Features

Two Filter Holder Mounts Available

Ø1/2" Optics up to 0.18" (5.0 mm) Thick
Ø1" Optics up to 0.31" (8.0 mm) Thick

Easy, One-Hand Operation
Dovetail Design Ensures Good Repeatability
Stackable Design

The CFH1 and CFH2 Removable Filter Holders are based upon a precision dovetail design, ensuring good position stability and repeatability. The CFH1 features an SM05-threaded (0.535"-40) bore that accepts Ø1/2" optics up to 0.18" (5.0 mm) thick, while the CFH2(/M) has an SM1-threaded (1.035"-40) bore that can accommodate Ø1" optics up to 0.31" (8.0 mm) thick. These mounts are designed for use with a wide variety of Thorlabs' optics such as our Dichroic or Neutral Density Filters, Economy or Concave Mirrors, or Frosted Glass alignment disks. The optic is secured in the mount using the included retaining ring.

Extra filter plates are available separately for both the CFH1 Ø1/2" filter mount and the CFH2 Ø1" filter mount. In addition, blank Plates for each mount, also purchased separately, can be used as a manual shutter or machined to suit your specific requirements.

An example of the standard cage
plate measurements determining
cage system compatibility.

Cage System Overview

The Cage Assembly System provides a convenient way to construct large optomechanical systems with an established line of precision-machined building blocks designed for high flexibility and accurate alignment.

16 mm, 30 mm, and 60 mm Cage System Standards

Thorlabs offers three standards defined by the center-to-center spacing of the cage assembly rods (see image to right). The 16 mm cage, 30 mm cage, and 60 mm cage standards are designed to accomodate Ø1/2", Ø1", and Ø2" optics, respectively. Specialized cage plates that allow smaller optics to be directly inserted into our larger cage systems are also available.

Standard Threads

The flexibility of our Cage Assembly System stems from well-defined mounting and thread standards designed to directly interface with a wide range of specialized products. The three most prevalent thread standards are our SM05 Series (0.535"-40 thread), SM1 Series (1.035"-40 thread), and SM2 Series (2.035"-40 thread), all of which were defined to house the industry's most common optic sizes. Essential building blocks, such as our popular lens tubes, directly interface to these standards.

Standard Cage System Measurements
Cage System	16 mm	30 mm	60 mm
Thread Series	SM05	SM1	SM2
Rod to Rod Spacing	16 mm (0.63")	30 mm (1.18")	60 mm (2.36")
Total Length	25 mm (0.98")	41 mm (1.60")	71.1 mm (2.8")

Cage Components
Cage Rods	16 mm	These rods are used to connect cage plates, optic mounts, and other components in the cage system. The SR Series Cage Rods are compatible with our 16 mm cage systems, while the 30 mm and 60 mm cage systems use ER Series Cage Rods.
	30 mm
	60 mm
Cage Plates	16 mm	These serve as the basic building blocks for a cage system. They may have SM-threaded central bores, smooth bores sized for industry standard optics or to accommodate the outer profile of our SM Series Lens Tubes, or specialized bores for other components such as our FiberPorts.
	30 mm
	60 mm
Optic Mounts	16 mm	Thorlabs offers fixed, kinematic, rotation, and translation mounts specifically designed for our Cage Systems.
	30 mm
	60 mm
Cage Cubes	16 mm	These cubes are useful for housing larger optical components, such as prisms or mirrors, or optics that need to sit at an angle to the beam path, such as beamsplitters. Our cage cubes are available empty or with pre-mounted optics.
	30 mm
	60 mm
Post and Breadboard Mounts and Adapters		Mounting options for cage systems can be found on our Cage System Construction pages. Cage Systems can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to the table surface.
Size Adapters		Cage System Size Adapters can be used to integrate components from different cage system and threading standards.
Specialized Components		Thorlabs also produces specialized cage components, such as Filter Wheels, a HeNe Laser Mount, and a FiberPort Cage Plate Adapter, allowing a wide range of our products to be integrated into cage-mounted optical systems. Explore our Cage Systems Visual Navigation Guide to see the full range of Thorlabs' cage components.

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Posted Comments:

Poster: tcohen

Posted Date: 2012-04-19 15:33:00.0

Response from Tim at Thorlabs: Thank you for your feedback! I am discussing your suggestion with our production team. In the meantime we may be able to provide these as custom items. I will contact you with more information.

Poster: cbrideau

Posted Date: 2012-04-19 14:28:11.0

I use the 1/2" filter holder, and recently ordered another batch of -F inserts for it. I was surprised and pleased to find you had switched to a longer design as suggested by an earlier poster. I am now interested in the 1" holder, but I'd like to be able to get it with additional filter holders, i.e. CFH2-F as a part. I always need multiple filters for each holder so having more holders available is important to me.

Poster: bdada

Posted Date: 2011-10-25 23:51:00.0

Response from Buki at Thorlabs: Thank you for your interest in our cage plates. We will consider your request for a plate that can mount a thicker filter. In the meantime, please consider mounting the thicker filter in one of our 1/2" diameter lens tubes (SM05Lx series) and then threading the lens tube into the cage plate. http://www.thorlabs.com/NewGroupPage9.cfm?ObjectGroup_ID=3306&pn=SM05L03 Please contact TechSupport@thorlabs.com if you have further questions.

Poster:

Posted Date: 2011-10-24 13:33:40.0

A similar holder that can accomodate your thicker (6mm) bandpass filters would also be welcome.

Poster: Thorlabs

Posted Date: 2010-08-16 16:44:45.0

Response from Javier at Thorlabs to guyeda: Thank you very much for your feedback. We will modify the filter holder so that the length extends through the entire length of the cage plate.

Poster: guyeda

Posted Date: 2010-08-13 14:45:59.0

There should be an option for a filter holder that extends the entire length of the cage plate. As it stands, the gap at the bottom makes this holder ill suited for applications where minimizing stray light is important.

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Cage System Removable Filter Holders

Features

Cage System Overview

16 mm, 30 mm, and 60 mm Cage System Standards

Standard Threads