What is Optiguard™ Clear hard coat?
Optiguard™ Clear is a specialist hard coating for plastics developed to improve the surface performance of acrylic, polycarbonate and other suitable plastic substrates.
Plastic offers significant advantages over glass, including reduced weight, impact resistance and manufacturing flexibility. However, the relatively soft surface of some plastics can make them vulnerable to scratching, abrasion and chemical attack.
Optiguard™ Clear addresses this challenge by adding a durable protective coating to the surface of the plastic.
The result is a hard coated plastic component that retains its clear appearance while offering significantly improved resistance to the conditions it may encounter during manufacture, assembly and everyday use.
The coating uses a UV-curing, solvent-based polyacrylate technology. During manufacture, the coating is applied to the plastic before being cured using high-energy UV light, creating a highly cross-linked protective surface.
Why use a hard coat on plastic?
Uncoated plastic can be susceptible to surface damage, particularly in applications involving repeated handling, cleaning, contact or exposure to chemicals.
Once a surface becomes scratched or damaged, it can affect more than just appearance. For optical components and display windows, surface damage can reduce visual performance and make the component look worn and unusable.
Optiguard™ Clear is designed to help prevent this deterioration.
Key benefits
- Excellent abrasion resistance
- High chemical resistance
- Surface hardness approaching that of glass
- Optically clear finish
- Suitable for acrylic and polycarbonate
- Suitable for sheets and moulded components
- Can be applied to flat plastics and mouldings
- UV-cured for a durable, highly cross-linked surface
- Suitable for many demanding industrial applications
- Can help extend the usable life of plastic components
Panel Graphic’s Optiguard™ hard coating technology has been developed for applications across industries including military, automotive, aerospace and marine.
Benefits of using Optiguard Clear hard coat.
- Abrasion Resistance plastic coating
One of the primary reasons for applying a hard coating to plastic is to improve resistance to scratching and abrasion.Optiguard™ Clear provides a significantly harder surface than untreated plastic, helping protect components against the wear associated with handling, cleaning and everyday use.For applications such as display windows, control panels, instrument panels and protective lenses, maintaining a clean and undamaged surface can be essential to the performance and appearance of the finished product.Optiguard™ Clear is therefore an ideal solution where you need abrasion resistant plastics without sacrificing optical clarity. - Chemical Resistant coating for plastics
Plastic components can come into contact with cleaning products, oils, solvents and other chemicals throughout their service life.Optiguard™ Clear provides enhanced chemical resistance, helping protect the underlying plastic from chemical attack.This makes the coating particularly useful for equipment and components used in demanding environments where regular cleaning or exposure to chemicals is expected. - Excellent optical clarity
For applications where plastic forms part of an optical pathway, adding a protective coating should not compromise the appearance of the component.Optiguard™ Clear is designed as a clear hard coat, allowing the underlying material to retain its visual clarity.This makes it suitable for applications including:
- Display windows
- Electronic displays
- HMI screens
- Instrument panels
- Protective lenses
- Sensor windows
- Optical covers
- Machine interfaces
- Automotive display components
- LiDAR cover lenses
Panel Graphic has also demonstrated the use of Optiguard™ hard coatings in optical applications where maintaining long-term optical performance is important.
