct timber can last almost indefinitey if kept dry and well ventilated, it can also be bent to shape). Look at what is used in similar jobs with success and budget for routine replacement.

 

[TechWise]

A few more details of the application....

The first picture shows a typical section where the sheep stand inside the race. As you can see, the unsupported area is roughly 700x700mm, bolted on all four sides.

Second picture shows the real challenge. Due to the way that folding race works, the sheet can only be bolted on the bottom side. The force of the sheep pressing outwards is contained by the two angle parts at the top, the one at the bottom and the upright in the middle. The problem is if it's done with stockboard, on a hot day that whole sheet goes like rubber and it ends up bulging out between the supports and it stays like that.

I'm thinking that something like polycarbonate or acrylic, even if it bends under stress, will still spring back to a flat sheet.

 

[TechWise]

Why not use a commonly available product that is not expensive and easy to replace? Like galvanised sheet steel or aluminium or even timber? (Plywood may rot but boards made from the correct timber can last almost indefinitey if kept dry and well ventilated, it can also be bent to shape). Look at what is used in similar jobs with success and budget for routine replacement.

Galvanised sheet was originally written off as to get something of comparable rigidity to 9mm ply, I reckon it would need to be at least 4mm thick which makes it very heavy. Aluminium sheet is an option.

Timber boards have been used on the floor and are a great improvement over previous marine ply versions. As you'll hopefully see from my previous post, individual boards are not an option because there's nothing to secure them to. I need a single sheet.

 

[JP1]

A few more details of the application....

The first picture shows a typical section where the sheep stand inside the race. As you can see, the unsupported area is roughly 700x700mm, bolted on all four sides.

Second picture shows the real challenge. Due to the way that folding race works, the sheet can only be bolted on the bottom side. The force of the sheep pressing outwards is contained by the two angle parts at the top, the one at the bottom and the upright in the middle. The problem is if it's done with stockboard, on a hot day that whole sheet goes like rubber and it ends up bulging out between the supports and it stays like that.

I'm thinking that something like polycarbonate or acrylic, even if it bends under stress, will still spring back to a flat sheet.

35mm Paneltim panel 700mm x 700mm would be ideal in that application

 

[Highland Mule]

Yes, I can see your challenge. Could you not use thin metal sheet and introduce a bend / return lip to give it rigidity? Maybe even use two panels so there is a half way bend too? Something like this..

 

[TechWise]

35mm Paneltim panel 700mm x 700mm would be ideal in that application

I quite like the look of this stuff. I would hope with the spacing of the supports it would allow the 20mm stuff to be used. Unfortunatley, because of the way it is designed, anything greater than 30mm thick would cause issues. That's in an ideal scenario, in reality, with blobs of zinc or burrs on the surface of the metal it would be worse. I think anything ticker than 25mm would cause problems.

Is it a case of you supply the sizes and they cut it and reseal the edges?

 

[TechWise]

Yes, I can see your challenge. Could you not use thin metal sheet and introduce a bend / return lip to give it rigidity? Maybe even use two panels so there is a half way bend too? Something like this..

Yes I had considered this too. There's a couple of bits where I was thinking of sending sheets away to be folded to avoid some long welds, so I thought about getting bits made as you suggest above.

 

[JP1]

I quite like the look of this stuff. I would hope with the spacing of the supports it would allow the 20mm stuff to be used. Unfortunatley, because of the way it is designed, anything greater than 30mm thick would cause issues. That's in an ideal scenario, in reality, with blobs of zinc or burrs on the surface of the metal it would be worse. I think anything ticker than 25mm would cause problems.

Is it a case of you supply the sizes and they cut it and reseal the edges?

The 20mm is soingle pocket, the 35mm is doube pocket i.e. has a cnetral rib for strngth

We cut and butt weld to create a sealed all round panel to meet your size requirements. 20mm and 35mm come as standard 1200 x 1000mm and 1200 mm x 800mm blanks

 

[TechWise]

The 20mm is soingle pocket, the 35mm is doube pocket i.e. has a cnetral rib for strngth

We cut and butt weld to create a sealed all round panel to meet your size requirements. 20mm and 35mm come as standard 1200 x 1000mm and 1200 mm x 800mm blanks

I have a couple of evenings' work with my CAD software making some changes to the steelwork before I start building the MkII version. I will PM you with sizes for a quote once I've got that done.