Fiber Optic Center names Richard Tumminelli as consultant on fiber design and fabrication

Fiber Optic Center, Inc. (FOC), which stocks and distributes technology for the manufacture of cable assemblies, says it has hired Richard Tumminelli as a consultant on fiber design and manufacturing and resident expert on rare earth doped fiber fabrication. Among other career achievements, Tumminelli is a co-inventor of double clad fiber laser pumping and has 22 patents in his name.

Tumminelli will combine with FOC consultant Larry Donalds to form a team that will offer advice and expertise on preform fabrication. Areas the team will cover include:

• fiber-optic draw towers for research and development
• polymer fiber draw towers
• fiber-optic draw towers for high-volume production
• soft glass fiber draw towers
• MCVD systems for preform production
• proof test equipment and rewind systems
• gas bulk storage cabinets
• process gas driers
• specialized gas handling systems
• fiber measurements,
• rare earth doped fibers/process development using MCVD and halide precursors
• rare earth doped preform measurements
• rare earth doped fiber measurements.

The consulting team complements FOC’s provision of optical fiber manufacturing equipment from SC Controls Ltd., according to an FOC source. The consultants are available to those using SC Controls’ gear as well as equipment from other sources.

Tumminelli joins FOC from Coherent, where he was most recently director of engineering before retiring late last year. He has worked in the field of rare earth doped optical fiber for 40 years. Prior to joining Coherent, Tumminelli managed the specialty fiber group at JDS Uniphase, specializing in double clad fibers for fiber lasers and erbium doped fiber. He also spent time at Draper Laboratories and Polaroid, where he was a member of the Polaroid fiber-optic team under the direction of Dr. Elias Snitzer.

“Makers of specialty fibers have stressed to us the need for quality individuals with the knowledge and experience to solve specific research and production issues,” commented FOC Founder Neal Weiss. “Such people exist, but most are forbidden from helping anyone but the companies who employ them. FOC is able to provide services from experienced individuals, like Rick, who have been there and can provide hands-on as well as book learning. Those who have worked with Rick over the years are now be able to tap into his experience and improve their own results. We are pleased to have Rick on board, and several of our customers have already requested a meeting to see how he and we can be of help.”

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