Low-Cost 3D Printed Laser Shutter

The automation industry is thriving. However, university laser laboratories don't have the level of automation that professional laboratories do, making them more inefficient. They often cannot afford to hire professional engineers to automate their systems. The main goal of this project is to create an automated device for a laser laboratory using undergraduate skills. We interviewed lab technicians and decided that a low-cost, motorized laser shutter for huge laser diameters could benefit scientists in their laboratories. We explored different computer hardware to drive the shutter, and decided on an Arduino for its low cost and ease-of-use. We iterated several times in developing the circuit, writing the code, 3D modeling the shutter itself and the 3D-printed circuit board, printing parts and then putting them all together. For network control of the shutter, we interfaced the device with the EPICS control system, an open standard in professional science laboratories. Our result is a working circuit with EPICS controls and documentation. This work is especially noteworthy as it was developed by an undergraduate. It can be replicated by anyone with little to no experience with electronics, and can be customized to their specific laser experiments.