Today, it is becoming increasingly clear that glass is gradually being phased out of packaging, but the situation is not so clear in technical applications. From time to time, innovations in transparent optical plastics that meet quality requirements and in custom components made from them are publicised, but the real breakthrough is yet to come. One of the biggest challenges in the processing of plastics is the production of micro-optical components and large transparent cladding elements, where transparency and long-term wear resistance are essential.