25 mm Travel, Quick-Connect Stages for Rigid Stands

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The quick connect dovetails allow a single-axis stage to be converted into a two-axis configuration. The 2" wide female dovetails on the bottom of one stage mates with the male dovetail on the other. The left female dovetail is on a retractable clamping arm, allowing stages to be dropped into place.

Selection Guide for Rigid Stand Translation Stages
Manual Stages with Quick Connect	Self-Contained Manual Stages	Motorized Stages

Features

• Translate Rigid Stands up to 25 mm in One or Two Horizontal Axes 
• Compatible with Rigid Stands via an Adapter Plate
• Quick Connect Dovetail Feature for Constructing Multi-Axis Stages
• Crossed-Roller Bearings for High Load Capacity and Low Angular Deviation
• Metric Micrometer in Two Different Orientations:
  
  • Side Mounted for Compact Design
  • End Mounted for Ease of Adjustment
• Micrometer Conversion Kits for Changing Micrometer Location
• Mount to an Optical Table Using Four 1/4" (M6) Counterbores

Thorlabs' XRN25 Series Translation Stages and MPA1(/M) Rigid Stand Adapter Plate are designed to be used together with our line of Rigid Stands, which support slide holders, petri dishes, recording chambers, micromanipulators, and other samples that will be inserted into a Cerna^® or other microscope's optical path. When assembled together, the rigid stand, adapter plate, and translation stage maintain a slim profile that consumes a minimal amount of space in and around the optical path, making them ideal for space-constrained microscopy systems where a larger number of stands will need to be used.

For our rigid stands, we also offer 1" motorized translation stages, which feature a stepper motor, as well as our 25 mm manual self-contained translation stages, which have a more compact footprint than these quick-connect manual stages.

XRN25 Series Translation Stages
The XRN25 series translation stages are constructed with a full aluminum body with crossed roller bearings for precision motion, high load capacity, and low angular deviation. See the table to the right for complete stage specifications. The combination of these stages and the adapter plate provides a convenient solution for translating a rigid stand up to 25 mm in one or two horizontal axes. As shown in the image above, each stage features quick connect dovetails that allow a single-axis stage to be converted into a two-axis configuration; alternatively, a two-axis stage can be easily disassembled into two single-axis stages. Stages are secured together with a dovetail clamp screw that has a maximum torque of 15 in•lbs. 

These stages are lockable with a plate on the side of the stage that can be secured using a 5/64" (2.0 mm) hex key. The top plate of each stage is tapped with an array of 1/4"-20 (M6) tapped blind holes. Each stage can be mounted directly to the optical table using four 1/4" (M6) mounting slots. 

We offer single-axis stages that feature a side- or end-mounted micrometer, as well as a two-axis stage that has side-mounted micrometers. Each micrometer provides 500 µm displacement per revolution. Side-mounted micrometers can be swapped with the locking plate to create both left-and right-handed stages. See the Micrometer Conversion tab for more details. Micrometer conversion kits are available below. 

Additional functionality is provided by a complete line of accessories that include multi-axis assembly kits, rail carriers, a rotation adapter, and baseplates.

Rigid Stand Adapter Plate
The MPA1(/M) adapter plate is required to mount a rigid stand onto an XRN25 series translation stage. This aluminum adapter plate is designed to have a compact footprint that matches the base of the rigid stand holder. The combination of the adapter plate and translation stage provides a compact manual solution for translating a rigid stand within a setup.

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The side-mounted micrometer can be swapped with the locking plate to create both left-and right-handed stages.

Micrometer Conversion
The video to the left outlines how to convert a rear-mounted micrometer stage (XRN25C and XRN25C/M) to a side-mounted micrometer stage using the XRN-C1 conversion kit. To convert a side-mounted micrometer stage (XRN25P and XRN25P/M) to a rear-mounted micrometer stage, simply follow the directions in reverse and use the XRN-C2 conversion kit.

Note: Before removing the micrometer, lock the stage by tightening the button head cap screw in the groove in the steel locking plate using a 5/64" (2 mm) hex key.

Swapping a Side-Mounted Micrometer
If you would like to switch the location of the locking plate, as shown in the photo to the right, back out the micrometer to the 25 mm reading before removing all three button head screws from the locking plate. Failure to do this will cause the stage to quickly retract to its minimum position when the micrometer is removed, potentially damaging the mechanism.