Newport ORIEL Instruments Cornerstone 260 - Optics Care and Handling; Introduction

MCS260
CORNERSTONE 260 MONOCHROMATORS
8
1.4 MECHANICAL HANDLING
Avoid dropping, sudden shocks, or rough handling of the monochromator since this may cause the
system to lose its calibration and may destroy the high precision drive components or optics.
1.5 OPTICS CARE AND HANDLING
Do not touch any optical surfaces since this is likely to cause irreparable damage. Always wear
powder-free gloves to cover the entire hand, not finger cots. Never touch the surface of a
diffraction grating, even when wearing gloves.
Dust or debris on the grating surface may negatively impact performance, so it should be
prevented from entering the instrument by keeping the protective grating covers in place when it is
not in use. If the gratings do require cleaning, do not attempt to clean any optical surface except
by blowing off dust or lint particles with a stream of dry clean air or nitrogen. Wiping the grating
surface will cause permanent damage.
Avoid getting any moisture or condensation onto the grating. Do not breathe on or talk directly in
front of a grating, as the moisture from one’s breath should never be allowed to condense on the
grating surface.
This instrument comes with gratings pre-installed, aligned and the calibration parameters set. An
experienced user may choose to install a different grating in the field, although it is strongly
encouraged to send the instrument back to the factory instead.
If a grating is installed in the field, the grating cover must never touch the grating’s front surface.
The specially designed grating cover contacts only the edges of the grating. When removing this
cover, a grating can be scratched easily, so use extreme caution when handling.
Hand tighten the grating mount screws. Do not use tools, since this may cause damage to the
drive assembly. Never touch the surface of the grating, even while wearing gloves. Handle the
grating assembly only by its mount.