Considerations for Design and Manufacture: P&O had comissioned Neil Wilkin to produce glass sculpture chandeliers for their newest cruise ship. However, the weight of each installation, combined with the dynamic environment of an ocean-going liner, led to a rethink on the choice of materials.

Polished clear acrylic offers an appearance indistinguishable from glass and gives a significant weight-saving. Acrylic rod was machined to profile and then underwent a series of operations to bend and polish each 'spike' to produce the glass-like appearance. Heat treatment throughout the manufacturing process eliminated the risk of crazing to the material by relaxing the inherent stresses.

The resulting installations are a stunning focal point.

Manufacturer of Hi-fi Equipment

The Client: An innovative and exciting producer of quality hi-fi equipment.

The Objective: The designer had selected cast acrylic as the material for the base and platter of their new turntable.  Cast acrylic was used for its acoustic properties for the platter and for its visual effect for the finished product.

Considerations for Design and Manufacture: The client had already had some prototype components machined for them.  These components revealed two key problem areas; both the dimensional stability of the platter component and the surface finish of the two parts were causing concern.

Even the best quality cast acrylic sheet will have inherent stresses from the manufacturing process.  Machining of the sheet introduces further localised stresses.  The stresses within the material cause the finished components to deform.

At Payne Plastics, we are able to carry out heat treatment to fully relieve the stresses from manufacture (normalising).   We are then able to proceed with careful machining, avoiding any unnecessary inducement of stress.  A post-machining annealing process eliminates any localised stresses from the manufacturing procedure.  We are now able to achieve material stability to within ±0.1mm or better over room temperature variations.

Maintaining a high quality surface finish on commercially available acrylic sheet is not easy.  First, we start by obtaining sheet from a good reputable supplier.  Then, we handle the material with the greatest care, keeping the material protected during all machining stages.  A final inspection and cleaning stage ensures that all the components meet the most meticulous requirements.