Hi all,

Just after some words of advice please! I'm going to make up some perspex / polycarbonate enclosures for some equipment at work, will need to drill holes in it, bolt things to it and hang it one the wall with some expensive kit in (one bit is a highly sensitive pressure regulator that I had to sign a form saying I wasn't going to use it make chemical weapons!)....

What would be best for this - perspex (I was thinking about 5mm) or polycarbonate???

Thanks!

Chris

polycarbonate. it may be slightly more difficult to work with, but offers more protection than perspex.

Polycarbonate is less likely to crack than perspex too, makes it easier to bolt to frameworks

John

Polycarbonate is almost indestructible in "normal" use. Perspex (acrylic) is quite easy to crack just by drilling holes in it, or by tightening a screw onto it. Hard impacts or high stresses on acrylic can make it shatter.

Downsides of polycarbonate are that it's a softer material which is more prone to scratching than acrylic, and it tends to absorb moisture from the air which will eventually make it go cloudy.

If you're only using flat sheets you can get polycarbonate with a thin layer of harder material coating it for the best of both worlds.
See http://www.edplastics.co.uk/Polycarbonate%20Lexan%20Margard.htm

Perspex is available in different colours as well if that's important to you.