Laser focusing

If you’ve tried using a laser line generator for structured lighting, chances are you’ll have found it difficult to get a really thin yet sharp line. The problem is that it’s difficult to focus laser optics.

There’s a manufacturer of machine vision lasers in the UK who have a solution. Their “Lyte-MV-Excel” range provides external adjustment of focus via a little thumbwheel at the back end of the lipstick-sized casing. This means you can clamp the laser in approximately the right position, then dial it in by turning the wheel while watching the image of the line on your vision system’s monitor.

If perfect focus is essential you could even develop a routine to gauge the line width and provide feedback on the degree of focus.