Abstract
As 3D printers become more widely available, researchers are able to rapidly produce components that may have previously taken weeks to have machined. The resulting plastic components, having high surface roughness, are often not suitable for high-precision optomechanics. However, by playing to the strengths of 3D printing-namely the ability to print complex internal geometries-it is possible to design monolithic mechanisms that do not rely on tight integration of high-precision parts. Here we present a motorised monolithic 3D-printed plastic flexure stage with sub-100 nm resolution that can perform automated optical fibre alignment.
Highlights
Good mechanical positioning is a critical factor in the performance of most optical instruments, but is often the most overlooked aspect of their design
The low elastic modulus of plastics allows a greater range of motion for a given lever length, allowing further size reductions and increasing stiffness. These monolithic components, being printed from a single material, can be designed so much of the thermal expansion is cancelled out. In this manuscript we introduce the OpenFlexure Block Stage[6] a motorised 3-axis translation stage with sub-100 nm resolution
The OpenFlexure Block Stage demonstrates that 3D printed flexure mechanisms can be used to produce a high precision translation stage
Summary
Good mechanical positioning is a critical factor in the performance of most optical instruments, but is often the most overlooked aspect of their design. Parametric computer aided design (CAD) allows simple customisation of parts for increased versatility This means designs can be combined and adapted, resulting in smaller, lighter, cheaper, and more tightly integrated components. The low elastic modulus of plastics allows a greater range of motion for a given lever length, allowing further size reductions and increasing stiffness These monolithic components, being printed from a single material, can be designed so much of the thermal expansion is cancelled out. In this manuscript we introduce the OpenFlexure Block Stage[6] a motorised 3-axis translation stage with sub-100 nm resolution. The fact that the levers are actuated relative to the casing of the stage—extruded at the same time from the same material—means that thermal expansion largely cancels out
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