Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Post Assemblies / Mini-Series Optical Post Assemblies / Mini-Series Post HoldersMini-Series Post Holders
- Mounts Ø6 mm Mini-Series Posts
- Compatible with Mini-Series or Standard Breadboards
- 360° Swivel-Base or Pedestal-Base Options
Swivel-Base Post Holders
MSL3
1/4" (M6) Slot
Pedestal-Base Post Holders
MPH25
MBA1
Mounting Base
#8 (M4) Slot
MSH1.5
#4 (M3) Slot
MPH50
MSC2
Clamping Fork
1/4" (M6) Slot
MSC3
Clamping Fork
#8 (M4) Slot
MSC1
Clamping Fork
#4 (M3) Slot
Pedestal Post Holder Base and Clamping Forks
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Figure 1.3 Swivel base allows access to surrounding mounting holes.
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Figure 1.2 MPH50 Post Holder threads onto the MBA1 Post Holder Base.
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Figure 1.1 MPH50 Post Holder secured to a Mini-Series Breadboard using the MSC2 Clamping Fork.
Features
- Post Holders for Mounting Ø6 mm Mini-Series Posts:
- Swivel-Base Post Holder with #4 (M3) or 1/4" (M6) Slot
- Pedestal-Base Post Holder
- Pedestal Post Holder Base and Clamping Forks with #4 (M3), #8 (M4), or 1/4" (M6) Slot
- Post Can Pass Through Post Holders, Enabling Post to Bottom Out
- Compatible with Mini-Series or Standard Breadboards
Designed to mount our Ø6 mm posts, Thorlabs' Mini-Series post holders are the ideal solution for mounting Mini-Series components in a compact assembly. Thorlabs offers two types of Mini-Series post holders: swivel base and pedestal base.
Our swivel-base post holders feature a knurled aluminum, hex-locking thumbscrew for securing the post. The base swivels 360° to allow for maximum flexibility when placing parts on a breadboard or optical table. The swivel-base post holders have two mounting slot options to allow for compatibility with both Mini-Series and standard breadboards: the MSH post holders feature a slot for 4-40 (M3) cap screws, and the MSL post holders have a slot for 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws.
The pedestal-base post holders use a rotatable flexure clamp with 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex to secure the post. The flexure clamp can be rotated 360° for easy access to the locking screw. The pedestal base of the post holders is compatible with our Mini-Series clamping forks (sold below) which have #4 (M3), #8 (M4) or 1/4" (M6) slots. For additional mounting flexibility, the MPH post holders are also directly compatible with the MBA1 Mini-Series post holder base (sold below). The MBA1 is secured to the post holder using threads for added stability and features a slot for 8-32 (M4) cap screws to secure the MPH post holders to a Mini-Series breadboard.
For additional height adjustment, the hollow base of both types of post holders allows the Ø6 mm posts to rest on the optical table, which enables the largest possible range of post height adjustment. Please note that our Ø6 mm posts feature a 4-40 (M3) tap, making them compatible only with other Mini-Series components.
| Posted Comments: | |
Ludo Angot
(posted 2020-09-25 02:07:14.973) Would you consider offering an equivalent of the MPHxx series but with a thumb screw as the MSHx post and more importantly, with an M4 (or M6) threaded hole so that the post could be mounted on your 19mm dovetail carrier for building ultra compact systems? Or how do you suggest I mount 6mm post holders on these dovetail carrier? I also second cbrideau's request for M4 threaded posts. llamb
(posted 2020-09-29 09:38:32.0) Thank you for your feedback. Currently we would recommend mounting the MSHx post holders using the MBA1 base or the MSC3 clamping fork for fixing to your dovetail carrier. We will also take your suggestions into consideration for improving on this product line. cbrideau
(posted 2016-12-09 17:46:27.613) It would be nice to see 8-32(M4) threaded 6mm posts for directly working with '05 series mounts and hardware. This would eliminate the need for the 4-40(M3) to 8-32(M4) adapter you have to get with every mount to make this work. tfrisch
(posted 2016-12-15 09:37:03.0) Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs. I have posted this in our internal engineering forum. |
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Figure G1.1 Mounting Features
- 360° Swiveling Base with #4 (M3) Slot
- Precision-Machined Square Relief Cut Provides Stable Two-Line Contact
- Knurled Aluminum Thumbscrew with 3/32" Hex Firmly Holds Post
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Figure G2.1 Mounting Features
- 360° Swiveling Base with 1/4”-20 (M6) Slot
- Precision-Machined Square Relief Cut Provides Stable Two-Line Contact
- Knurled Aluminum Thumbscrew with 3/32" Hex Firmly Holds Post
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Figure G3.2 Iris and MK05 with lens mounted with 1/2" separation using MPH25 post holders with MBA1 bases (available below).
