BIG PCB PREHEATER?
IT'S THE BIG GRID™
Bottom-Side Forced Convection PCB PreheatThru-Hole, SMD, QFN & BGA Rework
& Repair
16 Sq. Inch Preheating Grid (110 sq. cm) &
1,500 Watt Power, 50 CFM Air Supply (1,415
Liters/Minute)
The
Zephyrtronics' AirBath “bathes the circuit board in warm air to
reduce thermal stresses
to the board and its components.”-- NASA
Report, January 9, 2004
The BigGrid™
AirBath (Shown Above) Was
Used By NASA & JPL for Processing PCB's on the Successful
Mars Rovers Program.
The BigGrid™
AirBath
has a very large 16-square inch (110 sq. cm)
pre-heating grid, 1,500 watts of power and 50 CFM
(1,415 liters per minute) of air supply for PCB preheating and cooling
at the bench. With over 15 years on the market with an
impeccable pedigree, this is the same BigGrid™
AirBathused by NASA and JPL for dependable
preheating during the Mars Rover programs.
The BigGrid™
is manufactured in
the U.S.A and has and has a one-year limited warranty. Powerful
and so effective for large PCB's, high copper content substrates, heat-sinks, large ground planes.
Beware of imitative pre-heaters
with less than 10CFM (276 liters/minute). They are ineffective
and compensate by higher temp settings, but the glass transition
for FR-4 PCB's is only
170°C. Higher preheat temps are not the solution, but
greater volume of forced convection is.
Loaded With Premium Features:
The BigGrid™gets into all the nooks and crannies of the PCB
assembly where hot plates and IR pre-heaters can't go (more
below). It is ESD-safe; features illuminated indicator
lights (blue: cooling; red: preheating); it is
self-contained with an internal air supply (no hookups); all
inside a durable, steel housing for industrial use.
Critical Thermal
Ramping: TheBigGrid™has the
the critically important industry standard, built-in temperature ramping
of
2° to 4°C per second preventing thermal shock to sensitive
chips, delicate ceramic caps and glass diodes. The ramp is "built in"
by design into every Zephyrtronics AirBath™
Preheating System. Beware of other "preheating devices"
where temp ramping is not controlled and too fast.
For Thru-Hole, SMT & BGA Preheat Tasks: TheBigGrid™ AirBath
is ideal for all PCB tasks from low-volume prototype/design
builds to rework and repair for chip packages like
BGA, CSP, QFP, QFN, TSOP, PLCC, SOIC,
SOL, LCC, Flip Chip and Glob Top. It easily
handles substrates including FR-4, polyimide,
composites, flex circuits and ceramic boards.
ZT-1-BGS BIG-GRID™ DIGITAL AIRBATH
Description
Model
Price
Buy
BIG-GRID™
DIGITAL
AIRBATH
50 CFM Air Power
(1,415 Liter/Min) 1,500 Watt Power
ZT-1-BGS-DPU-120
(120 Volt for the U.S., Canada & Mexico)
$1,985
ZT-1-BGS-DPU-230
(230 Volt For All
Int'l Customers)
$1,985
BIG-GRID™
ANALOG
AIRBATH
50 CFM Air Power
(1,415 Liter/Min) 1,500 Watt Power
ZT-1-BGS-MIL-120
(120 Volt for the U.S., Canada & Mexico)
$1,450
ZT-1-BGS-MIL-230
(230 Volt For All
Int'l Customers)
$1,450
*
We manufacture many other sizes of AirBaths.
Please note that the BigGrid™ is one of our larger
AirBath Preheaters and may be too big for your
applications. Check out our entire
AirBath Preheat Directory
where we are certain we have an AirBath Preheater tailored to your
company's PCB needs.
ABC SERIES OF ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLES
Description
Model
Buy
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (10” X 18” MAX)
ABC-1
$235
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (20” X 18” MAX)
ABC-2
$275
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE QUATRO (10” X 18” MAX)
ABC-1-Q
$295
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE QUATRO (20” X 18” MAX)
ABC-2-Q
$315
The Many Benefits of
Preheating Your PCB: The benefits from preheating are
multiple and compounding. 1.) Preheating or "soaking" the
assembly prior to initiating reflow helps to activate the
flux, removing oxides and surface films from the leads and
pads to be soldered, thereby enhancing the wetting process
and solder joint quality. 2.) Preheating the board
permits lower soldering reflow temperatures. 3.)
