Acrylic bending issue

[sanjay khan]

Hi there, for bending acrylic we usually make groove using laser cutting machine and then heat the grooved area using filament and bend it.

But this leaves an unpolished and dirty looking area after bending in the grooves.

what is the best solution to bend the acrylic without grooving.

Also for long length bending the bent acrylic whether bent at 45degrees or 90 degrees would form a curve and would not remain straight.

Kindly suggest some best techniques to be used for this please.

[Dan Hintz]

Why do you cut a groove in the first place? It's not necessary. Just heat the area you want to bend and apply pressure...

[Bert Kemp]

I saw a video were they raised the piece of acyclic and scored a line crossed it with the laser and the acrylic just folded down at a 90. Looked pretty easy if you get your setting right.

[Keith Colson]

Hi Bert

If its the video I saw they were rastering it quite far out of focus to soften it without cutting or burning it. I should try it for fun.

[Bert Kemp]

Keith yes your right they rasterd a line to soften so it would bend see video below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arjRtCjI9AQ

Hi Bert

If its the video I saw they were rastering it quite far out of focus to soften it without cutting or burning it. I should try it for fun.

[Rodne Gold]

We score a line and cut a slight notch at the bend line , so the edges of the bend dont "squish out"

[Joe Walmer]

Here is the Plexiglas Forming manual that has some good information about bending acrylic. Page 7-9 around there is probably the most pertinent information.

http://www.plexiglas.com/export/site...ing-manual.pdf

[Graham Facer]

We will generally just heat and only groove if precise bending is required as scoring/grooving will significantly weaken the material - mainly due to thickness but you also introduce stress and potential microfractures which is where a full break will start (that's why acrylic cracks so easily at screw holes). When we do score it (usually not acrylic) its with a v-carve bit or v shaped saw blade. But I can't recall the last time I did that with acrylic (we're an acrylic fab shop) though we do it much more often with polycarbonate.

Rodney is right about the ends squishing out, to avoid that you need to notch out the ends though its rarely enough of an issue to warrant it.

[Rangarajan Saravana kumar]

Yes I agree the groove looks rough after bending, we do flame polishing inside the groove for 8mm, later bend

no problem in look wise

regards