Transparent protective shield
Display cases are designed to protect exhibits while presenting them in an appealing way. PLEXIGLAS® even protects the valuable objects from ultraviolet rays.
Sweaty fingers, sharp objects, sunlight – there are many potential dangers for precious exhibits. That is why museums and private collectors often protect their exhibits in display cases. The materials from which these display cases are made need to offer various properties.
Display cases: transparent presentation
“First of all, display cases need to grant a clear view of the exhibit. The case itself should be barely visible,” explains Denise Gündling, Junior Market Segment Manager at Röhm. “Our brand acrylic glass is ideal for this, as it is highly transparent and absolutely colourless in its original form.” PLEXIGLAS® therefore allows colours to be seen without any distortion and shows off the exhibits exactly as they should look: brilliant and in natural colours.
Thanks to the material’s UV protection properties, display cases made from acrylic glass retain this outstanding look long-term. “Other transparent plastics start to yellow over time,” explains Gündling. “We provide a 30-year guarantee that our colourless PLEXIGLAS® panels will only show minimal yellow values that are not perceptible to the human eye.”
The material of the display cases also protects the exhibits themselves from ultraviolet rays – blocking almost 100 percent of radiation if desired. “We offer a special variant of our brand acrylic glass for this – PLEXIGLAS® UV 100,” comments Gündling. “The UV protection offered by this material is up to 40 percent higher than that of conventional glass used for pictures.” This variant is used not only in display cases, but also for picture glazing for valuable artworks. For surfaces that constantly come into contact with visitors, PLEXIGLAS® Optical HC is also a scratch-proof and chemical-resistant material that stands up to swinging handbags and frequent cleaning.
PLEXIGLAS® – a real lightweight
Acrylic glass is also far lighter than glass – an advantage that is particularly noticeable in hanging display cases. “PLEXIGLAS® weighs just half as much as glass, making it much easier to fix to the wall,” says Gündling. It can also be machined more easily than conventional float glass and boasts good properties for shaping. As a result, display cases are available in a huge range of shapes and sizes – from classic cubes to spectacular giant snow globes.