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Figure G3.1 MPH50 Post Holder secured to a Mini-Series Breadboard using the MSC2 Clamping Fork.
- Pedestal-Style Base for Use with Clamping Forks
- Bottom-Located Internal Threads Attach to MBA1 (Available Below)
- Precision-Machined Relief Cut Provides Stable Two-Line Contact
- 360° Rotating Flexure Clamp with 5/64" (2.0 mm) Hex for Securing Post
Thorlabs’ MPH post holders are designed to be as compact as possible to accommodate tight setups. The diameter of the post holder allows for two posts to be mounted in contact with each other using adjacent holes on an imperial or a metric Mini-Series breadboard with 1/2" or 12.5 mm spacing (see Figure G3.2). To use the minimum height of a post, these post holders have a through hole that allows the post to rest on the breadboard.
These post holders feature a flexure clamp with a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex for securing our Ø6 mm posts. The flexure clamp rotates 360° so that the locking screw can be easily accessed in any orientation or moved out of the way when mounting two posts side-by-side. The vertical translation of the post locks before the rotation of the flexure clamp locks, making it possible to fine-tune the rotation after locking the height. Once the locking screw is fully tightened, the flexure clamp will no longer rotate.
Each post holder has a pedestal base allowing them to be secured to an optical table or breadboard with our Mini-Series clamping forks (sold below). The clamping forks provide either a #4 (M3), #8 (M4), or 1/4" (M6) mounting slot. Alternatively, we offer the MBA1 (sold below), ideal for saving space in compact systems, which screws directly into the bottom of the post holder and provides a #8 (M4) mounting slot ideal for use with Mini-Series breadboards.
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Figure G4.1 MBA1 Post Holder Base threaded onto MPH50 Post Holder.
- External Threads Attach to Pedestal-Base Mini-Series Post Holders
- #8 (M4) Mounting Slot for Use with Mini-Series Breadboards
- Ø6 mm Through Hole Allows Post to Bottom Out
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Figure G5.1 An MSC2 Clamping Fork secures a Mini-Series pedestal post to a breadboard with 1/4"-20 tapped holes.
- Secure Any of Our Ø12 mm Pedestal Posts or Pedestal-Base Post Holders to Breadboards or Optical Tables
- MSC1 Has a 0.63" (15.9 mm) Long Counterbored Slot for a 4-40 (M3) Cap Screw
- MSC3 Has a 0.59" (14.9 mm) Long Counterbored Slot for an 8-32 (M4) Cap Screw
- MSC2 Has a 0.63" (15.9 mm) Long Slot for a 1/4"-20 (M6) Cap Screw
- Swivel Fork 360° to Select the Most Convenient Mounting Hole
Our clamping forks are designed to provide exceptional clamping force when used with our Ø12 mm pedestal posts or our pedestal-base post holders (sold above). These clamping forks provide flexibility for building setups that combine Mini-Series components and our larger range of optomechanics offerings. The MSC1 and MSC2 are made from anodized aluminum, while the MSC3 is made from precipitation hardened 17-4PH stainless steel to provide a more uniform clamping force.
Designed to be used with the Mini-Series breadboards, the MSC1 and MSC3 are compatible with a 4-40 (M3) and 8-32 (M4) cap screw, respectively. The MSC2 slot accepts 1/4"-20 (M6) cap screws, thus enabling the inclusion of Mini-Series posts and components into setups on standard breadboards and optical tables in addition to mini-series breadboards.
Each clamping fork features landing pads on the bottom surface to maximize stability when using a washer and cap screw to lock down a post with the fork. Please note that significant overtightening of clamping forks can deform the surface of an optical table, which can cause misalignment of components.
Mini-Series Post Holders