Product Spotlight – Lexan Polycarbonate Film

LEXAN™ polycarbonate film is a high-performance thermoplastic film known for its impact resistance, optical clarity, durability, and thermoformability. Manufactured by SABIC™, LEXAN polycarbonate film is an amorphous engineering thermoplastic used in industrial applications that require strength, flexibility, and reliable performance. Common applications include security identification cards, printed electronics, protective overlays, and other manufactured components.

If you think that your company or organization could benefit from using LEXAN polycarbonate film, here’s a rundown of the product’s benefits and potential uses to help you make an informed decision. 

Benefits of Polycarbonate Film

One of the primary benefits of LEXAN polycarbonate film is its excellent impact resistance. This material is designed to withstand physical stress while providing a durable protective layer for industrial and commercial products. Its toughness and puncture resistance make it particularly useful for protective overlays, electronic components, and other applications where strength and long-term durability are important.

LEXAN polycarbonate film is also valued for its optical clarity and light transmission. Transparent grades allow users to clearly view printed graphics, displays, and other components while providing an additional layer of protection. This makes LEXAN film a practical material for electronic displays, graphic overlays, instrument panels, and applications that require both visibility and impact resistance.

Another important property of LEXAN polycarbonate film is its thermoformability. Thermoforming is a manufacturing process that uses heat to shape thermoplastic materials into specific forms. Suitable LEXAN film grades can be formed into curved or contoured components, making them useful for electronic interfaces, industrial equipment, and custom manufactured parts.

Finally, LEXAN polycarbonate film is known for being durable and able to hold up in a wide array of environments. More specifically, it offers good dimensional stability and creep resistance. So it is able to stay in place and hold its general shape and other properties well over time. For items that are meant to last, this means that polycarbonate is a great choice for offering extra protection without the need for constant adjustments, maintenance, or replacement. 

Potential Uses

LEXAN polycarbonate film is commonly used in the security identification and card industry, where durability, dimensional stability, and print compatibility are important. Security ID cards and access control cards are used by businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations to verify identities and control access to buildings, restricted areas, and computer systems.

Another important application for LEXAN polycarbonate film is printed electronics. Printed electronics use specialized printing processes, including screen printing and inkjet printing, to create electronic circuits and components on compatible substrates. LEXAN film can serve as a durable, flexible substrate or protective layer in applications such as membrane switches, electronic displays, smart labels, and wearable electronics.

Beyond security identification cards and printed electronics, polycarbonate materials are used across the automotive, electronics, industrial equipment, and consumer products industries. LEXAN polycarbonate film is particularly useful for graphic overlays, control panels, decorative components, and protective surfaces. Other applications, such as safety helmets, appliance housings, and window glazing, may use rigid polycarbonate materials rather than thin film. Choosing the appropriate material form and grade depends on the finished product’s requirements.

If your manufacturing application requires impact resistance, optical clarity, thermoformability, or dimensional stability, LEXAN polycarbonate film may be an effective material choice. Selecting the right film grade, thickness, and finish helps ensure that the material meets your product’s performance and processing requirements.

PolymerFilms supplies LEXAN polycarbonate film manufactured by SABIC™ in a variety of gauges and sizes. As a division of Polymershapes, PolymerFilms offers in-house film converting capabilities and five conversion and distribution centers throughout North America. Whether you need polycarbonate film for printed electronics, identification cards, or other industrial applications, contact PolymerFilms to discuss your specifications, request a consultation, or receive a quote.