Design: Pr./Arch. Masaki Imamura
Photo: Shinkenchiku-sha

Asahi Glass’ polycarbonate sheets for a wide range of uses

A heated pool called "puca puca" at Yuyunomori Nursery in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture has a unique design that is entirely covered by multi-wall polycarbonate sheets. A polycarbonate sheet is described as "a transparent metal" because of its impact resistance. Furthermore, it has outstanding characteristics such as safety, light weight, and energy saving, which satisfy many needs in demand now. So polycarbonate sheets have been attracting attention in various fields including architecture and civil engineering works, and for industrial use.

Polycarbonate sheet - strong, light, easily handling transparent material

Glass, a typical clear material, is a durable and attractive material because of its beautiful texture unique to inorganic materials. However, there are also many needs that cannot be met by conventional glass, such as impact resistance, processing, and weight saving.
A polycarbonate sheet has an extremely high impact resistance: 200 times the impact strength of glass. And Its light transmission is similar to the glass. Because polycarbonate sheets can be easily cut, drilled holes, and cold formed in curves, they can uniquely respond to a wide range of designs. In addition, even if they catch fire, they are fire-retardant because fire burns out naturally when they are removed from a fire source. So a toxic gas is hardly generated by combustion.
As a manufacturer handling clear materials, Asahi Glass also handles polycarbonate sheets in order to offer suitable materials in response to various needs. In addition to architectural materials, Asahi Glass also offers a wide array of materials according to various uses and purposes, including machine components, car parts, and materials for display and industrial use.

Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet responding to unique design

Of the materials, multi-wall polycarbonate sheet, a single-piece molded polycarbonate sheet with its unique construction of twin walls, triple walls or more, joined by ribs, has realized both further weight saving and rigidity with its characteristics being taken advantage of. It is also characterized by its beautiful appearance. As a matter of fact, it received the Good Design Award in JAPAN. The heated pool "puca puca" at Yuyunomori Nursery was designed by Pr./Arch. Masaki Imamura, who heads Imamura Masaki Architects, and a laboratory at the College of Science and Technology Architecture Department, Nihon University. Pr./Arch. Imamura, who is a distinguished architect and also the Professor of the College of Science and Technology Architecture Department, Nihon University, took early note of multi-wall polycarbonate sheet, and decided to use its "Easy Clean" of 10 mm in thickness for the entire unique exterior of the swimming pool.
Because of the hollow air space of Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet "Easy Clean", its thermal insulation and heat retention efficiency is approximately 1.5 times of that of a solid-polycarbonate sheet of the same thickness, and approximately two times of that of plate glass of the same thickness. In addition, because Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet Easy Clean is ultralight, approximately one fifth of a polycarbonate sheet of the same thickness, it can be easily transported and handled for construction work, and the load on the frame will be reduced. In addition, Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet Easy Clean can be cold-curved at room temperature in the field, so it was most suitable material for the distinctive design of the swimming pool covered entirely by Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet "Easy Clean".
In addition, the Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet "Easy Clean" has ultraviolet protection on both sides for weatherability, and unique coating on one side that reduces surface tension and cleans itself by the action of rainwater alone. So its transparency will last with simple maintenance. Moreover, because it is effective in blocking ultraviolet rays, it protects the skin of children playing in the swimming pool against ultraviolet rays.

A wide array of products in response to the diversified market

As a manufacturer handling transparent materials, Asahi Glass offers polycarbonate sheets as materials complementing glass, or as materials to be used combined with glass, in order to propose most suitable transparent materials in response to customer needs.
Not only architectural and civil engineering works need for polycarbonate sheets (such as sound barrier on highway, roofing materials, and exterior panels) but industrial needs for polycarbonate sheets such as signboards, electric parts, machine parts, vehicular windows, and displays are on the drastic rise.
Asahi Glass meets customer needs through the offering of a wide array of products with the use of our glass-based experience, and through our attentive service system, along with our capability of making comprehensive proposals.

Multi-wall polycarbonate sheet (left). "Lagrace®" (right) is an original translucent combination floor panel that consists of a solid-polycarbonate sheet, and fiber-reinforced plastic gratings. There are a variety of polycarbonate sheets for different uses.