Collimator of Refractive/Reflective/Off-Axis Reflective
A collimator is an optical instrument designed to generate collimated light beams, simulating light originating from infinity. It serves as a stable reference for calibrating, testing, and evaluating optical systems by providing precise parallel beams.
| Core Value Propositions |
Description |
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Alignment and Calibration
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Essential for adjusting and calibrating optical instruments (e.g., telescopes, microscopes, camera lenses). |
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Precision Measurement
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Paired with specialized reticles (e.g., resolution charts, star test plates, Porro boards) and measuring accessories (e.g., micrometer eyepieces), it enables accurate measurement of focal length, resolution (discrimination), aberrations, and other critical optical parameters of lenses or lens assemblies. |
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Quality Assessment
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Used to evaluate the imaging quality of optical systems or components. |
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Multi-Axis Consistency Calibration
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Particularly in aerospace and defense, it calibrates the parallelism of multiple optical axes (e.g., laser, imaging, visual axes) in complex photoelectric systems to ensure coordinated accuracy. |
Fundamental Principle of Collimators
A collimator operates based on the principles of geometric optics, where a point light source (or an illuminated reticle) is precisely positioned at the focal plane of the optical system. The light rays emitted from this source are refracted by the collimator’s objective lens and exit as a parallel beam. Its primary function is to provide an infinity-simulated target for testing equipment.
The following is the structural schematic diagram of a collimating light tube. It is generally composed of an objective lens, a light source, a dividing plate, and a regulating mechanism, etc. The dividing plate is placed on the focal plane of the objective lens of the collimating light tube and is used to detect the parameters of the optical system.
Structural schematic diagram of the parallel light tube
1 - Parallel light tube 2 - Guide rail 3 - Slide 4 - Lens to be tested 5 - Micrometer eyepiece
Principle diagram of the focal length meter
Main Types and Characteristics
Based on the objective lens design, collimators are primarily categorized as follows, each with distinct advantages and applications:
| Type |
Principle |
Advantages |
Typical Applications/Features |
| Refractive |
Uses lens refraction to collimate light |
Relatively simple structure, good image quality
|
Common in devices with focal lengths from 80mm to 500mm; it is one of the most fundamental instruments.
|
| Reflective (Cassegrain) |
Uses curved mirrors to collimate light |
Achromatic, long focal length, compact volume, wide operating band (UV-Vis-IR)
|
Primarily for multi-axis consistency calibration (e.g., laser, TV, visual axes), common in aerospace and defense.
|
| Off-Axis Reflective |
Reflective design with off-axis light path |
Provides parallel beam with no central obstruction, excellent collimation and uniformity
|
Often used to provide IR/white light simulation targets.
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Off-Axis Reflective Collimator & Reflective Collimator (Cassegrain Type)
Collimator Typical Application Scenarios
Collimators have a wide range of applications, covering virtually all fields requiring optical performance:
- Aerospace and Defense: For testing, calibration, and simulation of spaceborne optical equipment like satellite cameras, space telescopes, and spacecraft optical windows. Calibrating optical axes of airborne and military optical systems.
- Industrial Inspection and Metrology: Evaluation of optical system imaging quality, determination of optical constants. Used for light sources and calibration in online inspection and machine vision systems.
- Scientific Research and High-End Manufacturing: A core component of large-scale precision testing equipment like optical benches, precision goniometers, optical transfer function analyzers, and optical interferometers. Used for optical calibration in semiconductor manufacturing and inspection equipment.
- Communications and Emerging Fields: Calibration and testing of wireless optical communication systems.
ZMSH Advantages Summary and Selection Advice
The core advantage of a collimator lies in its ability to provide a highly collimated, highly uniform parallel beam, making it an indispensable benchmark tool in the field of optics.
How to Choose?
- Define Requirements: First, determine the primary purpose—is it for precision measurement, optical alignment, quality inspection, or optical axis calibration? This dictates the required accuracy, aperture, and type.
- Focus on Key Parameters: Based on the object under test, determine the required focal length, aperture, and collimation accuracy.
- Select Type:
- For general measurement and calibration in the visible spectrum, choose refractive type.
- If operation in a broad band (UV/IR) is needed, or very long focal length is required within limited space, or for multi-axis calibration, the reflective (Cassegrain) type is superior.
- Evaluate Accessories and Expandability: Check if reticles, aiming scopes, and other accessories are complete and can meet diverse future measurement needs.
- Consult: Collimators are highly customizable. It is recommended to communicate directly with ZMSH, specify your concrete application scenarios and technical requirements to obtain the most suitable product advice and solutions (ZMSH offer customization services).
Q1: What is a collimator used for?
A1: A collimator is primarily used to generate a highly accurate parallel light beam for calibrating, testing, and aligning optical systems such as telescopes, microscopes, and lenses to ensure precision and performance.
Q2: Why is a collimator important in optical testing?
A2: It provides a stable, infinity-simulated reference light source critical for evaluating focus, resolution, and image quality of optical components without physical distance constraints.
Tags: #Collimator, #Customized, #Refractive/Reflective/Off-Axis Reflective
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