Product
Polycarbonate sheet
Polycarbonate is the clear sheet you choose when it must not break. It looks much like acrylic, but it bends and dents rather than cracking, which makes it the usual choice for machine guards, school and gym screens and glazing that might be hit.
Plastics Hub NZ supplies solid flat polycarbonate sheet. We do not supply corrugated or twin-wall polycarbonate roofing.
Shop Polycarbonate
Our online Polycarbonate range and prices are on the way.
Tell us the thickness, tint, any coating or UV grade, sheet size and quantity, and we'll come back with a quote. Or email trade@plasticshub.co.nz.
Request a quoteWhat is Polycarbonate?
Polycarbonate (PC) is a tough, rigid thermoplastic. Solid polycarbonate sheet is extruded flat, in clear and tinted grades, and some grades carry a protective coating on one or both faces for weather or scratch resistance.
Uncoated polycarbonate yellows and becomes brittle with long sun exposure, so outdoor jobs use a UV-protected grade with the protected face out.
Key properties
Extremely tough
Polycarbonate has very high impact strength. It bends and dents rather than shattering, so it suits areas where sheet could be hit, kicked or dropped.
Clear, but softer
Clear polycarbonate is slightly less clear than acrylic and scratches more easily unless it has a hard-coated face.
Flexible
Thinner sheet can be bent cold into a gentle curve, which acrylic cannot do without cracking.
Handles more heat than acrylic
Polycarbonate keeps its shape at higher temperatures than acrylic, though it is still a plastic and is kept away from direct heat.
Outdoors needs a UV grade
Standard sheet yellows in strong sun. Use a UV-protected grade outside, and confirm the grade with us if your job needs a stated UV or weathering performance.
Typical uses
- Machine guards and safety screens
Clear sheet that stays in one piece if it is hit.
- Sneeze guards and counter screens
Tough clear sheet for busy counters.
- DIY secondary glazing
Where the glazing might be knocked or a child could push on it.
- Display cases that get handled
Cases in schools, museums and shops.
- Vandal-resistant glazing
Bus shelters, sheds, workshops and public buildings.
Forms, thicknesses and sheet sizes
What Polycarbonate commonly comes in. What we can source for you is confirmed on your quote.
- Form
- Solid flat sheet. Corrugated and twin-wall polycarbonate are not part of our range.
- Common thicknesses
- From about 2mm to 12mm, with 3mm, 4.5mm and 6mm among the most used.
- Common sheet sizes
- Full sheets are commonly 2440 x 1220mm, with some grades in larger formats.
- Common colours
- Clear, opal, bronze and grey tints. Hard-coated and UV-protected grades are made in some thicknesses.
How it compares
Choose polycarbonate when the sheet has to survive impact, and acrylic when it has to look its best and resist everyday scratches. PETG sits between them for thin display work.
How to order
- Send us an enquiry through the quote form or email trade@plasticshub.co.nz.
- Tell us the thickness, tint, any coating or UV grade, sheet size and quantity, and the town or city it is going to.
- We'll come back with a quote, including delivery.
Need it cut? Cutting is available on certain materials at certain depots. Request a quote with your sizes and we'll confirm.
Polycarbonate questions
- Is polycarbonate stronger than acrylic?
- For impact, yes, by a wide margin: polycarbonate bends or dents where acrylic would crack. Acrylic is harder on the surface, clearer and easier to glue. Our acrylic vs polycarbonate comparison goes through the differences.
- Do you supply twin-wall or corrugated polycarbonate roofing?
- No. Plastics Hub NZ supplies solid flat polycarbonate sheet only.
- Can polycarbonate be used outdoors?
- Yes, in a UV-protected grade fitted with the protected face outwards. Standard sheet yellows in strong sun. Confirm the grade with us if your job needs a stated weathering performance.
- Can you cut polycarbonate to size?
- Cutting is available on certain materials at certain depots. Request a quote with your sizes and we'll confirm.
Tell us what you need. We'll source it.
One enquiry, multiple supply sources. Or email trade@plasticshub.co.nz.