Half the plastics industry goes by a brand name, a nickname, or whatever the last guy called it. None of that is a problem at our counter — but it helps to know what you are actually buying. Here is what every one of those names means, and what we stock it as.
If you only read one section, read this one. These three account for most of the confusion that walks through our door.
Every name we hear at the counter, what it actually is, and where to find it. Ask for the one you know — we will sort out the rest.
| You asked for | That’s | We stock it as |
|---|---|---|
| Clear sheet | ||
| PlexiglassAlso Lucite, Perspex, Acrylite, Optix, “plexi” | Acrylic (PMMA) | Acrylic sheet → |
| LexanAlso Makrolon, Tuffak, “bulletproof glass” | Polycarbonate | Polycarbonate sheet → |
| Twin wall, multiwallAlso “greenhouse panel”, “the hollow stuff” | Twin wall polycarbonate | Twin wall → |
| Vivak, copolyesterAlso “the one you can bend cold” | PETG | In stock — clear, .030″ to 1/4″. Call for sizes |
| Acrylic mirrorAlso “plexi mirror”, “plastic mirror” | Mirrored acrylic | Acrylic mirror → |
| Sign & display board | ||
| Foam board, PVC foamAlso Sintra, Komatex, Celtec, Palight | Expanded PVC | PVC foam board → |
| Dibond, ACMAlso Alupanel, “the aluminum sandwich” | Aluminum composite | ACM / Dibond → |
| CoroplastAlso “corrugated plastic”, “yard sign plastic” | Corrugated polypropylene | In stock — 4mm white and black, 10mm white, 4×8. Call |
| Styrene, HIPSAlso “the thin white stuff” | High-impact polystyrene | In stock — white, .030″ to 1/16″. Call |
| Industrial & machining | ||
| DelrinAlso Sustarin, POM, “the one that machines nice” | Acetal | Acetal sheet & rod → |
| TeflonAlso PTFE, “the slippery white one” | PTFE | In stock — virgin sheet, 1/16″ to 1″. Call |
| NylonAlso Nylatron, Zytel, PA6, PA66, “the tan one” | Polyamide | In stock — call for grades and sizes |
| Tivar, UHMWAlso “the slippery one”, “chute liner” | Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene | UHMW → |
| Poly, polyethyleneAlso “cutting board plastic”, “tank plastic” | HDPE | HDPE sheet → |
| Polypro, PPAlso Simona, FRPP, “the weldable one” | Polypropylene | Polypropylene & FR → |
| Garolite, canvas phenolicAlso Micarta, “the brown fabric one” | Phenolic laminate | In stock — 1/8″ canvas grade. Call |
| Urethane, poly sheetAlso “the rubbery one”, durometer 90A | Polyurethane | In stock — black 90A, 3/16″ to 3/4″. Call |
| Light panel, diffuserAlso “egg crate”, “the ceiling light cover” | Prismatic acrylic panel | In stock — .125″ prismatic, 4×8 and 50×100. Call |
| Kynar rodAlso PVDF, “the chemical-resistant rod” | Polyvinylidene fluoride | In stock — 1/2″ black rod, 48″ lengths. Call |
| ABSAlso “the matte black one”, “thermoform plastic” | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene | ABS sheet → |
| Rigid PVC & the “vinyl” problem | ||
| VinylDepends entirely who is saying it | PVC — or printed film | PVC → — but in a sign shop “vinyl” usually means the film that goes on the board |
| Grey PVC, Type 1Also “the chemical one”, schedule 80 sheet | Rigid PVC | Rigid PVC → |
Rows marked “call” are materials we keep on the floor that do not have a page here yet. They are stocked in Sparks the same as everything else — ring (775) 358-8211 and we will tell you what is on the rack and what it costs.
When a company invents a material and sells it alone for thirty years, its brand name becomes the word for the thing. DuPont’s Teflon did it. GE’s Lexan did it. Röhm’s Plexiglas did it so thoroughly that most people have never heard the word acrylic.
Then the patents expired, other manufacturers started making the same polymer, and the original brand name stayed stuck to all of it. That is why the word on your drawing and the word on our pallet often do not match, even though the sheet is the same.
It matters in exactly one situation: when the name hides a real difference. Plexiglass and acrylic are the same thing, so nothing is at stake. But acrylic and polycarbonate get used interchangeably by people who think both mean “clear plastic” — and one of them shatters. Foam board means two entirely different products depending on whether you are standing in a sign shop or a craft store. Those are the ones worth getting right, and they are the ones we will ask you about.
You do not need to know what it is called. Bring the part, the offcut or the cracked panel to the counter at 745 E Greg St and we will identify it, tell you whether we stock it, and cut you a replacement. A photo texted over works too if the thing is bolted to a machine.
We have been doing this since 1979, which means we can usually name a material by the sound it makes when you tap it. That is not a service a website can give you, and it is the reason people drive out here instead of guessing on a catalogue site.
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Whatever you need — one piece or one hundred, a quick cut or a full fabrication run — we're here. Serving Northern Nevada since 1979.