Osram PL520 3D printed host build

[zastin17]

I will have all the parts listed that I used for this build. The host is still a work in progress. I recently removed the 20mm heatsink in replacement of just the module to make the top piece flush and much smaller. This diode only gets the module slightly warm after a few minutes of use. Definitely would not work for a bdr 209.

First thing I noticed with this wavelength, even without comparing it to a 532nm laser was how bright of a green it is. Much closer to what I would call a "pure" green. It makes 532nm look very yellow in comparison.
The switch has not bean received yet. Using finger and wire to + contact as switch for now.

Also my 505nm diode and module is out for delivery today, will post pics later.

This diode surprised me as it is very bright as compared to its low output power. Makes me wounder how intense a 1w 520nm laser would be in real life. Anyway,

I have the driver set to 200ma running on 2x 18650s will replace with 2x 16340s soon. Driver I am using seems to be extremely stable. Also runs my very sensitive bdr 209 diode at 600ma with no problems and very long run times. I have a bad habit of abusing diodes by touching leads to test them which can sometimes strobe them on and off. And I have never lost a diode on this driver. Even connected by bdr 209 backwards on this driver and it still works to this day.

Will post final host ".stl" files when complete

I don't have a power meter, but using a g2 lens and comparing to my 90mw 532nm laser, Its seems to be almost dead on 100mW based on burning power and DTR's testing. Beam is very clean and bright. I Recommend a G2 lens on this diode over a 3 element or acrylic. I used a old module from my old dead bdr 209s for this diode. I used a 3.8mm Diode Press from https://www.survivallaserusa.com/38mm_Diode_Press/p1667092_11594146.aspx to press fit the diode.

Diode was purchased from DTR: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Osram-PL520-50mW-520nm-Direct-Green-3-8mm-Laser-Diode-Single-mode/171492616784?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649

Driver: https://www.ebay.com/itm/405nm-450nm-465nm-Laser-Diode-Driver/262880080909?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I am very tired right now and I may of missed something, Please remind me if I did. Here multiple beam shots of some of my laser Including my 250mw 650nm, 90mw 532nm, 2w 445nm, and of course the 520nm.
I used my Nikon d3400 to shoot these pics. No color was altered. Camera was color calibrated and that's it.

Notice how the 2w blue laser drownes out the other lasers with light.

 

[trinh hong phuoc]

Pl520 is good diode,100mw easy
I like your pictures, beautiful,
Thank you for sharing

 

[paul1598419]

Nice beam shots. That driver has been around for a very long time. I was not even aware they were still available. I have some buried in my stock from over 5 years ago. You will run out of battery voltage before the batteries discharge with this driver. I prefer to use a boost driver with a single 18650 to drive diodes like this one. :thanks:

 

[zastin17]

I like boost drivers as they are tiny and most fit inside the module. If there is no issue with heat or battery life, then I don't see much of a reason to use a boost driver as you could use 2x16340 which delivers 3.7v, and is the same size as 1x 18650. You can't beat the $4.95 price tag. Best part is, you can short to ground to measure the current. No need for a dummy load. Its accurate as the current remains exactly the same weather shorting to ground or using an actual diode as a load. The driver gets hot fast when I do this as I am quite literally shorting it out. But if you measure the output current within 10 seconds or so it will be just fine. It seems to handle all the diodes I throw at it up to 1000ma without heat issues.

 

[Pelagius]

Very pretty! I like the 520 color quite a bit. Fog machine? I need to get one.

I will have all the parts listed that I used for this build. The host is still a work in progress. I recently removed the 20mm heatsink in replacement of just the module to make the top piece flush and much smaller. This diode only gets the module slightly warm after a few minutes of use. Definitely would not work for a bdr 209.

First thing I noticed with this wavelength, even without comparing it to a 532nm laser was how bright of a green it is. Much closer to what I would call a "pure" green. It makes 532nm look very yellow in comparison.
The switch has not bean received yet. Using finger and wire to + contact as switch for now.

Also my 505nm diode and module is out for delivery today, will post pics later.

This diode surprised me as it is very bright as compared to its low output power. Makes me wounder how intense a 1w 520nm laser would be in real life. Anyway,

I have the driver set to 200ma running on 2x 18650s will replace with 2x 16340s soon. Driver I am using seems to be extremely stable. Also runs my very sensitive bdr 209 diode at 600ma with no problems and very long run times. I have a bad habit of abusing diodes by touching leads to test them which can sometimes strobe them on and off. And I have never lost a diode on this driver. Even connected by bdr 209 backwards on this driver and it still works to this day.

Will post final host ".stl" files when complete

I don't have a power meter, but using a g2 lens and comparing to my 90mw 532nm laser, Its seems to be almost dead on 100mW based on burning power and DTR's testing. Beam is very clean and bright. I Recommend a G2 lens on this diode over a 3 element or acrylic. I used a old module from my old dead bdr 209s for this diode. I used a 3.8mm Diode Press from https://www.survivallaserusa.com/38mm_Diode_Press/p1667092_11594146.aspx to press fit the diode.

Diode was purchased from DTR: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Osram-PL520-50mW-520nm-Direct-Green-3-8mm-Laser-Diode-Single-mode/171492616784?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2748.l2649

Driver: https://www.ebay.com/itm/405nm-450nm-465nm-Laser-Diode-Driver/262880080909?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

I am very tired right now and I may of missed something, Please remind me if I did. Here multiple beam shots of some of my laser Including my 250mw 650nm, 90mw 532nm, 2w 445nm, and of course the 520nm.
I used my Nikon d3400 to shoot these pics. No color was altered. Camera was color calibrated and that's it.

