Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Rails / 66 mm Optical Rails / Cage System Mounts for 66 mm RailsCage System Mounts for 66 mm Rails
- Mount 30 mm or 60 mm Cage Systems onto 66 mm Construction Rails
- SM1-Threaded Cage Plate for 30 mm Cage System
- Snap-On Supports for 30 mm and 60 mm Cage Systems
RCA1
SM1-Threaded
30 mm Cage Plate
RCA2
30 mm Cage Snap-On Support
RCA3
60 mm Cage Snap-On Support
Application Idea
30 mm Cage System Mounted on a
66 mm Rail Using an RCA2 Support
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Adapters Mount Cage Systems at 50 mm Optical Axis
Above the 66 mm Construction Rail
Features
- Mount Cage System Segments onto 66 mm Construction Rails Along a Common Optical Axis
- Cage Plate Adapter for 30 mm Cage Systems
- Snap-On Options for 30 mm and 60 mm Cage Systems
- Common Optical Axis Height: 50.0 mm (1.97")
The cage plate and support brackets offered below enable our 30 mm or 60 mm cage systems to be mounted along the optical axis of our 66 mm rail systems. The cage plate and two support brackets each align a mounted cage system at a common 50.0 mm (1.97") optical axis height, measured from the rail. The dovetail clamp design allows for easy removal or addition of cage system segments as required by the application. To further simplify mounting, the screws and setscrews used in these parts all have a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex size. For additional information on our cage systems, please refer to the Cage Overview tab.
| XT66 66 mm Optical Rail Accessories | ||||||||||
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| Rails | Clamps and Angle Brackets |
Mounting Platforms |
Rail Platform Positioners |
Rail Carriage | Breadboard Mounting |
Rotation Slide Platform |
Cage System Mounts |
Lens Tube Adapter |
Rail Joiner | Size Adapters |
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: | |
oba2002
(posted 2018-05-31 19:30:37.497) Do you have 95 mm rail versions of these items? llamb
(posted 2018-06-06 08:53:39.0) We do not have Cage System Mounts for our 95 mm rails, but I will add this idea to our internal product forum for future discussion. Thank you for your feedback! |
Zoom
Click to Enlarge 30 mm Cage System Mounted on a 66 mm Rail
- Mount a 30 mm Cage System on an 66 mm Construction Rail
- Cage Plate with Bores for Ø6.0 mm ER Rods, Secured Using 5/64" (2.0 mm) Hex
- SM1-Threaded Center Bore, 0.35" Deep
- Dovetail Clamp Design Slides Along 66 mm Rail Prior to Lockdown
- Optical Axis Height: 50.0 mm (1.97")
The RCA1 30 mm Cage Plate enables users to construct a 30 mm Cage System that can be mounted onto an 66 mm Construction Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom is compatible with our 66 mm rails, can be inserted anywhere along the rail, and is engaged by a screw with a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex. The cage plate on top is similar to our CP33(/M) Cage Plate with SM1 (1.035"-40) threads and offers four through holes for Ø6.0 mm cage rods (not included). Each through hole is accompanied by a locking setscrew, which can be secured using a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex key or balldriver. The center-threaded bore can also directly accept a Ø1" optic up to 0.2" (5 mm) thick. The optical axis measured from the top of the rail is 50.0 mm (1.97"), which matches the other cage system to rail adapters on this page.
Zoom
Click to Enlarge 30 mm Cage System Mounted on an 66 mm Rail
- Mount a 30 mm Cage System on an 66 mm Construction Rail
- Snap-On Functionality for Easy Installation or Removal of Cage Rods
- Firmly Lock onto Ø6.0 mm ER Rods with Flexure Slot Locking Design
- Dovetail Clamp Design Slides Along 66 mm Rail Prior to Lockdown
- Optical Axis Height: 50.0 mm (1.97")
The RCA2 Mounting Bracket provides users with a snap-on solution for mounting a 30 mm Cage System onto an 66 mm Construction Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom is compatible with our 66 mm rails, can be inserted anywhere along the rail, and is engaged by a screw with a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex. The top of the bracket features a flexure-based design that can be quickly snapped onto an open section of two Ø6.0 mm Cage Rods (not included). This allows for easy installation or removal of a 30 mm cage system without requiring any disassembly. Each flexure clamp is accompanied by a locking screw, which can be secured using a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex key or balldriver. The optical axis measured from the top of the rail is 50.0 mm (1.97"), which matches the other cage system to rail adapters on this page.
Zoom
Click to Enlarge 60 mm Cage System Mounted on an 66 mm Rail
- Mount a 60 mm Cage System on an 66 mm Construction Rail
- Snap-On Functionality for Easy Installation or Removal of Cage Rods
- Firmly Lock onto Ø6.0 mm ER Rods with Flexure Slot Locking Design
- Dovetail Clamp Design Slides Along 66 mm Rail Prior to Lockdown
- Optical Axis Height: 50.0 mm (1.97")
The RCA3 Mounting Bracket provides users with a snap-on solution for mounting a 60 mm Cage System onto an 66 mm Construction Rail. The dovetail clamp on the bottom is compatible with our 66 mm rails, can be inserted anywhere along the rail, and is engaged by a screw with a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex. The top of the bracket features a flexure-based design that can be quickly snapped onto an open section of two Ø6.0 mm Cage Rods (not included). This allows for easy installation or removal of a 60 mm cage system without requiring any disassembly. Each flexure clamp is accompanied by a locking screw, which can be secured using a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex key or balldriver. The optical axis measured from the top of the rail is 50.0 mm (1.97"), which matches the other cage system to rail adapters on this page.
Cage System Mounts for 66 mm Rails