Products Home / Optomechanical Components / Optical Rails / 3" Dovetail Rails / 3" Rails for Quick-Connect Stages3" Rails for Quick-Connect Stages
- Dovetail Rails Designed for Extended Linear Positioning
- 150 mm, 250 mm, and 500 mm Stock Lengths
- Custom Lengths up to 750 mm
XR25DR2
XR25DR3
XR25DR
1/4" (M6) Counterbored Holes and Slots for Breadboard Mounting
End View
0.39"
0.49"
2.98"0.30"
Please Wait
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Figure 1.2 XRR1 Rotation Stage Mounted on XR25DR Baseplate for Coarse Linear Positioning
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Figure 1.1 When mounted on a rail, the stage's translation axis is perpendicular to the adjustment axis of the rail.
Features
- Outer Dovetail Compatible with 3" XR Quick Connect Stages
- Allows for Coarse Adjustment of Mounted Components
- 150 mm, 250 mm, and 500 mm Lengths Available
- Counterbored 1/4" (M6) Mounting Slots Compatible with Imperial and Metric Breadboards
- Additional Dovetail Compatible with 34 mm Rail Accessories
These 3" dovetail rails provide a convenient way to mount our XR series stages and accessories on a breadboard or optical table. All rails feature an outer male dovetail for mounting the translation stage, as shown in Figure 1.1, and an inner 34 mm male dovetail for mounting other clamps and platforms.
A mounted component can be translated across the entire length of the rail. The XR25DR2, XR25DR, and the XR25DR3 come in lengths of 150 mm, 250 mm, and 500 mm, respectively. For these stages, travel along the rail would be in the direction orthogonal to the stage's translation axis. The graduated scale engraved along one edge of each rail makes it easy to repeat adjustments between multiple locations on the rail; the XR25-RC3 rail carriers can be used to mark a specific location on the rail before moving the stage.
The rails feature 1" long, 1/4" (M6) counterbored mounting slots and a central 1/4" (M6) counterbored mounting hole that allow the rail to be used with both imperial and metric breadboard hole patterns. Standard cap screws can be used with this rail without interrupting the translation of mounted components.
For our complete selection of 3" dovetail components, see the Quick-Connect Stages tab.
| Posted Comments: | |
user
(posted 2023-04-28 16:14:56.38) Dear Sir/ma'am,
Can two rails (XR25DR3) be connected back to back without interrupting the motion of the carrier plate?
Regards, jdelia
(posted 2023-05-08 01:37:24.0) Thank you for contacting Thorlabs. We do suggest mounting two of these rails back-to-back as it should be relatively seamless. I have contacted you directly to discuss whether this procedure may work for your application. |
Build Multi-Axis Configurations
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Figure 107B Z-axis assembly kits allow stages to be mounted in vertical orientations.
Quick-Connect Dovetails
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Figure 107A The XR and XRN stages feature female dovetails on the bottom of the stage that mate with the male dovetails on another. The left female dovetail is on a retractable clamping arm, allowing stages to be dropped into place.
XR & XRN Dovetail Stages and Accessories
Our XR series manual stages feature quick-connect dovetails that allow for the construction of multi-axis systems without the need for additional hardware. The common dovetail feature with a single locking clamp makes it quick and simple to swap parts in and out while preserving excellent orthogonality.
Our selection of products with a quick-connect dovetail includes:
- Linear Translation Stages:
- Stackable 1-Axis Stages
- Pre-Assembled 2- and 3-Axis Configurations
- 25 mm Motorized Actuator Options: Piezo Inertia, Stepper, or DC Servo
- Rotational Stages:
- 360° Flat Rotation
- Tip/Tilt Goniometers
- Adapters:
- Z-Axis Assembly Kits
- Parallel and Perpendicular Mounting between 2" and 3" Dovetails
- Rail Accessories:
- Stationary Mounting Platforms
- Rail Component Positioners
- Base Plates and Rails
Most items are available in compact (2" dovetail) and full-size (3" dovetail) varieties. Adapters are available to interface between the two sizes. See tables 107F and 107G for all available options.
