Tips for Choosing a Laser Line Lens

 There are several things to consider when selecting a Laser Line Lens. The center of a line with uniform illumination will contain approximately 80% of the laser's energy. Those at the ends of the line will have higher levels of brightness. To maximize the power of the laser, it is important to minimize peaks in the line's brightness. Below are some tips for choosing your Laser Lines Lens. You can also learn how to choose the best lens for your application by reading our guides on different types of lenses.

Powell-shaped lens

While most manufacturers of laser line generators do produce their own custom-made lenses, not all of them adhere to the same seven-step process that produces a Powell-shaped laser line lens. These lenses have a number of key benefits and drastic advantages. Not only can they cast highly illuminated beams, but they can also be easily mounted and handle large orders. However, this type of lens has some limitations. To learn more about its advantages, read on.

Optical glass beamsplitter

A beamsplitter is a thin optical glass plate used to split a single laser beam into two or more sub-beams. A die-electric thin film is coated on one surface of the beamsplitter to achieve partial reflection. A multi-layered AR coating is applied to the other surface to provide a low absorption coefficient and high damage threshold. Beamsplitters are available in p and s-polarized varieties.

Off-the-shelf

Off-the-shelf laser line lenses are often more cost-effective than custom-made versions. Custom-made optics is much more expensive than off-the-shelf options and requires extensive research. Custom-built optics requires a significant investment and take months to manufacture. The cost of custom-made optics can be several times as much as a custom-made version. Off-the-shelf laser line lens options are available from several manufacturers and may be considerably less expensive than custom-made ones.

Performance

Different types of lenses are used to achieve a range of laser line generator performance characteristics. The main differences are the input beam diameter and lens material. For example, thinner lenses produce narrower beams, while thicker and more effective lenses produce broader and more uniform beams. Some lenses use spherical optics to improve the fan angle of the beam. Depending on the intended application, the type of lens used may be chosen based on the parameters of the output beam.

Price

The Laser Line Lens is a lens that generates a straight, narrow beam. This type of lens converges collimated beams into one straight line in one dimension. It features a cylindric curve at the apex, producing a projected line with less than 30% intensity variation. Standard cylindrical lenses produce diverging laser lines. The fan angles available are 45, 60, and 75 degrees. They range from inexpensive to expensive.