XT66 66 mm Optical Rail Accessories

Rails	Clamps and Angle Brackets	Breadboard Mounting

Mounting Platforms	Rail Carriage	Rotation Slide Platform

Rail Joiner	Lens Tube Adapter	Size Adapters

Click to Enlarge
Rail-Mounted Periscope
(See Application Idea Tab for Details)

Features

66 mm Optical Rails
Stock Lengths Range from 100 mm to 1000 mm
Dovetail Profile Enables Clamping to Optomechanical Assemblies or Other Rails
Single and Double Dovetail Versions with Reduced Footprint
Custom Rail Lengths Offered

Thorlabs' XT66 Optical Rails provide the building blocks necessary for constructing stable, rigid, three-dimensional mechanical assemblies. They consist of extruded lengths of aluminum with a dovetail mounting surface that allows rails to be joined to each other, breadboards, or other optomechanical assemblies. Objects are easily slid along this dovetail before being clamped down. The standard four-sided rails measure 66 mm to a side and are available from stock in lengths ranging from 100 - 1000 mm. Finished rails feature a durable, clear anodized coating.

The 66 mm rail series includes rails that have the dovetail on one, two, or four sides, as shown in the family image photos at the top of the page. The one- and two-sided rails minimize the setup's physical profile. Upon request, we can ship the four-sided rails in custom lengths from 50 mm to 1200 mm. The two- and four-sided rails are also offered in a raw extrusion length of 2 m (6.6').

Thorlabs offers an extensive selection of accessories for 66 mm rails, including clamps and angle brackets, breadboard mounts, mounting platforms, rail carriages, rotation slide platforms, rail joiners, and lens tube adapters. Together with size adapters that incorporate 34 mm and 95 mm rails into an XT66 setup, these tools provide a complete family of rigid, versatile building blocks suited for virtually any optomechanical setup.

Click to Enlarge
Simple Periscope, View 1 of 2

Click to Enlarge
Simple Periscope, View 2 of 2

Application Idea: A Simple Periscope

The photographs to the left depict a simple periscope constructed using our 66 mm rail system. The two photos display the same setup from two different angles in order to clearly show how each part has been integrated. The labeled parts correspond to a row in the upper table, while the lower table shows the clamps and optical mounts used throughout the periscope.

Please note that lenses and mirrors, which are not shown in the tables below, would also be required.

Label	Item #	Description
1	XT66-500	66 mm Construction Rail, L = 500 mm
2	XT66D2	50 mm Long Slotted Dovetail with One Z-Axis Counterbored Slot
3	XT66D2-50	50 mm Long XT66 Platform with Three 1/4"-20 (M6) Counterbores
4	XT66RA2	Right-Angle Clamp for 66 mm Rails
5	XT66DP-500	66 mm Double Dovetail Rail, L = 500 mm
6	XT66DE1	20 mm Long, 1/4"-20 Tapped Dovetail for 66 mm Rails
Additional Items
	XT66C1	20 mm Long Double Dovetail Clamp for 66 mm Rails
	XT66C2	40 mm Long Double Dovetail Clamp for 66 mm Rails
	MA45-2	45° Mounting Adapter, Compatible with KM100 and KM200
	KM100	Ø1" Kinematic Mirror Mount
	LMR1	Ø1" Lens Mount

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Posted Comments:

Poster: cbrideau

Posted Date: 2012-10-17 15:45:30.24

The only problem with that is it doesn't resist torque along the optical axis very well; the whole assembly would be a bit too free to rotate unless it was additionally supported.

Poster: jlow

Posted Date: 2012-10-12 16:43:00.0

Response from Jeremy at Thorlabs: One could possibly use the XT34SM1 and the XT66SM2 for this purpose. Since these are internally threaded, you could then use a coupler such as SM1T2 or SM2T2 to attach the 30mm or 60mm cage plates on it.

Poster: cbrideau

Posted Date: 2012-10-12 15:19:13.747

Something like the XT66RL2 joiner that transitions into the 60mm cage system would be useful. One that goes from XT34 to the 30mm cage system would also be nice. That way a long '34 or '66 series rail could support two cage assemblies at opposite ends.

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XT66 66 mm Optical Construction Rails

Features

Application Idea: A Simple Periscope