Background to Optimal

Optimal is a new name for a well-established operation that has run continuously since it's opening in 1986. Originally established to service the emerging optical fibre telecommunications industry in Australia, the purpose-built Optical Fibre Cable manufacturing plant in the West Melbourne suburb of Tottenham, soon developed a far-reaching customer base. It has, through its long association with the industry, developed a strong network as well as a reputation for the highest quality - having an unbroken Quality Assurance certification since 1991.

Optimal has retained all the manufacturing capability developed over the years of operation of the former organisation as well as key personnel covering all the essential skills required for the business. Optimal can therefore offer the same broad range of products and manufacturing flexibility, as did its former entities. The types of product include loose tube or tight buffer constructions for indoor or outdoor applications. Armouring can be non-metallic or metallic, and cables are for direct buried, duct or specialist aerial types - short or long span designs. Any fibre types can be incorporated according to customer requirements - multimode - OM1 OM2, OM3 etc, single mode OS1, "G655" etc - and experience in handling most of the major optical fibre suppliers' products has been acquired over the 16 years of operation.

The People
The continued capability of the operation stems from the expertise of its staff - some having been with the operation since the introduction of loose tube cable structures in the early 90's.

Paul Cross, General Manager - Sales and Marketing, has a strong professional background with an Electrical Engineering and Business Management degree to complement over 10 years of cable manufacturing/marketing industry experience. Assisting Paul is Martin Pendergast, National Sales Manager, who contributes experience and creditability developed from more than xx years of involvement within the cable market.

Dr Alan Stringer, Technical Director, holds an honours degree in electronics and a Ph.D. in Electronics and Electrical Engineering and drives a philosophy of continual improvement in all aspects of the business. He has been in the cable business since 1979 and working in the Australian optical fibre cable industry since 1986. All the designs of cable from '91 to the present were conceived and developed under his direction by the key technical staff now in Optimal. Alan is well known in the industry through his contribution to Standards development and knowledge of optical fibre cable.

Paul Deane, General Manager - Operations, holds an honours degree in Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering. He has worked in the chemical industry and more recently in the plastic and paper packaging industry for over 20 years. Paul has held senior operational management roles within Australia, New Zealand and Dubai.

Jan Jasik, Senior Engineer, has worked on optical fibre cable development at the Optimal site since 1991 and was behind the development of key processes such as that required to produce the industries most effective High Strength non-metallic cable (HS1) - used extensively by Telstra for highly expansive or rocky soil applications.

The maintenance of the plant, which has been managed by outsource contractors "Main Resources", has prevented any unplanned stoppages of machinery for more than 5 years and has been a keystone of a continual improvement program. Members of that maintenance team are now on the staff at Optimal.

Operators have been hand-picked for their attitude, skills and their ability to work in a team of high performers, focussed on the interests of the customer and the desire to improve all aspects of their working environment.

Optimal also boasts a strong network of contacts throughout the industry in both national and international arenas. It has links with Standards bodies, product distributors and other 'channels to market', raw material suppliers, market and sales specialists, end customers, users and specifiers of Optical fibre products, and the engineering and machinery development industry.