Week 5: Pet Feeder Cover (Plexiglass Sheet)

Plexiglass is a very versatile polymer that is formed when giant giant carbon molecules combine chemically. Plexiglass, also known as Acrylic, is a synthetic plastic material which can be used for a number of applications because it is so easy to work with; it can be sawed, drilled, routed, glued etc.

Fig 1. Plexiglass Sheets

It has many beneficial properties that include:

• Glass-like qualities -  clarity, transparency, translucence - but at HALF the weight
• Stronger impact resistance (10 times greater than glass) and more durable
• Ability to be coated, tinted, coloured, mirrored or made opaque to enhance features such as: scratch-resistance, anti-fogging, solar-reductive
• Smooth surface that would provides little to no resistance when in motion

Due to the easy accessibility and low cost Plexiglass is the most cost efficient material whose physical properties meet the needs of the feeder cover. We were able to mould the sheet to the exact shape necessary to cover the Feeder, as seen below:

Fig 2. Pet Feeder - Plexiglass Acrylic Sheet Cover

Basic Dimensions of Feeder Cover:

Outer Radius (In contact with cake tin) - 6 inches

Inner Radius (Length of compartment opening) - 4.5 inches

Thickness (Of Plexiglass sheet) - 3/32 inches 

Angle (Of Compartment opening) - 45˚