Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Cage Systems / 16 mm Cage Components / 16 mm Cage Cubes / 16 mm Cage Cube and Prism Mount16 mm Cage Cube and Prism Mount
- Mount Prisms in 16 mm Cage Systems
- Build 2D and 3D Cage Assemblies
SB6C
SC6W
SPM2
10 mm Beamsplitter Cube
Mounted in SC6W Cage Cube Using
SPM2 Prism Mount and SB6C Clamp
Application Idea
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| Alternative Size Options |
|---|
| 16 mm Cage Cubes |
| 2" Wide 30 mm Cage Cubes |
| 1.5" Wide 30 mm Cage Cubes |
| 60 mm Cage Cubes |
Features
- 16 mm Cage System and SM05 Lens Tube Compatible Cubes
- Ideal for Mounting Prisms or Cubes Up to 10 mm in Height
- Build 2D and 3D 16 mm Cage Systems
The SPM2 prism mount can be used to mount a prism or cube optic up to 10 mm tall for integration into a compact cage system. This mount can be used with the 16 mm cage cube SC6W, or any cage mount with a Ø0.635" aperture. Full 360° rotation can be accomplished by rotating the complete mount when attaching it to the cube to make adjustments, prior to securing it into place using a 4-40 nylon-tipped setscrew. Epoxy is required to secure an optic onto the mount.
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 below). 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.
An example of the standard cage plate measurements determining cage system compatibility.
| 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. | |
| Posted Comments: | |
Charles Carver
(posted 2020-11-30 19:39:19.67) It would be great if there was a way to connect two SC6W cubes together so they're flush! YLohia
(posted 2020-12-01 10:21:41.0) Hello, thank you for your feedback. We will consider this in a future revision of this product. |
Zoom- Four Sides with SM05 (0.535"-40) Threads
- 2 Opposing Sides with Ø0.635" Through-Holes
- 4-40 Tapped Holes for Mounting Ø4 mm SR Cage Rods
- 3-48 Tapped Holes for Attaching 16 mm Cage Plates (Cap Screws Included)
Cage cubes are key components of our optomechanical cage assemblies. They are an ideal way to join multiple subsystems via a centrally located interface. These components can also act as an instrumentation box for small electro-optical components. The solid one-piece construction, machined parallel and perpendicular to within 0.002" (0.05 mm), maintains excellent alignment of joined subsystems. A nylon-tipped 4-40 setscrew with 0.050" hex is provided for holding an SPM2 prism mount in place. Twelve 3-48 cap screws with 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex are included for attaching 16 mm cage plates.
Zoom- Mount is Secured in Place Using 4-40 Nylon-Tipped Setscrew in SC6W
- Holds Prisms or Cubes up to 10 mm Tall
- Epoxy Prisms onto Mount
- Center-Located Through Hole to Allow Laser Beam to Pass Through
The SPM2 Prism Mount is designed to hold a prism up to 10 mm tall in a SC6W 16 mm Cage Cube or any cage mount with a Ø0.64" (Ø16.1 mm) smooth aperture. Optics can be secured using an adhesive, such as epoxy. Once the optic is mounted within the cage cube, the mount can rotate 360° to provide coarse adjustment. The SPM2's drilled center hole allows a laser beam to pass through the mount. After establishing the desired position, lock the mount into place using the 4-40 nylon-tipped setscrew.
Zoom- Mounts Directly to SC6W 16 mm Cage Cube
- ±5° Swiveling Delrin®* Tip
- Provides Adequate Clamping Force
- 3/32" Hex Socket Adjuster Clamp
- Hex Key Included
The SB6C cage cube clamp is compatible with the SC6W 16 mm cage cubes. The clamping mechanism is a #10-32 adjuster with a 3/32" hex socket head and a Delrin swivel tip to help avoid marring the clamped object. A 3/32" hex key is included with each SB6C. Depending on the optical component being mounted, either a blank cage plate (SP01) or a prism mount (SPM2) can be used as the base for this clamp.
*Delrin® is a registered trademark of DuPont Polymers, Inc.
 Empty 16 mm Cage Cubes |