Is Acrylic Piece of 25mm thickness strong enough for shaft walls

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the suitability of a 25mm thick acrylic piece for use as shaft walls under a 15kg radial force. Participants explore the material's strength, potential alternatives, and design considerations related to transparency and friction.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a 25mm thick acrylic piece can support a 15kg radial force and asks for alternative materials if it is insufficient.
  • Another participant suggests that an inch thick acrylic could support the load but raises concerns about frictional heating if the shaft rotates, indicating that this could lead to issues.
  • A different participant confirms the preference for transparency and inquires if the 25mm acrylic would suffice given the low motor speed.
  • One participant proposes the idea of using a ball or roller bearing mounted in the acrylic slab to reduce thermal and torsional stress on the acrylic while maintaining transparency.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the adequacy of the acrylic thickness for the application, with some suggesting it may be sufficient while others raise concerns about friction and stress. No consensus is reached on the best material or design approach.

Contextual Notes

Considerations regarding the impact of rotational speed on frictional heating and the potential benefits of using bearings are noted, but specific calculations or definitive assessments are not provided.

malek340
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I am wandering if acrylic piece of 25mm thickness would be strong enough to be used as shaft walls that has 15kg radial force acting on it. If it's not, what material is the best to be used? For those who don't understand or want to know more, look at my picture.
 

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What are you trying to do? Does it have to be transparent?
Your diagram suggests a rotating shaft held in place by an acrylic sleeve.
An inch thick piece of acrylic would easily support a 15kg shaft, but if the shaft spins at any speed, there will be frictional heating, which could cause trouble.
Inch thick acrylic is not as cheap as plywood, which would be even more robust and have better temperature resistance to boot.
 
Yup. It's better if it's transparent. So the acrylic piece of 25mm thickness would do the job? As for the motor speed, it's not that high.
 
At the risk of sounding dense, is there any reason to not mount a ball or roller bearing in the acrylic slab and run the shaft through that? You'd lose only a tiny fraction of your transparency, and guarantee no thermal or torsional stress upon the plastic.
 

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