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I've aligned laser launchers on numerous occasions like you describe.  The
screws are very twitchy in assemblies like these, but with patience you can
align them.  I find the best way is to put a power meter on the other end
of the fiber while I adjust the screws until I have maximum throughput.  It
requires a fair bit of playing around; it helps to figure out which screw
tilts the fiber coupler in what dirrection.  Usually it is a see-saw
configuration where one screw is a pivot and the other two push on opposite
sides of the lever.  This means when you tighten one screw you tend to have
to loosen another to get significant movement.  Once you get close to
maximum you then just very slightly tighten the screws sequentially until
you reach max power.

Craig


On Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 10:07 AM, Stephen Kempf <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

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> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> We've decided to go ahead and get the  laser rebuilt for our BioRad 1024
> confocal system. In order to ship the laser for rebuild, I have to remove
> the fiber optic cable. I've removed the plate on the top of the laser that
> says "Do Not Open" and can see that the fiber optic cable inserts into a
> barrel with 4 screws that I assume are used both to hold the cable in place
> and also for alignment of the cable with the laser beam. So, I assume that
> the beam will have to be aligned with the laser end of the cable when the
> cable is reinstalled after the laser is rebuilt.
>
> I am familiar with aligning the beam in the scan head, however, I have
> never done it at the laser end of the cable. Is this difficult? Do you need
> any special tools? Any information on this would be most welcome.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Steve