Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Cage Systems / 30 mm Cage Components / 30 mm Cage Cubes / 30 mm Cage Cubes and Accessories / 30 mm Cage Cube Platforms30 mm Cage Cube Platforms
- Provides Stable Platform to Mount Optics Within Cubes
- Available with Rigid or Kinematic Options
- Compatible with 30 mm Cage Cubes and Optic Holders
Application Idea
B3C Platform with FFM1 Dichroic Filter Holder, Post Mounted in a C6WR 30 mm Cage Cube
Bottom
B3C
Rigid Platform
B4C
Kinematic Platform
Top
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| 30 mm Cage Cubes and Accessories | ||||
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| Cage Cubes | Optic Mounts | Platforms | Rotating Platforms | Cover Plates |
Features
- 30 mm-Cage-Cube-Compatible Platforms
- Fixed or Kinematic Options Available
- Platforms Rotate to Nearly Any Angle
The 30 mm cage cube platforms offered here are designed to hold our 30 mm cage cube optic mounts. These platforms are ideal for building optical setups involving prisms, beamsplitters, and other optics that are compatible with our 30 mm cage system. The platforms featured here can be mounted to either the top or bottom of a 30 mm cage cube (see video to the bottom left) and may also be post mounted. Before locking the platforms onto a cage cube, they can be rotated to nearly any angle, giving the user control over the position of the optic within a cage cube. The B4C(/M) platform offers additional kinematic translation via three setscrews located on the bottom of the platform.
When using these platforms with a C6WR cage cube, there will be insufficient clearance to pass the two cage rods nearest the platform all the way through the cage cube. For the B3C and B4C platforms, the C6WA Mounting Adapter can be used to provide clearance for all four cage rods without sacrificing mounting surface area (see video to the bottom right). Alternatively, the cage rods can still be passed through the through holes opposite the rotating platform, or the C6WR can be turned 90° with all four cage rods threaded into the 4-40 holes on opposite sides of the C6WR.
Animation demonstrating how to attach a platform to a 30 mm cage cube.
Animation demonstrating how the C6WA Platform Adapter allows cage rods to pass through a 30 mm cage cube.
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 accommodate 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 (2.80") |
| 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 | ||
| Replacement Setscrews | Replacement setscrews are offered for our 16 mm (SS4B013, SS4B025, and SS4B038) and 30 mm (SS4MS5 and SS4MS4) cage systems products. | |
| 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: | |
user
(posted 2022-02-01 12:29:35.823) Why are the locking grooves on the B3C exactly at the corners of the provided white square? This allows for locking at "almost any angle" except for squarely within a cage cube like I would want. jdelia
(posted 2022-02-03 01:55:43.0) Thank you for contacting Thorlabs, and for pointing this out. Feedback like this helps us to make products which most optimally satisfy our customer's needs. We are always "hungry for your though" and will be updating the engravings to correct this, as the square should be oriented 45 degrees from where it is currently. user
(posted 2017-06-29 15:04:21.137) why you did different screw pattern/size in C6WA/M compare for example B4C/M? right now I cannot use FFM1 with it. tfrisch
(posted 2017-08-03 02:53:25.0) Hello, thank you for contacting Thorlabs and for bringing this limitation of the adapter plate to our attention. I've posted this in our internal engineering forum, but you can also reach out to us directly at TechSupport@Thorlabs.com to request a custom with the M3 holes spaced 1" to mount the FFM1. carlos.macias
(posted 2016-05-31 15:19:38.45) hello. What is the size of the adjustment screws on the B4C/M? besembeson
(posted 2016-06-02 01:32:32.0) Response from Bweh at Thorlabs USA: We use a 1/4"-80 fine hex adjuster set screw (similar to F25SS050) which uses a 2mm Hex for adjustment. We also have the drawing for part on our website: http://www.thorlabs.com/thorcat/1500/B4C_M-AutoCADPDF.pdf |
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The B3C and B4C Attach to C4W and C6WR Cage Cubes to Allow Optics to be Mounted Inside
- Mounts at Almost Any Angle within C4W and C6WR Cubes
- B3C: Nine 4-40 Tapped Holes
- B3C/M: Four M4 and Five M3 Tapped Holes
- Includes Four 4-40 Button-Head Screws
The B3C(/M) fixed cage cube platform mounts onto the top or bottom of our 30 mm cage cubes. This platform can be coarsely rotated while inside the cube prior to being locked down at almost any angle with the included 4-40 button-head screws and 1/16" hex key. The holes on the B3C(/M) platform are ideal for mounting our 30 mm cage optic mounts. The bottom of the platform features a single 8-32 (M4) tapped hole with a depth of 0.25" (6.4 mm) for mounting to one of our Ø1/2 Posts. The B3C(/M) platform is rigid and only offers coarse rotational positioning, while the B4C(/M) platform (offered below) has three adjusters to provide pitch, roll, and Z translation in addition to rotational positioning.
