Acrylic Museum Display Cases

Conservation practice keeps ultraviolet at the object below 75 microwatts per lumen. Standard clear acrylic transmits roughly 55% of incoming UV, so it does not get you there on its own; UV-filtering cast acrylic blocks about 90–98% and brings normal gallery and window light under the line. For sensitive paper, dyed textile, and photographic material, curators typically write a tighter number into the RFQ — the 8-case traveling exhibit we built specified UV transmission below 5% across the 380–400nm band. Tell us the sensitivity class and we quote the grade that meets it.

No, and the price difference is large enough that the distinction belongs in your RFQ. A dust-sealed case uses a gasketed joint to keep particulate and casual air exchange out — that is what most quotes mean by "sealed." A microclimate case adds a concealed conditioning chamber sized for silica gel, which your conservation team pre-conditions and swaps on a schedule. On the traveling exhibit we built, a replaceable silica-gel cassette in the sealed base held 45–55% RH for 8–12 weeks between swaps. Specify which one you need and we quote accordingly.

Yes. A traveling-exhibit case is a different build from a permanent vitrine: dismountable construction with keyed joints that only assemble one way, captive or bagged hardware, gasket surfaces that survive repeated assembly, and foam-molded crates cut for each case. The test is repeatability — venue four should get the same case as venue one, assembled by a different crew with no fabricator on site. We quote crating with the case rather than as a logistics afterthought.

Against laminated glass with a UV interlayer, cast acrylic reaches comparable UV performance at roughly half the panel mass, which changes crate weight, install handling, and what venue staff can move without rigging. Acrylic also will not shatter into the case interior. Glass keeps two real advantages — surface hardness and abrasion resistance — so a high-traffic touchable case is a fair place to prefer it. For traveling work and for anything a small crew installs, we usually recommend acrylic.

Object dimensions and sensitivity class, gallery lighting conditions, whether you need a dust seal or a microclimate base, mount requirements, and the venue list if the exhibit travels. Drawings help but are not required — a dimensioned sketch and photographs are enough to start. We come back within 24 hours with a layer-by-layer recommendation and a quote, then build a physical sample in 3–5 days for you to check clarity, seam quality, and fit against a real object or a stand-in.

We quote FOB Shenzhen by default and can also quote CIF or DDP to your door. DDP is the usual choice for institutional buyers because it puts freight, duty, and customs clearance into one number your finance office can approve without a broker relationship. Payment terms are 30% deposit and 70% before shipment, by T/T, PayPal, or Western Union.

MOQ is 100 pieces per design, which fits mount hardware, label holders, risers, and case components ordered as a set. For large one-off vitrines, send us the object list and we will tell you honestly whether your scope suits us. Samples ship in 3–5 days and standard production runs 15–20 days; the 8-case traveling exhibit took 30 days because a parallel chamber test sat inside the schedule.