Linear Translation Stages
Thorlabs' Quick-Connect Linear Translation Stages feature 2 inch or 3 inch dovetails for which the female dovetail on the bottom of one stage mates to the male dovetail on another as shown in Figure 107A. Many of these stages have micrometers that can be switched between end-mounted and side-mounted configurations (see Figures 107C and 107D). We also offer vertical translation stages that feature graduated scales to indicate the amount of translation. In Figure 107E, the base plate of a vertical stage is removed to expose the mounting boss which enables additional mounting configurations. The stages featuring 25 mm of travel can also be paired with motors. For specific information on our Quick-Connect Linear Translation stages please see Table 107F.
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Figure 107C Stages are available with either a side- or end-mounted micrometer. The stage can be converted from one configuration to the other using our Micrometer Conversion Kits and a standard set of hex keys or balldrivers.
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Figure 107D Stages with micrometers can have them mounted on either side. The side-mounted micrometer can be swapped with the locking plate to create a left- or right-handed stage.
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Figure 107E The base plate on our vertical stages can be removed to access a mounting boss on the bottom of the stage. This allows the stage to be mounted on a base plate for a smaller footprint or a rotation adapter for coarse angular positioning.
| Table 107F Linear Translation Stages | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Pages | Compact 25 mm Stages (Modular Motorized Also Available) |
Compact 9 mm Vertical Stage | Full-Size 25 mm Stages (Modular Motorized Also Available) |
Full-Size 50 mm Stages | 14 mm Vertical Stage |
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| Motion | X, Y, Z, XY, XZ, YZ, XYZ | Z (Vertical) | X, Y, Z, XY, XZ, YZ, XYZ | X, Y, Z, XY, XZ, YZ, XYZ | Z (Vertical) |
| Travel | 25 mm | 9 mm | 25 mm | 50 mm | 14 mm |
| Resolution | 500 µm per Revolution | 0.25 mm per Revolution | 500 µm per Revolution | 0.25 mm per Revolution | |
| Quick-Connect Dovetail | 2" Dovetail | 3" Dovetail | |||
| Additional Details | |||||
Rotation and Goniometric Stages
Thorlabs' Quick-Connect Rotation Stages provide 360° of continuous manual rotation and are offered with 2" or 3" dovetails. Our Goniometric stages provide ±8° of precise rotation about a fixed point in space and come with 2" dovetails. More information on Thorlabs' Quick-Connect Rotation stages and the XRNG Series Goniometers can be found in Table 107G.
| Table 107G Rotation and Goniometric Stages | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product Pages | Compact Rotation Stage | Compact Goniometric Stages | Full-Size Rotation Stage |
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| Motion | Coarse: 360° Rotation, Fine: ± 5° | ±8° Tip/Tilt About Fixed Point Above Stage | Coarse: 360° Rotation, Fine: ± 5° |
| Quick-Connect Dovetail | 2" Dovetail | 3" Dovetail | |
| Additional Details | |||
Quick-Connect Dovetail Accessories
Thorlabs also offers adapter kits, mounting platforms, positioners, and base plates for our Quick-Connect Dovetail Stages.
| Stage Adapters | ||
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| Z-Axis Assembly Kits |  |
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| Compact Z-Axis Assembly Kits, 2" Dovetails |
Full-Size Z-Axis Assembly Kits, 3" Dovetails |
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| Parallel Mounting Adapters |
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| Parallel Mounting Adapter, Male 2" Dovetail to Female 3" Dovetail |
Parallel Mounting Adapter, Male 3" Dovetail to Female 3" Dovetail |
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| Perpendicular Mounting Adapter |
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| Perpendicular Mounting Adapter Male 2" Dovetail to Female 3" Dovetail | ||
| Dovetail Accessories | ||
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| Mounting Platforms |  |
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| 2" Mounting Platforms | 3" Mounting Platforms | |
| Rail Positioners |  |
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| 2" Rail Positioners | 3" Rail Positioners | |
| Dovetail Bases | |||
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| Base Plates |  |
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| 2" Dovetail Base Plate | 3" Dovetail Base Plate with Rotational Adjustment | ||
| Rails / Extended Bases |
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| 2" Dovetail Rails | 3" Dovetail Rails | ||
3" Dovetail Rails
