THE TEAM

Optical Systems Engineering Group - Optical And Opto-mechanical Engineering Services

A Company With Decades of Experience

Founded in 2015 in Northeast Florida, Optical Systems Engineering Group is a high-energy team of seasoned Optical Professionals with deep roots in Commercial Optics, Aerospace, Medical Devices, and the Automotive Industry.  The team has over 120 years of combined engineering experience across all phases of optical product development.  We have extensive experience in heavily-regulated environments, including ITAR and the FDA.

Russell Spaulding

President

  Russ Spaulding has extensive experience in leading optical engineering teams and has played key technical and leadership roles in both the aerospace and the medical device businesses.  As the Engineering Fellow in Optics at J&J Vision Care, he was tasked with establishing an optical core competency in Jacksonville.  He established strategic relationships with world-class optical institutions (University of Arizona) and with world-class optical engineering companies.  He executed a comprehensive plan for optics at Vision Care which included design development (Finite Element Analysis and ZEMAX optical design systems) and state-of-the-art interferometric test systems.
  Prior to joining Vision Care, Russ was at the Eastman Kodak Company aerospace division, first as a senior engineer accountable for the manufacture, coating, and testing of large, ultra-precision optical mirrors and lenses for a wide range of applications such as the NOVA fusion laser (LLNL), NASA’s Chandra X-ray Great Observatory (MSFC,) and the Air Force’s Laser Crosslink Communications satellite (AFRL).  He spent most of his time at Kodak working on classified reconnaissance programs and became head of Test Engineering, overseeing a team of 53 engineers and technicians performing optical, electrical, and launch testing on critical payloads. 
  Russ earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from the University of Georgia in 1981.  He has had formal education in optical fabrication, optical testing, optical coating, systems engineering, project management, and government business operations.  He is a Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).  Russ is a member of the Dean’s Development Board for the College of Optical Sciences, the University of Arizona. He has served on the Industrial Advisory Board for the American Foundation for the Blind Technology Group in Huntington, WV.

Jim Haywood, PhD

Director, Test Engineering & Advanced Analytics

  Jim Haywood has extensive experience in metrology system development and deployment and the analysis of data to improve processes and product performance.  As a Principal Engineer at J&J Vision Care, he was responsible for developing and deploying metrology systems to characterize contact lens optical properties, and the air/fluid interface of contact lenses both on and off the eye.  He was also involved in the design and clinical evaluation and analysis of contact lens designs for the aging eye.  He is highly proficient in software development and statistical analysis packages including C/C++, Fortran, IDL, R, Minitab, SPSS, and SAS.
  Prior to joining Vision Care, Jim was a Technical Specialist at Ford Motor Company/Visteon.  In this role, he developed measurement systems to improve the quality and performance of both automotive and flat glass.  He led the development and deployment of a discrete defect inspection system for flat glass.  He also developed large field (2 meter X 2 meter) polarimeter to measure the stresses in both annealed and tempered automotive glass components (windshields, side glass and rear windows).  He used his analytic skills to relate both objective and subjective measurements with customer perceptions.
  Jim earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physics and Philosophy from Albion College in 1980.  He earned a Master of Science (1982) and Ph.D. (1987) in Physics from the University of Michigan. He also earned a Master of Sciences in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University in 2013.  He is a member of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), the Optical Society of America, and the Sigma Xi Research Society.

Dan Riall

Director, Opto-Mechanical Engineering

  Dan Riall is an accomplished mechanical design engineer, developing and launching products in the medical device and optical systems fields.  Having risen to the level of Engineering Fellow and Director of Engineering at J&J Vision Care, Dan specializes in product development challenges which cross the boundaries of mechanical, electrical, optical, software, and chemistry components.  Known for his innovative solutions, hands-on approach, and rigorous technical methods, Dan has been awarded 34 U.S. patents over his technical career.
  Dan’s product development portfolio includes:  a dry clinical chemistry blood analyzer, a photographic printer, a wet clinical chemistry blood analyzer, an immunoassay blood analyzer, freeform organic spectacle lens production equipment, automated biologic coating production equipment, and a variable focus lens/optical plastic molding project for a “smart” contact lens.
  Dan earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Virginia in 1981.  He has benefited from the training and experiences of working at Eastman Kodak, E. I. DuPont de Nemours, W. L. Gore & Associates, and three different Johnson & Johnson companies (Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, The Spectacle Lens Group, and Vision Care). He has formal training in 3D-CAD (SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Pro-Engineer), GD&T, Robust Design, DFX, FEA (Cosmos, Ansys), and product development in FDA-regulated environments (QSR, cGMP).

Jim Michalski

Director, Optical Design & Engineering

  Jim Michalski has extensive experience in the areas of lens design and optical engineering for systems within aerospace, commercial optics, and the ophthalmic medical device businesses.  As the Manager of Design & Metrology and as Principal Engineer at J&J Vision Care, he was responsible for the development of next-generation contact lens optical designs in a variety of biologically compatible materials which provide improved vision, comfort, and physiology.  He was also involved in the design and development of metrology and test equipment used to measure and optimize the optical properties of contact lenses.  He is highly proficient with Code V, Zemax and optical systems design.
  Prior to joining Vision Care, Jim was the Chief Scientist at Edmund Optics.  In this role he was responsible for all optical design efforts for the company, primarily for external custom designs but also for internal designs for the Edmund Optics catalog.  He was instrumental in Edmund Optics moving into the design and manufacturing of image-intensified objectives and eyepieces for DOD suppliers of these systems.  Prior to joining Edmund Optics, Jim was at Hughes/Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin.  While at these defense contractors, he was the lead optical design engineer responsible for the layout, design, tolerancing, and manufacturing/integration of missile seekers and fire control systems operating in the visible, MWIR, and LWIR spectrums.
  Jim earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester in 1986.  He also did graduate work at the Optical Sciences Center at the University of Arizona.  He is a member of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).  Jim was also a member of the Technology Board, a subcommittee reporting to the Board of Directors of Edmund Optics.

Optical Systems Engineering Group
3390 Kori Rd.

Suite #1
Jacksonville, FL 32257

   (904) 374-2379