Notice how the 2w blue laser drownes out the other lasers with light.

 

[paul1598419]

My point was that this is a linear driver, IIRC. That means you will not be able to use the full capacity of your batteries as the Vf is higher than their discharge voltage. It is an inexpensive driver, but there is a reason for that.

 

[Gazen]

Nice job on the build.

 

[Benm]

I think being able to print your own hosts is nice, but fundamentally limited to pretty low power laser diodes as the printed material always is a plastic with very poor thermal conductivity. Electrical conductivity is a problem too, you need to add in the wire to make it work.

Perhaps once 3D printing gets to te temperature required to print aluminium alloys (say 600 celcius or so) it would be a realistic method of creating hosts. A closer goal could be to print with zinc, or zicn/lead alloys (bascially solder) to create metal enclosures, although they'd have poor properties (high thermal resistance, low mechanical strength).

 

[TinLethax]

Cool built .And thanks for the laser driver link.I targeted on PLT5 510 (10mW push to ~80 mW like in DTR's).

 

[zastin17]

Well heat is not really an issue, at least for me. Even with the bdr 209 which gets the module pretty hot. It would need to get up to around 160c to even begin to melt PLA, which I am using, let alone ABS, And other high temp materials. There even seems to be a little thermal dissipation through the plastic which surprised me. Even with higher powered diodes. I can't see it getting hot enough to be an issue. And with this heatsink I could design the host to have open passive cooling. I am trying to come up with a solution for the + wire annoyance. Also I am not using a fog machine. I use my vape and pure "veg glycerin" to create smoke., Works quite well, And its almost free if any of you vape already.

And here is my Sharp 505nm diode in the same host with the same driver running at 85ma with an improved flush top piece. Prettiest wavelength I have. Looks more green in real life. Definitely would call it a mint green. Once I shorten the battery tube, It will be a very compact little laser. Now I will wait for the 575nm, 565nm laser modules to go back in stock. I really wan't a yellow laser. RGB is just not going to cut it. I shot these with my galaxy s8 so pics are not as clear and or accurate as with my d3400.

Testing the diode.

Strange Square box that only exists with a G2 lens. Must be some sort of reflection. It only shows up and is in focus when the beam is also perfectly focused, which tells me its coming from inside the diode and not the module, diode window, or lens.

 

[paul1598419]

Yes, that rectangular artifact is seen with all the new Sharp diodes with the exception of using either the acrylic lens that comes with a module when you buy it or the 2 element 520nm AR coated lenses from DTR. I have seen it with every other glass lens, though it is worst when used with a short focal length aspheric lens, like the G2.

 

[Benm]

Well heat is not really an issue, at least for me. Even with the bdr 209 which gets the module pretty hot. It would need to get up to around 160c to even begin to melt PLA, which I am using, let alone ABS, And other high temp materials.

I wouldn't be overly worried about the host actually melting, but if that heatsink gets to 160 degrees celcius on it's surface the temperature of the laser diode inside will be a quite a bit higher than that, and well outside it's safe operating (or even storage) temperature.

With metal hosts you usually have the advantage that the entire hosts acts as a heatsink to some degree, and if the laser ever got this hot, the entire thing would be to hold in your hands. Plastic, on the other hand, is a very good thermal insulator as well, and you could probably hold the laser while the diode burns up inside it's module before the host even notably softens.

 

[Dr_Evil]

Seems like you might start a new trend with that idea. As others have said, metal would be better though for heat transfer and allowing the other end of the battery to be connected without having to use a wire. Personally I would smooth out the surface for a cleaner look. Maybe even etch some designs in it.

I think being able to print your own hosts is nice, but fundamentally limited to pretty low power laser diodes as the printed material always is a plastic with very poor thermal conductivity. Electrical conductivity is a problem too, you need to add in the wire to make it work.

Perhaps once 3D printing gets to te temperature required to print aluminium alloys (say 600 celcius or so) it would be a realistic method of creating hosts. A closer goal could be to print with zinc, or zicn/lead alloys (bascially solder) to create metal enclosures, although they'd have poor properties (high thermal resistance, low mechanical strength).

3D printers for metal use do exist at least for commercial use. Hopefully they'll be scaled down over time.

 

[paul1598419]

Too bad it will be either a very long time or never before being able to print in aluminum alloys will be available to most people. That leaves us with different plastics for printing hosts which isn't a good option, IMO.

 

[Benm]

Who knows how long it will take

The melting point of aluminium is not -that- high, depending a bit on the alloy but in the order of 600-700 celcius. That's a big step up from the temperatures for plastic, but low enough to theoretically create extrusion style printing heads from steel and such.

Another approach is sintering using has heating to create the structure, though that has it's limitations in what you can actually create. I suppose it would be possible to create a laser body host by this process though, but the equipment is expensive.

I would not be overly surprised if we got 3D aluminium printers in a decade or so. This would be revolutionary though as you can make so many more useful parts from metal compared to plastics. Perhaps it would have application with lower melting temperature metals as well, such as solder/tin - it would be handy to have a printer that just spits out pcb's

 

[paul1598419]

We shall see. A decade is a long time. Being able to print with Al alloys at such high temperatures with a good enough resolution to have the small parts like threads good enough to be useful may not be something we shall see, even then.