New market expansion

We now make custom reels for the acrylic and polycarbonate sheeting industries. These aren’t typical cable reels with regular flanges and paper or stave cores. Instead, these have flanges covered with acrylic, and 2×4 inset cores.

Reel for the acrylic sheeting industry

These cores have a unique design. Instead of a paper core or wood staves that fit into a circular core route profiled into the flange, these new reels have inset notches cut into the flanges. 2×4 lumber fits into the notches and creates the core. The 2x4s are reinforced with a plywood center support located in the middle of the reel’s drum.

The flanges in the reel pictured above are 65 inches in diameter. The traverse, or space between the flanges, is 48 inches long. We can ship these reels already assembled, but many customers prefer to receive the larger reels knocked down. “Knocked down” reels are like a puzzle that the receiver puts together themselves. Customers receive all the materials necessary to assemble the reels at their facility. More reels can fit on a truckload using this method, making transportation costs cheaper per reel.

Acrylic add-ons

For industries that require a smooth inner surface on their reels, we can cover the inside of the flanges with a smooth material like acrylic. That’s what we did for the reels pictured below. We cut the acrylic sheets, or whichever material our customers need, on our CNC machines to ensure consistent results. This way the add-on material fits perfectly onto the flanges, which are also cut on the CNCs. We normally use our CNCs for plywood flanges, but the special notches in these wood flanges call for an exception.

65” wooden flange with acrylic outer covering

Wooden flange with smooth acrylic covering leaning against a regular wooden flange for comparison

Like all of our products, these acrylic and polycarbonate sheeting reels can be modified to your company’s specifications. We’re here to manufacture reels that meet your unique needs. Below is a picture of these reels being used in the acrylic sheeting industry.

Image retrieved from https://plaskolite.com/products-services/customizations/cutting-services/

Contact us today for a free quote by using this online form, calling us toll free at 800-489-6778, or emailing our sales team at [email protected].