Mounting Options for the Laser Tracker
Mounting the Laser Tracker
You can mount the Laser Tracker in any orientation without affecting the accuracy of its measurements. There are three mounting options for the Laser Tracker:The FARO®
- Mount the Laser Tracker in the vertical position on an instrument stand or a trivet through the use of its mounting mandrel. Screw the mandrel onto to the instrument stand using a 3.5”-8 UNC-2B thread.
- The mandrel receptacle at the bottom of the Laser Tracker also has a bolt pattern that can also be used for mounting. This bolt pattern consists of four (4) 0.25”-20 UNC-2B holes spaced equally apart at 90 degree intervals. The bolt pattern forms a circle diameter of 3.5”. See the next section for more information.
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The receptacle at the bottom of the Laser Tracker is threaded into the bottom of the Laser Tracker. This receptacle can be removed to expose the same 3.5”-8 UNC-2B thread as the mandrel. Removing the mandrel receptacle allows the Laser Tracker to be threaded directly onto an instrument stand or stand extension tube.
Use Bolt Hole Pattern Beneath Tracker for Mounting
The bottom of the Laser Tracker has a bolt hole pattern that can be used to mount the tracker to a fixture or mount instead of using the mandrel.
For the Vantage Tracker, this bolt pattern consists of four (4) 0.25”-20 UNC-2B holes spaced equally apart at 90 degree intervals. The bolt pattern forms a circle diameter of 3.125”.
For the ION / X/ Xi and Si Trackers, this bolt pattern consists of eight (8) 0.25"-20 UNC-2B holes spaced equally apart at 45 degree intervals. The bolt pattern forms a circle diameter of 3.126".
CAUTION: The mandrel mount is designed to hold the Laser Tracker in only the upright vertical position or in the horizontal position. To mount the Laser Tracker at any angle past horizontal, bolt it directly into a mounting fixture.
Orientation Options: Upright, Horizontal, Sideways, or Upside Down
The FARO Laser Tracker can be mounted upright, horizontal or sideways, and upside down. Regardless of how you mount the Tracker, a stable, vibration-free mount plays a critical role in measurement accuracy. The Tracker technical specifications for accuracy do not change. The operator should follow best practices for measurement and make sure that the Tracker in its mounted position is properly compensated. This article discusses options for mounting in all orientations.
Upright
For upright mounting you can use the mandrel or your own custom mount. For details about the standard upright mounting, see the User Manual for your Tracker model. If you want a permanent mounting for an upright Tracker, you can use similar techniques as those discussed here for other mounting orientations.
Horizontal or Sideways
For horizontal or sideways mounting, you can use the expanding mandrel or your own custom mount.
The Laser Tracker Accessories Manual has a sideways mount that is ideal for this purpose. The FARO sideways mount has a counterbalance to offset the Tracker's weight. However, the counterbalance takes up room behind the Tracker and can prevent it from being mounted in tight areas.
Below is a picture of the tracker mounted on a machine tool and the optional side mount listed in the Laser Tracker Accessories Manual.
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Side Mount (ION Model) |
Side Mount (Vantage Model) |
Mounts the Laser Tracker sideways on a heavy duty instrument stand.
The mount includes: mount housing, counterweight, mandrel receptacle and two mandrels.
Upside Down
For upside down mounting, do not use the mandrel. When mounting the Tracker past the horizontal sideways position, the circular bolt pattern on the bottom of the Tracker's mandrel receptacle should be used to bolt the Tracker to the mount. This circular bolt pattern consists of four 0.25”-20 UNC-2B holes spaced equally apart at 90° intervals. For the Vantage Laser Tracker, the bolt pattern’s diameter is 3.5” For the ION, X, Xi and SI Laser Tracker, the bolt pattern’s diameter is 3.125”.
Alternatively, the Tracker’s mandrel receptacle can be removed to expose the 3.5” diameter thread pattern. This thread pattern is identical to the pattern on the bottom of the mandrel and allows the Tracker to be threaded directly onto a mount.
Dimensions and Mounting Instructions for the 1.5 Inch SMR Permanent Reference Mount
Part #: C-ACC-05430-00
The 1.5" Spherically Mounted Retroreflector (SMR) Permanent Reference Mount is designed for mounting a permanent reference to a surface to securely hold a 1.5" SMR. This mount is used for reference only and is not intended for critical offsets or concentricity. It has a cover to keep dust and dirt out of it and has laser etched dimensions to identify the target holder for component management.
It can be permanently secured using 1/4" bolts, through two counter bored holes in the base. Two 15/64” guide holes can be used as drill guides for the placement of dowels. After drilling 15/64ths holes into the substrate, use 1/4" reamer and then insert dowels to permanently mount the nest in this location.
- Mounting holes: 0.266" diameter, counterbored to 0.438" diameter. 0.250" deep placed on 1.750" centers
- Doweling holes: 0.235" diameter through placed on 1.750" centers
Center Location of SMR when using 1.5 inch Permanent Reference Mount
With the 1.5 inch SMR Permanent Reference Mount, the center of the SMR sits 1.25 inches from the bottom of the mounting surface.
The nest itself is 0.75 inches high.