Acrylic arrives with a masking film on both faces, and the film is there because a single scratch cannot be polished out of a clear sheet without leaving a distortion. The edge is where the film ends and where the sheet is most often handled, so it is the weak point of an otherwise well protected product.
The edge is where the film stops protecting
Masking film covers the faces but stops a few millimetres short of the edge, so the edge is bare. That is exactly where a hand, a pallet or another sheet touches first.
A U channel covers the bare strip and the edge itself, and it does so without adhesive, which matters because tape residue on acrylic is another rejection reason.
Specification at a glance
Acrylic sheet is 3-20 mm in most packaging situations. A close fit is important because a loose channel lets the sheet slide and the film can lift at the edge.
| Acrylic | Inner width | Leg | Note |
|---|
| 3 mm clear | 4 mm | 25 mm | Close fit, clean board |
| 5 mm clear | 6 mm | 25-30 mm | Stack on long edges |
| 10 mm | 11 mm | 40 mm | Wider leg for weight |
| Mirrored 5 mm | 6 mm | 25 mm | Highest cleanliness |
| On edge in a stillage | As sheet | 40 mm, doubled | Frame contacts separate |
Clear, coloured and mirrored acrylic
Clear sheet shows every mark, and a channel that has picked up dust will transfer it. Keep the bundles wrapped and handle channels with clean gloves.
Mirrored acrylic is the most sensitive: the reflective coating is on the back and scratches read as bright lines. The same channel works, but the cleanliness requirement is higher.
Stacking and the sheet-to-sheet contact
Sheets are stacked flat and the channel sits on the long edges, so the stack rests on channels rather than on the film. That is the second benefit: it prevents film-to-film contact, which is where most scuffing happens.
Where sheets are stood on edge in a stillage, the bottom edge carries the weight and needs a heavier wall or a doubled channel, and the frame contact points need their own protection.
Questions buyers ask before ordering
Will the channel scratch the acrylic?
A clean dry channel does not. Dust on the channel is the usual cause of a scratch.
Can I use tape instead?
Tape leaves residue on acrylic, which is a rejection reason. A channel needs no adhesive.
What about the masking film?
The channel sits over the film and covers the bare strip at the edge where the film stops.
Is it suitable for mirrored acrylic?
Yes, with extra care on cleanliness because the coating shows every mark.
Do you cut to the sheet size?
Yes, to the millimetre, up to 6,000 mm.
Send the panel thickness, leg length and wall you need to mona@hengnicepacking.com and we will quote the U profile that fits.