Preheating reduces the final "dwell time" during the final
reflow stage. 4.) Preheating reduces thermal stresses
to the PCB substrate and its components when localized
reflow is made with soldering irons, de-soldering tools and
hot air systems. 5.) Preheating provides the thermal boost
needed when working with RoHS lead-free solders without
damaging the work!
Two BigGrid™ AirBath
Models: Our BigGrid™ AirBath
is available in two models: analog and digital. Both models
feature variable temperature selection between ambient (room
temp) and up to 205°C. Both models feature closed-loop
feedback temperature sensing control. The analog model has a
dial for temp selection on the front panel. The digital
model incorporates a digital set/read lighted display that
permits single digit/degree incremental temperature
selection in the "set" mode and tracks real time temperature
at the air exit point above the grids.
Your Lead-Free Solution: Working with the newer lead-free,
RoHS compliant solder alloys --- all having higher melting
points --- makes preheating more essential to any PCB work at
the bench. Don't raise temperatures higher on your soldering
irons, desoldering tools, hot air nozzles, thermal tweezers, or
hot air pencils! If you just briefly preheat the bottom of
your PCB before reflow, can perform your soldering or
desoldering on the top side of the board at traditional, lower
temperatures.
About the RoHS Lead-Free Solder Mandate:
Learn more here about the
European Lead-Free
Mandate & Preheating.
Zephyrtronics AirBath™ preheating systems are your Lead-Free,
RoHS soldering solutions radically reducing
the elevated solder reflow temps that
without preheat are needed with lead-free
alloys.
All Preheaters Are Not Created Equally:
Here are a few of the helpful applications and utilities of the
ZT-1-BigGrid AirBath™
1.
Achieve High-End Superb Thermal Profiles at the Bench with
the required industry standard 2°-4°C ramping to preheat!
The 2°-4°C ramp is "built in" to every
BigGrid™AirBath
and prevents thermal shock of ceramic capacitors, glass
diodes and temperature sensitive components, plus ramping
helps prevent "pop-corning" of moisture within I.C.'s.
Importantly, preheating allows flux activation and the
ability to work at lower temps on the topside of the
PCB with your soldering tools. Effective preheating prevents
scorching substrates, damaging pads and components during
rework or prototyping.
2. A New Rework
Paradigm: Another benefit of preheating is that
it allows you the option to remove your SMD's below 150°C
with only the BigGrid™AirBath
and our
LOWMELT®
De-Solder through the proven process of co-metalization. No
nozzles! No lifting pads! No more burning PCB's! Your BigGrid™BigGrid
puts this option for rework at your fingertips even if you
think you'd never need it..
3. Non-Contact Hot Air Soldering:
One of the more popular benefits of the BigGrid™AirBath
is that you can now also use solder "paste" -- as well as
solder wire --- as is used in high volume soldering
production with a
Hot AirPencil
just your BigGrid.
This is a 100% non-contact (NASA calls it "non-touch")
method of soldering at the bench and is, without a doubt,
the closest mirror to conveyor oven reflow yielding showcase solder joints
complete with fillets at both the toe and the
heel of the component, but preheating is mandatory.
4. Thru-Hole Rework:
Heavy ground planes? High copper content? Big heat sinks? No
problem! Your BigGrid™makes desoldering thru-hole chips a breeze! Place your PCB over the AirBath™,
turn down temp settings on your desoldering tools and stop
lifting pads. This
is your preheat boost! You'll never de-solder thru-hole
without preheat again.
5. BGA Pad Redressing:
Stop using desoldering wick and soldering irons to clean up
after removing BGA's during rework. Stop lifting those
delicate BGA pads! Simply preheat your PCB with the AirBath, add flux and
LOWMELT®and swab your pads back to new.
Works on both the PCB's array of pads and the BGA's pads.
