Laser Safety, 2nd Edition

8How to Select Optical Mounts

Damon Kopala

Getting the Most Out of Optical Mounts (Understanding Optical Mounts)

Introduction

When choosing optics, a common mistake among many engineers is overlooking the integration of optical mounts into their system. There are a variety of mounts available for holding lenses, prisms, mirrors, filters, and other common optical components. Some examples include bar-type mounts, gimbal mounts, adjustable kinematic mounts, fixed mounts, and jaw clamp mounts. When cost is a deciding factor, simple fixed mounts will be more than adequate. However, for applications that require fine positioning, adjustable, stable, kinematic mounts are essential to the integrity of a precision optical system.

Optical Mounts Specifics ...