This thread was created at the behest of @Sam_Jacoby as a way to break up the mess that was Laser Flare Illustrated. Specifically to discuss refitting things onto the Form1+ laser path. Please note that actually doing so is both a good way to cause bodily harm to yourself, others, and void your printer’s warranty at the same time.
Please note that the idea for a spatial filter originated not with me but @Ante_Vukorepa and @JoshK. The need/absence of a columating lens was the hard earned discovery of @KevinHolmes.
The following was originally posted here. The “Spatial Filter” of a laser printer is just a bit of metal bent at 90deg with an elliptical hole cut in it. The bit of plastic to it’s right is a double lens. The upper half of which is part of a collimator for the diode. If you look farther back to the laser you can see the two slits there to block yet more unwanted laser light. The first lens (which is glass) in the assembly is hidden under the plastic but you get the idea. The design cost for this whole assembly was probably very high but the end price is something like $100 as a replacement part, mostly because the printer companies would rather sell a new unit that ship these onesy, twosy.
Obviously at 200mW and above you need to move from using plastic in that last lens to something more serious. There is a lot more I could say about this assembly and how costs were cut but that would be way off topic.
I am still getting asked about this, so for anyone interested I’m letting the design file for the Laser Choke out into the wild.
For anyone that has it already, it hasn’t changed since it was made December 5, 2013.
It was just intended for proof-of-concept, but do with it as you like. Please note a printer with issues will print this with an out-of-spec hole. I used a re-worked prototype to print the final one. Also note that you can lose your perfect hole of care isn’t taken during washing. And again if you orient it wrong during post cure.
Honestly, I only adjusted the diameter of the hole 2 times during development, and I was just staring at my digital caliper when I decided the first size, then adjusted to the final 0.028in hole the second time. So I don’t think re-creating my results would be too difficult.
File list in this download:
Laser Choke.SLDPRT
Laser Choke.form
Laser Choke.JPG
Laser Choke CAD.png
Laser Choke cutaway.png
Using the Laser Choke.txt
@EvanFoss, a die-cut piece of thin metal would work in the form1+ if they can figure out how to mount it. I suppose it will need a little tilt to dispose of the unwanted light.
@JoshK Yes but as @KevinHolmes worked out we need the collimating lens in there too. It may be that they have to extend the laser beams path and that can introduce added vibrational modes which will bite them in shipping. I like that the printer had two stage cleaning of the beam profile.
I would try your laser choke but I would require FL to indemnify me from threats of voiding the warranty. My bet is that this just won’t happen.
If you want it all, the aluminum block that holds everything needs to be re-designed to get the laser back further and hold the goodies in front of it. The aluminum block would also be so solid nothing would move in shipping.
