Polycarbonate plastic materials have a balance of beneficial features this includes temp resistance, impact resistance and optical properties position polycarbonates between commodity plastics and engineering materials.
Polycarbonate is definitely a tough material. Even though it offers very high impact-resistance, it’s got lower scratch-resistance and thus a hard coating could be applied to polycarbonate eye wear and polycarbonate exterior automotive components. The characteristics associated with polycarbonate are similar to those of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic), although polycarbonate is undoubtedly stronger, it is usable in a wider temperature range and is a bit more expensive. This plastic polymer is highly transparent to visible light and has better light transmission characteristics than most grades of glass.
Polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of about 150 °C (302 °F), so it softens gradually above this point and flows above about 300°C (572 °F). Tools must be held at higher temperatures, generally above 80 °C (176 °F) for making strain- and reduced stress products.
Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo dramatic changes in basic shape without breaking or cracking. For that reason, it can be processed and formed   cold using sheet metal techniques, which include forming bends on a brake. For even sharp angle bends with a tight radius, no heating is usually necessary. This makes it attractive prototyping applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are crucial, which can not be produced from sheet metal. Understand that PMMA/Plexiglas, that is similar in appearance to polycarbonate, but it is brittle and can’t be bent at room temperature.

The light weight of polycarbonate, unlike glass, has led to growth and development of electronic view screens that replace glass materials with polycarbonate, for use in mobile and portable devices. Such displays include newer e-ink and some LCD screens, though CRT, plasma screen and other LCD technologies which still require glass for its higher melting temperature and its ability to be etched in finer detail.
Other kinds of items manufactured from Polycarbonate include durable, lightweight luggage, MP3/digital audio player cases, computer cases, riot shields, instrument panels, and common style blender jars. Many toys and hobby items are manufactured from polycarbonate parts, e.g. fins, gyro mounts, and flybar locks for use with radio-controlled helicopters.
For use in applications exposed to weathering or UV-radiation, a special surface treatment maybe needed. This can be a coating (e.g. for improved abrasion resistance), or a coextrusion for enhanced weathering resistance.
The Makrolon Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic that begins as a solid material in the form of small pellets. In a manufacturing process called injection molding, the pelletized resin is heated until they melt. The liquid polycarbonate is then rapidly pushed into molds, compressed under high pressure and cooled to create a finished product in less than a minute.

local performance plastic sheets