User:Pranav Rathi/Notebook/OT/2010/10/31/Laser Shutter .1
I have constructed a cost-effective mechanical laser shutter system for our 1064 IR-laser. System contains a mechanical shutter, a control box and a power supply. There are many shutter systems available commercially; mechanical, semi-mechanical, electromagnetic and optical. Most of the systems are expensive and above $1000. These systems are fast (msecs to micro secs) and precise. In our case we needed a shutter which is precise and cost effective but not that fast. Some of the specifications of the system: Type mechanical with electronic control. Can also be controlled by a micro controller.
- Aperture 10mm.
- Open time 1.5 second, .3 second over the beam waist.
- Cost $ 30 excluding the power supply.
- Operational voltage 3.3, 5 and 12 volts.
- Laser intensity upto 10 W.
There might be many ways to make a mechanical shutter; I used eclipsing technique in which a shutter moves over and across an aperture through which the beam passes. To move the shutter I used an electric motor and a gear box. This method is relatively tuff because of the motor timing. While working on this I got couple of ideas of achieving the same goal: A 6 inches audio speaker with/without a micro controller can be converted in to a shutter (I will use this method if I plan to make a shutter for He-Ne) OR simply an electromagnet with a cantilever can be used as a shutter. The advantages of such a systems are, easy to make and similar in speed to commercially available systems.
Construction
There are three major parts of the system.
- Shutter.
- Control box.
- Power supply.
The components used:
