Is Rowmark technically "acrylic"?

[Steve Clarkson]

I wasn't aware that Rowmark now offers LaserMax in Camo colors.

So when I recently purchased some "Camouflage Laserable Acrylic Sheet - Digital camo patterned acrylic that engraves white" (that was the exact description on their website)......I thought I was buying a sheet of "acrylic" not a sheet of Rowmark. Granted, the company provided an MSDS on their page and had I opened it, it clearly said it was Rowmark.

Should I feel duped?

So what is the generic name for Rowmark? I always refer to it as "engraveable plastic". Old timers seem to refer to it as "traffolyte" but I assumed that was just another trade name like "Rowmark". Would it be "composite plastic"? Norplex sells "phenolic material"......is that the same as Rowmark or a completely different product?

In any event, I would never refer to Rowmark as acrylic......would you?

[Scott Shepherd]

Rowmark is "Modified Acrylic". I think a Rowmark guy told me that it's got a rubber additive, but I'm not positive about that. It's been about 3 years ago since I saw the guy and had a conversation with him about it.

[Steve Clarkson]

So Steve......is that what you call it? You sell name tags right? Do you tell customers...."Well, we have this beautiful modified acrylic name tag over here".

Am I just crazy that I don't think it should be referred to as acrylic?

[Scott Shepherd]

I normally just tell people it's plastic. If they ask specifics, I tell them it's a modified acrylic that's flexible. It's very few people that ask what it is, but it does happen. Mainly engineers ask us those types of questions. We probably get asked that maybe once every 6 months or so.

[Mike Clarke]

Rowmark is a brand name not a specific material

"Should I feel duped?" No, IMHO

Norplex is brand name. "phenolic material"......is a completely different product, seldom used any longer.

Phenolic is a resin. In the context you are using it is paper and phenolic resin pressed and heated. It is strong but brittle, abrasive and not going to laser well at all. It also needs to be saw cut and won't shear. I have got sheets of it where the end missed the press and all the individual layers were separated and extremely brittle.

Phenolic is just basically an old, outdated nasty material compared to what is available today.

[Scott Challoner]

I think it's impact modified acrylic. I believe the additive is Glycol but I may be wrong. You can buy clear impact modified acrylic sometimes at Home Depot, Menard's etc. It has the same sticky edge as Rowmark when you cut it.

[Wilbur Harris]

"....In any event, I would never refer to Rowmark as acrylic......would you?"

No, I wouldn't.

[Scott Shepherd]

Well, they do describe their own product as "Microsurfaced Impact Acrylic", so that's what they call it.

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[Michael Hunter]

"Impact resistant modified acrylic engraver's plastic" is a bit of a mouthful, but keeps all but the most picky technical enquirers happy.

It's important that industrial customers understand that they are NOT going to get "Traffolite" type hard phenolic plastic.
Other customers probably don't care what it is, so long as the sign/name badge looks good.

[Scott Challoner]

"Impact resistant modified acrylic engraver's plastic" is a bit of a mouthful, but keeps all but the most picky technical enquirers happy.

It's important that industrial customers understand that they are NOT going to get "Traffolite" type hard phenolic plastic.
Other customers probably don't care what it is, so long as the sign/name badge looks good.

Agreed. I had a customer that kept ordering Lamacoids. Just to cover my butt, I explained that I was providing an engraving plastic made from acrylic. They were fine with it, it's just what they always called them. Everyone asks for a Kleenex when they need a tissue (at least here in the land of Kimberly Clark).

[Steve Morris]

Usually refer to it as plastic or acrylic if asked, rarely (read: virtually never) been asked for more detail other than maximum operating temp.

Phenolic laminate (Traffolyte is a brand name from the original manufacturer) is a different beast and often made with a paper base used extensively in industry for its high temp to 400C and chemical resistance but not recommended outdoors. Popular with electrical labelling but brittle and breaks with an edge like knife blade so not good for badges or similar, cheaper than plastic too.

[Kev Williams]

Re: Scott, above:

I've had military subcontractors over the years who themselves, or their customers, would always specify on their blueprints when ordering engraved labels:
Phenolic or Lamicoid (or 'lamAcoid if you prefer)

Back in the old days before 'high impact modified acrylic', phenolic was about the only choice in a 2 or more color laminate. Norplex and Bakelite for example, are brand names of phenolic.
"Lamicoid" is a generic term someone came up with as a description for multi-colored phenolic since phenolic wasn't always 2 or more colors. Lamicoid has stuck as a
reference to any multi-colored laminate designed for engraving. For that matter, so has "phenolic", especially with military orders...

Anyway, I've always like the lamicoid term, so that's what I call it, and pretty much all my old customers call it lamicoid too. It's simple and failsafe. :)

And Rowmark plastics are indeed 'acrylic'-- this is the MSDS material composition of Lasermax, has the word 'acrylic' in it too many times NOT to be acrylic! ;)

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