The new acrylics, which managing director David Williams has described as "a market winning range for the next decade", follow hot on the heels of a printable plywood called Multiply Digital.
Acrycast is a cast product, while Acryglas XT is extruded. Both ranges have been launched in the UK following Amari Plastics' acquisition of the Acrycast brand via its purchase of US plastics group Calsak.
"When we acquired Calsak, we wondered how best we could best use the assets," Williams said. "We can bore for Britain on acrylic; we have an awful lot of knowledge to ensure we get the right stuff to our customers."
As a cast product, Acrycast can be supplied in small quantities in a wide range of colours, finishes and thicknesses. Thickness ranges from 2-50mm the range is can be manufactured in 30 colours and 16 sizes.
XT is an extruded product, and therefore more standardised, with the majority of sheets being clear, with some opals and blacks. Thicknesses available range from 2-35mm in the range which is "designed to meet the needs of the UK market and not what is dictated by the suppliers", according to Williams.
Amari Plastics is also trialling a US-sourced acrylic optimised for digital flatbed printing, which it claims can be a challenge with current materials.
Multiply Digital is an addition to the company's DTS range, which it says provides a more economical and ecological solution for hoardings than mounting printed ACM or vinyl onto standard plywood.
"Often hoardings will be plywood, chipboard or MDF with Dibond on top, which results in two sets of costs and a mixed product that is difficult to recycle," said product and market development manager Jamie Manifold. "Multiply Digital is both cheaper and recyclable."
The boards are made from FSC-certified birch with a printable coating and, as they contain only a single material, can be easily recycled, according to Manifold.
Applications include construction site hoardings, sports ground advertising, retail infills and 'natural' signage where the wood texture enhances the finish.
