Plastics: best supporting actors in fiber interconnection

The use of plastics is essential in successful fiber connector designs. As the costs of these connectors continue to decline, there is ever-increasing pressure for plastics to take over the functions of the precision ferrules now typically in ceramic, silicon, or other high-cost materials. Continued advances in new plastic materials technology, mold tooling capabilities and precise molding process control promise to fill the need. Some results and measurements are reported