SM05-Compatible Cage Plates

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SP02 Dimensions

• Four Through-Holes for Ø4 mm Cage Rods
• SM05 (0.535"-40) Thread with Retaining Rings for Securing an Optic or SM05 Lens Tubes
• 4-40 or M3 Tapped Holes Allow Mounting to Mini Series Posts
• Connects to SC6W via 3-48 Cap Screws (Not Included with SP02)

This SM05-Threaded Cage Plate is designed for use with our compact 16 mm cage assembly system. It features four through-holes that accept Ø4 mm cage rods. Each cage rod through hole is accompanied by a side-located locking 4-40 setscrew, which can be secured using a 0.05" (1.3 mm) hex key. Both a 4-40 and an M3 tapped hole are featured on opposite sides. In addition, 3-48 cap screws (included with cube) can be used to bolt the cage plate onto the SC6W six-way cage cube. Two SM05RR retaining rings are included.

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The CP32 cage plate allows for
Ø1/2" lens tubes to be integrated
in 30 mm cage systems.

• Four Through-Holes for Ø6 mm Cage Rods
• SM05 (0.535"-40) Threaded
• Directly Mounts Ø1/2" Optical Components Within a 30 mm Cage System Assembly
• Post Mountable via 8-32 (M4) Tapped Hole

The CP32(/M) is 0.35" thick with a center-located SM05 (0.535"-40) threaded bore that is compatible with our popular Ø1/2" lens tubes. The bore can also directly accept a Ø1/2" optic up to 0.2" (5 mm) thick. Two SM05RR retaining rings are included.

Each cage rod through hole is accompanied by a side-located locking 4-40 setscrew, which can be secured using a 5/64" (2 mm) hex key. For additional convenience, an 8-32 (M4) tapped hole is provided for post mounting applications.

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Rotating 16 mm Cage System

• Rotates an Entire 16 mm Cage System Subassembly Around a Fixed SM05-Threaded (0.535"-40) Bore
• Rotation Locked with Flexure Mechanism
• Post Mountable via 4-40 (M3) Tapped Hole

Thorlabs' SCPU05(/M) 16 mm Rotating Cage Segment Plate allows an entire 16 mm cage subsystem to be rotated about the optical axis. The SCPU05(/M) consists of two plates: one attaches to a fixed cage segment, while the other rotates all attached cage elements. To rotate a cage segment between two fixed cage segments, two SCPU05(/M) plates must be used. The rotating cage segment is ideal for rotating multiple optical elements where the rotation of each element must be the same (e.g., using two cylindrical lenses to change the spatial profile of a laser diode or for multi-element polarization applications).

The rotating cage segment plate features a 0.85" (21.6 mm) deep, SM05-threaded (0.535"-40) central bore through the part that remains fixed as the plate is rotated. Two SM05RR retaining rings are provided for direct mounting of optics.

Each side of the cage plate has four blind holes for attaching cage rods. The blind holes do not penerate the full length of the plate, and thus, the cage rods must terminate at the segement they are installed in. Each rod is held in place by a side-located locking 4-40 setscrew, which can be secured using a 0.05" (1.3 mm) balldriver or hex key. An engraved scale with 2° graduations allows for reliable manual positioning. After the rotation is adjusted, a flexure locking mechanism, which is engaged with a 5/64" (2 mm) hex key, secures the rotation. The fixed side of the cage plate is equipped with an 4-40 (M3) tapped hole for mounting with our Mini-Series Optical Posts.

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• Create Removable 16 mm Cage Segments
• SM05 (0.535"-40) Internal Thread
• Compatible with 16 mm Cage Systems
• Available in 0.25" or 0.40" Thick Versions

Thorlabs' 16 mm Removable Cage Segment Plates provide the means to extract a portion of a cage system and replace it with other pre-aligned segments, as illustrated in the photo to the right. These cage plates add versatility to a cage system without disturbing any pre-aligned components while maintaining the rigidity of the cage system. They are equipped with a flexure cam lock to hold the cage plate in position prior to final tightening via the included 3-48 (M2) hex head screws. The cage plates may be mounted on our Mini-Series Posts via a 4-40 (M3) mounting hole.

For additional information, please see the complete product presentation.

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Coupled 16 mm and 30 mm Cage Assemblies

• Couples 16 mm to 30 mm Cage Systems
• Accepts ER and SR Series Rods
  • Four 0.05" (1.3 mm) Hex, 4-40 Locking Screws for SR Series Rods
  • Four 5/64" (2.0 mm) Hex, M4 x 0.7 Locking Screws for ER Series Rods
• Tapped with Our Standard SM05 Thread (0.535"-40)
• 8-32 (M4 x 0.7) Tapped Hole for Mounting to Ø1/2" Posts

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16 mm Cage Subassembly Sliding in a 30 mm Cage Rod System

The SP15(/M) cage plate provides a convenient means for coupling 16 mm and 30 mm cage assemblies (see image to the right). The Ø4 mm SR rod and Ø6 mm ER rod holes are each accompanied by a side-located locking setscrew. If replacement setscrews are needed, we offer SS4B038 brass setscrews, which use a 0.05" (1.3 mm) hex.

The SP15(/M) cage plate has an 8-32 (M4 x 0.7) tapped hole for post-mounting and a centered SM05 (0.535"-40) threaded bore (SM05RR retaining rings sold separately). This cage plate offers tight tolerances on the cage rod holes to ensure that both the 30 mm and 16 mm cage segments are centered around the central SM05 bore.

Additionally, two of these cage plates can be used to support a 16 mm cage subassembly that can slide along the 30 mm cage rods as a single optomechanical unit (see the image to the left).

Thorlabs also offers the CP32(/M) cage plate for mounting Ø1/2" optics or lens tubes to 30 mm cage systems.

• Compatible with 16 mm Cage Systems
• Unique Dovetail Design Provides Smooth Release and Clamping Action
• One-Handed Operation for Removal and Repositioning of an Optic
• Accepts Ø1/2" (12.7 mm) Optics Up to 0.12" (3 mm) Thick
• SM05 Internal Thread Directly Compatible With Our SM05-Series Components

The QRC05A cage mount is equipped with a unique spring-loaded dovetail design used to engage cage rods for positioning. By simply squeezing the dovetails together via the cupped actuator levers, the dovetail mechanism disengages the cage rods, allowing the mount to be either quickly repositioned or completely removed from a cage assembly. This convenient one-handed mechanism does not require any additional tools to actuate the clamping mechanism.

• Four Sides of Cage Cube Have SM05 (0.535"-40) Threads
• Two Opposing Sides with Ø0.635" Through-Holes
• 4-40 Tapped Holes for 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. If replacement setscrews are needed for the SP01, we offer the 1.3 mm hex SS4B013.

Prism Mount
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 Cube Clamp
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 an SP01 blank cage plate or an SPM2 prism mount can be used as the base for this clamp. When using an SP01 cage plate with the SB6C clamp, rectangular prisms can be mounted that are between 0.4" (10.2 mm) and 0.75" (19 mm) tall.

*Delrin is a registered trademark of DuPont Polymers, Inc.