The B3C platform features one central 4-40 tapped mounting hole with a depth of 0.06" (1.5 mm) for use with our C6WA platform adapter kit (sold below). In addition, this platform has eight 4-40 tapped mounting holes each with a depth of 0.20" (5.1 mm).
The B3C/M platform includes a centrally located M3 tapped mounting hole with a depth of 1.5 mm (0.06") for use with our C6WA platform adapter kit (sold below). The B3C/M also features four M3 tapped and four M4 tapped mounting holes that are 5.1 mm (0.20") deep. The M4 tapped holes may be used with our PM3/M clamping arm to hold items such as prisms.
For a continuous or precision rotation adjustment, please see our 30 mm cage cube rotation platforms.
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The proper installation of a B4C viewed from the bottom of a C4W Cage Cube.
- Mounts at Almost Any Angle within C4W and C6WR Cubes
- B4C: Nine 4-40 Tapped Holes
- B4C/M: Four M4 and Five M3 Tapped Holes
- Offers Pitch, Roll, and Z Translation
The B4C(/M) Kinematic Cage Cube Platform mounts onto the top or bottom of our C4W or C6WR cage cube (see image to the right). This platform can be coarsely rotated while inside the cage cube prior to being locked down at almost any angle with the included 4-40 button-head screws and 1/16" hex key. The tapped holes on this platform are ideal for mounting our 30 mm cage optic mounts. The M4 tapped holes may be used with our PM3/M clamping arm to hold items such as prisms.
The B4C(/M) platform has three adjusters [5/64" (2.0 mm) hex] to provide pitch, roll, and Z translation in addition to rotational positioning. The kinematic adjustment comes from three 1/4"-80 adjuster screws that give ±4° pitch/roll articulation and up to 0.125" of Z translation. The bottom of each platform has an 8-32 (M4) tapped hole, thereby allowing it to be mounted onto a Ø1/2 Post.
Thorlabs also offers a 30 mm cage cube rotation platforms for more precise control of a platform mounted optic.
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The C6WA is shown here with the B3CR. It can be mounted to the C6WR Cage Cube with Thorlabs' Cube Platforms.*
Click for Details The C6WA can be used to mount optics with the B5C1 in the C6WR Cage Cube while allowing all four cage rods to be fully inserted in the through holes.
- Mounting Adapter Allows C6WR to House Optics with All Four Cage Rods Inserted
- Compatible with B3C(/M), B4C(/M), B3CR(/M), and B4CRP(/M) Platforms*
- Four 4-40 (M3) Button-Head Screws Included for Mounting
The C6WA(/M) Platform Adapter Kit allows Thorlabs' Cube Platforms* to be used in conjunction with the C6WR with all four cage rods installed. The C6WA(/M) kit consists of two machined components, four 4-40 button-head screws, and a single 4-40 (M3) flat-head screw. A 0.08" (2.0 mm) thick shim allows the mounting platform to mate to the C6WR without interfering with the cage rods while a secondary platform is then installed above the cage rods. The adapter platform has a diameter of 1.65" (41.9 mm) and raises the mounting surface height by 0.27" (6.9 mm).
The C6WA(/M)'s hole pattern consists of four 4-40 (M4) taps compatible with our Optic Holders and four 6-32 (M4) tapped holes allowing the use of a PM3(/M) Clamping Arm. When using one of these optic holders or a clamping arm with a rotating cage cube platform and the C6WA(/M), limited fine adjustment with the rotation platform is possible before the top of the mount or clamping arm interferes with the cage rods. This platform adapter is not designed for use with the FFM1.
To use the adapter, place the square shim between the bottom of the C6WR and the cage cube platform [B3C(/M), B4C(/M)*, B3CR(/M)*, or B4CRP(/M)] that you wish to mount to the cage cube. Secure the cage cube platform to the cage cube through the holes in the shim using the four included 4-40 button-head screws (1/16" hex), as shown in the exploded view to the right. Insert the adapter platform through the top hole of the cage cube, angling it as needed to bypass the top cage rods, and attach it to the cage cube platform using the included 4-40 (M3) flat-head screw [1/16" (2 mm) hex]. Once the adapter platform is installed, the optic holder or clamping arm can be used to mount an optic inside the cage cube.
Please note that the vertical offset created by the raised mounting platform will make any optic mounted using our 30 mm-Cage-Cube-Compatible Optic Mounts no longer centered with respect to the SM1-threaded ports.
*The C6WA(/M) is not compatible with versions of the B3CR/M sold before March 26, 2014, or B3C(/M) and B4C(/M) platforms sold before December 5, 2012. If you have an older model of the B3CR/M, B3C(/M), or B4C(/M) platforms and would like to exhange it for the new version, please contact Technical Support.
 30 mm Cage Cube Platforms |