Optomechanics Frequently Asked Questions

By truncating the lens or mirror to have flat edges instead of round ones, it allows for the element to be easily manipulated by a micropositioning stage and then be epoxied directly to the surface or to the intermediate mount, which is in turn epoxied to the surface.

We offer a C-Mount Light Guide Adapter that will hold a fiber optic light guide on one side by using its corresponding light guide adapter (this stainless steel bushing is not included and is selected based on the light guide's ferrule diameter). The other side has a standard C-Thread for integration with our extensive line of C-Mount components. By using one of our C-mounted Cube Beamsplitters, an in-line system can be assembled. Additional optics can also be inserted prior to the beamsplitter in order to create a collimated light beam from the light guide.

Ultra-Thin Filters can be mounted using UV-curable (or regular) optical adhesives. Optically clear adhesives, such as 3M OCA series, can be laminated on filters and have the ability of manually using a roller with soft surface for application.

All of our standard Polarization Directed Lenses are 25 x 25mm. Our 25mm Square Rectangular Bar Clamp, #54-994, is a good choice for bench mounted applications.

Mirrors are typically bonded to the aluminum mounting surface of a mirror mount with a two part adhesive. We carry Milbond Adhesive System, two part epoxy, which can be used for most glass-to-metal mirror bonding applications. This epoxy should be used for substrates that will not be subjected to very hostile environments.

Edmund Optics has both Rectangular Optic Mounts and Fixed Filter Mounts. The Rectangular Optic Mounts can hold filters, mirrors, beam splitters, and cylindrical lenses up to 60mm square. The Fixed Filter Mounts can hold filters, mirrors, and beam splitters at least 18mm in length. For applications requiring precise alignment we also offer square and rectangular kinematic mounts.

Edmund Optics offers a full line of mounting components that can be used to integrate the optics that you have chosen into your system. We carry components that can be used as stand alone units or they can be used together to create compound optical systems. We also carry various types of Mounting Components, including fixed, gimbal, and kinematic.

To use our #58-877 25mm Cube Beamsplitter Adapter, it is necessary to use the #58-854 TECHSPEC® 1” Diameter Kinematic Mount; the #58-872 TECHSPEC® C-Mount Kinematic Mount, or any other Kinematic mount will not work. This is because the 25mm Beamsplitter Adapter is specifically designed to fit into the 1” Diameter Circular Kinematic Mount where the Nylon-tipped locking screw will secure it into place.

Our line of C-Mount Kinematic Mounts can be integrated with any C-Mount Component; correspondingly, the same applies to our line of T-Mount Kinematic Mounts with any T-Mount Component.

Our TECHSPEC® Kinematic Mounts are extremely adaptable. They feature both 8-32 and M4 threaded holes and include socket head cap screws that enable connection to a variety of English and Metric standards. They connect to our TECHSPEC® Stainless Steel Mounting Posts and a host of other Optical Breadboard Components.

The inner diameter is the circular or elliptical “short axis” diameter for which our Ring Mounts are optimized. Specifically, for #54-339 this range is 25.1mm to 30mm, and for #38-513 is 28.5mm to 30mm.

Edmund Optics® offer Metric Goniometers which can be stacked to give two-axis tilt. Our TECHSPEC® Kinematic Table Platforms also have built-in tip/tilt capability. Both of the above the two-axis movement you require without any screws to interfere with your setup.

Linear Ball Bearing Stages have exceptional straight line accuracy and resolution, but have moderate load capacity and limited travel. Rack and Pinion Stages are useful for smooth travel over longer distances, but have limited resolution and repeatability. Dovetail Rails have moderate accuracy and high normal load capacities, but no precision movement.

Our stages are not designed for use in a vacuum environment. We do not have any tested data on how low of an air pressure that our stages can be used in without being damaged.

When some bearings of a translation stage are supporting more of the load than other bearings, there is an uneven loading on the stage. These offset forces are referred to as pitch, roll, and yaw. Pitch has its axis of rotation perpendicular and in the same plane as the direction of travel. Roll has the axis of rotation parallel to the direction of travel. Yaw has rotation perpendicular to the plane of travel. See the accompanying illustration below:

The ball bearing stages have three different load capacity specifications. They are listed Normal/T_a/T_b in our catalog. They are the normal load, the thrust (force) against the micrometer (T_a), and the thrust (force) away from the spring (T_b) The "Normal Load" is the maximum downward force that can be applied perpendicular to the mounting surface at the center of the mounting stage. In other words, T_a is the load that is pressing against the spring and the micrometer. T_b is the load pulling away from the spring. The normal load is a horizontal load, which means the mounting surface of the stage is in a horizontal position.

Straight line accuracy is a measurement of the amount of error that a linear positioner will deviate from a perfectly straight line. Straight line accuracy is the error that is in the horizontal plane (x-axis), while flatness is the error in the vertical plane (z-axis). Both are measured at the center of the mounting surface and represent the maximum deviation for the overall length of travel. The straight line value is typically given as the worst case value for both errors.

We do sell a few unique X-Z and Y-Z rack and pinion stages, but we do not sell any pre-assembled X-Z ball bearing stages. However, we do offer a line of Z-axis brackets to convert our single-axis ball bearing stages into 2 or 3 axis positioning systems. By purchasing single-axis stages separately, the brackets can be used to configure your own X-Y-Z combination. All brackets are designed for the same stage size and drive type and include socket head cap screws.

The base of each ball bearing stage has 2 counterbored holes that accept socket head cap screws (SHCS). To gain access to the holes, move the mounting stage back and forth. It will help to use the side locking screw to hold the spring in place. The size of the screws depends on the stage; either #4, #6, or ¼. However, the length of the screws depends on the thickness of the adapter plate or the breadboard table (if connecting directly). We currently carry a line of breadboard adapter plates for such requirements with the S.H.C.S. included.

We offer a line of Mounted Iris Diaphragms for our most popular irises; 19.8mm, 37mm, 53mm, and 70mm outer diameters. The mounted diaphragms have a ¼-20 mounting hole (#8-32 for the 19.8mm model) and tolerances are held tight to ensure accurate centering. We also sell the mounts separately for our most popular standard irises in the sizes listed above; as well as, for our Zero Aperture and Stainless Steel series of iris diaphragms.