Precision Laser Mount

Precision Design | Metrology

An kinematically constrained laser mount which uses a flexure joint to allow adjustment with 100μrad precision.

Core design concepts.

| Boys joint for mounting

| Kinematic constraint in 6 DOF

| Flexure for highly repeatable movement

| 99μrad adjustability

Materials.

| 1/2” MDF

| 1/4” Steel balls and pins

| Strapping tape

| 1/4-20 steel screw and nut

| Hot melt glue

Timeline.

| 3 weeks

I built this laser mount during the beginning of the COVID-19 quarantine in California during the final quarter of my MS degree. My access to tools was extremely limited, but by focusing on precision design concepts I was able to build a remarkably precise laser mount. The first prototype of this mount explored the boys joint, which, through kinematic constraint of all 6 DOF, allowed the laser housing to be replaced on the mount with a repeatability of 140μrad in x-axis angular displacement and 100μrad in y-axis angular displacement. The second prototype explored adjustability using a cross flex rotation flexure. The adjustability of my flexure design was 99μrad, but with minor improvements could likely be reduced to 24μrad. Continue below to see select slides from my final presentation of this project.