Installation Guide

3
INTRODUCTION
General Health and Safety Precautions
Care must be taken whenever fabricating or thermoforming
any thermoplastic, including Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet. The
heat of thermoforming, cutting, machining, finishing,
annealing, or otherwise processing Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet
may result in the release of vapors or gases, including
methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer. Additionally,
cementing Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet introduces other vapors
related to the formulation of the adhesives. However,
thermoforming Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet, in accordance
with recommended techniques at recommended
temperatures and with adequate ventilation, should not
result in harmful concentrations of vapors or gases in
the workplace.
Concentration Levels and Ventilation
Standards
High concentrations of MMA vapors can cause eye and
respiratory irritation, headache and nausea. The American
Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)
Air Contaminant Standard for MMA places the maximum
permissible exposure level at a time weighted average
(TWA) of 50 ppm.
It is always good practice to provide local exhaust
ventilation as close to the point of possible generation of
vapors as practical. Suggestions for the design of
exhaust ventilation systems are provided in Industrial
Ventilation Manual of Recommended Practice (2004),
published by the ACGIH, and American National Standards
Institute Fundamentals Governing the Design and
Operation of Local Exhaust Systems, ANSI/AHAZ9.2-2001.
Special Precautions
Each of the segments in this manual contains a section
on any special hazards or precautions related to the
process and materials under discussion. Fabricators and
other users of Plexiglas
®
acrylic sheet are advised to read
all of these Health and Safety Precautions sections carefully,
to become thoroughly familiar with the properties of these
materials, and to take all actions recommended for the
safe use and processing of the products. Material Safety
Data Sheets should be available from the manufacturer for
these purposes.
General Fabrication Considerations
Most fabrication and forming techniques for Plexiglas
®
MC acrylic sheet are similar to those used for Plexiglas
®
G
cell-cast acrylic sheet, although there are some slight
differences, which are noted in the appropriate sections.
In order to maximize the beneficial features of each of
the sheet products, certain fabrication techniques may
differ in working with Plexiglas
®
G acrylic sheet and Plexiglas
®
MC acrylic sheet. If questions arise after trying the suggested
techniques, please contact the Altuglas International
Polymer Technology Center at 800-217-3258 or one of the
Sales Offices listed on the back of this manual.