Protective film
Protective film — The PE film on acrylic faces is a consumable that shields against scratches and flying debris in transit. It stays on until cutting, polishing, delivery and in-store placement are done — peel it early and every later operation becomes a scratch candidate. Where the film will see long sun exposure, peel it before the adhesive bakes on rather than after.
Sheet-to-sheet slip
Sheet-to-sheet slip — Stacked sheets microscopically grind against each other through a journey, and the first thing you see is white scuffing at the corners. Film alone does not save a corner; foam sheets or pads between the panels — faces never touching — are the actual protection.
| Crushed corners or punctures in the outer carton | marks of what struck this carton |
|---|---|
| Deep scratches under the film | angle a light across before peeling anything |
| White scuffed corners | evidence interleaf padding was skipped |
| Dry fit before labelling | check slots and level before removing labels |
The film is a consumable, not a finish
Acrylic arrives assuming you will peel: faces are protected because far more operations touch them than the buyer sees — cutting, edging, packing, unload, in-store move. Film is the cheap insurance charged at every one of those steps. The peel belongs at the point where the fixture has its position, the surrounding works are finished and cleaning is ready; peel earlier and every later step is a scratch candidate.
Damage narratives are decided at corners and interfaces
Most acrylic chips start at a corner, not a face — from cartons struck in transit, and from stacked sheets slipping against each other. That is why corner boards, foam between sheets and strap placement over palletised panels (bearing the whole face, not squeezing into a gap) are the load-bearing part of the packing spec. When the shipping route changes, review the packing drawing with it; fixing the product spec alone leaves the accident standing.
Make the receiving check a ritual
Five minutes in order: outer carton, deep scratches under film, white corners, dry fit. The order matters — bin the carton and label and the claim has no legs, peel the film and nobody can still say whether a mark travelled or arrived. Share the checklist with your forwarder and the in-store team, and on a repeat lane the packing rules harden into habit; accident rates fall visibly once everyone inspects the same five points in the same order.
Can the film stay on for an outdoor display?
For a few days usually fine. Left through weeks of sun and heat, the adhesive starts curing onto the sheet and peels off as white ghosts. If an outdoor run will stretch, peel and clean before the display and apply spare film afterwards — the face stays clean either way.
How should damage be photographed?
Three frames before anything is thrown away: the break itself, the carton as it arrived, and the shipping label legible. Damage plus packaging plus tracking number lets carrier fault and factory fault be separated quickly — restock and replacement move at the speed of that separation.