Removing the front output aperture assembly on CNI lasers.

[ElektroFreak]

I'm at work presently contemplating how to clean the lens of my 473nm CNI. I somehow managed to get crap on the lens or IR filter, and it appears that the little cylindrical aperture on the front of the laser is either screwed into threads in the module itself, or held in by three screws positioned radially. Does anyone here know which it is?

If it's threaded directly into the module, all I would need to do is unscrew the aperture using the grip that is machined onto the front of it which won't require me to remove the laser head from the scanner, but if it's help in by the three screws I'll need to remove the head to remove them..

[Doc]

I'm at work presently contemplating how to clean the lens of my 473nm CNI. I somehow managed to get crap on the lens or IR filter, and it appears that the little cylindrical aperture on the front of the laser is either screwed into threads in the module itself, or held in by three screws positioned radially. Does anyone here know which it is?

If it's threaded directly into the module, all I would need to do is unscrew the aperture using the grip that is machined onto the front of it which won't require me to remove the laser head from the scanner, but if it's help in by the three screws I'll need to remove the head to remove them..

I believe the collimator assembly is held in place by the three screws.

[shrad]

why not solder a screwdriver tip on an old allen key? (much work for a one-shot maintenance, but might be useful laser as well)

[ElektroFreak]

Interesting idea.. I actually have a small right-angle philips. Perhaps that will work.. My only concern is the fact that there isn't much clearance between the laser head and the dichro.. Thanks to both of you.

[Doc]

You could try unscrewing the lens from the collimator but sometimes the thread locking glue is hard to overcome. A pair of right angle circlip pliers will engage with the drive holes, just be carefull to not scratch the lense.

[ElektroFreak]

You could try unscrewing the lens from the collimator but sometimes the thread locking glue is hard to overcome. A pair of right angle circlip pliers will engage with the drive holes, just be carefull to not scratch the lense.

I'm hoping that I won't have to go that deep. The grime is on whichever optic is the last in line before the beam exits the head, since that's the only one exposed directly to the outside air. Hopefully I'll just be able to stick a swab and/or some lens paper into the aperture and clean things up a bit..

[daction]

kai ora , I have had some experience with this (and no luck) what i did find is that i made it better . However the output got smudgie quite quickly after i cleaned it. I put this down to the fact that i could not clean the edges of the optics ( the muck gets pushed to the edges ) .There is also the issue of water marks on the optic. The laser will burn these into the optic . Is the optic convex? In medical lasers all of the servicable optics are flat and can be removed from there mounts .