6. BGA, CSP Soldering &
DeSoldering. The BigGrid™AirBath
is also a modular component to to our comprehensive
ZT-7-ML BGA HOT AIR REFLOW SYSTEM.So even if you are not yet working with BGA's, should
you do so in the future, your
Mega-Grid™
will already have you half the way there! Because, the your BigGrid™
has all the essential features for BGA processing
incorporated in its design: industry standard ramp rate to
preheat; "post-cooling" for rapid cool-down which is
critical to the BGA reflow process; a large and generous
preheating grid with a powerful 50 CFM (1,415 liters/minute) of preheat power
which allows a lower final reflow temperature from your
nozzles above.
Digital Illuminated Temperature Display:
The ZT-1-BGS-DPU,
features all of the award winning attributes of the our
popular analog AirBath and takes process control one step
further...full digital, variable temperature control. A
convenient microprocessor control permits variable
temperature selection with an easy-to-use "set/read" digital
display function.
Preheating PCB at Benchtop
Mimics High Quality Thermal Profiles on Production Floor
Remove Chip Quickly at Less Than 150°C with AirBath &
LOWMELT®
"Never Lift A Pad"
100% Non Contact , SMT Hot Air Solder Reflow With
the AirBath and a
Hot AirPencil.
Yields Highest Quality Joints.
Thru-Hole Desoldering Made Easier & At Lower Temps With The AirBath Preheat Heavy Ground Planes? No Problem!
The
BigGrid™
&
LOWMELT®
Are Ideal for BGA Pad Redressing Below
150°C Without Wick or a Solder Iron.
The BigGrid™ Works Perfectly with the ZT-7-MIL
BGA, CSP, SMT & Thru-Hole Hot Air Reflow Center.
Our Digital
Model Features
Lighted Temp Display With
Temp Set
& Read Functions
Comparing The 4 Methods of Preheating:
Pre-heating PCB
assemblies falls into four categories: Use of hot plates,
use of ovens, IR systems, and the use of forced convection
(warm air) under the PCB:
The short video at the right breaks down these four
methods with video comparative demonstrations. While any preheating of
your PCB prior to solder reflow is certainly better than
none, an objective analysis of the various methods of
preheating quickly reveals that
all preheating methods are not equally effective or
beneficial:
1.) The
Oven:Using ovens to pre-heat the substrate
before reworking and initiating solder reflow for either
removal and/or replacement of components can yield the
most uniform temperature profile as it warms both the
top and bottom of the PCB assembly as ovens also do in
high volume production equipment such as conveyor ovens
and wave solder machines. It's just a little problematic
to crawl inside an oven with your PCB to preheat while
you perform selective soldering or desoldering tasks on
one side of the board. Of course, one could preheat a
PCB within an
oven, and then afterward, rush it back to your bench, but it's hardly
practical solution either.
2.) The Hot
Plate: The
obvious limitation to the hot plate is that not all PCB
assemblies are single sided. In fact, in today's world
of hybrid and mixed technologies, the PCB that is
entirely flat or plane on one side is an exotic and rare
creature indeed. PCB's typically can carry heat sinks,
connectors, jumpers and transformers on both sides of
the substrate. These uneven surfaces on the board
present an indirect path of heat conduction from the hot
plate to the board assembly.
3.) The IR
Preheater:
There are many drawbacks to infrared which is why
it has really never completely caught on. Some of
drawbacks which have been enumerated in articles in SMT
Magazine, Circuits Assembly and in white papers at
electronic conventions are the difficulty in ramping
temps (some are better than others); shadowing caused by
high profile components on PCB's; and if the IR preheat
grid is very large it can make working on small PCB's
very uncomfortable for the technician (this is a very
common complaint). Still another great disadvantage to
IR preheaters is that they can not ever truly be
"temperature controlled" without the technician having
to always pre-assemble an external thermocouple into
every board before working on it. And that's a
continuous hassle and headache replete with quality
pitfalls and problems with inconsistent results. There
are more, but these are some of the key setbacks.
NASA & JPL: 'IR Preheaters Are Risky':
Addressing the critical preheating process during
rework of plastic and other heat sensitive components in
their 49-page published report, two JPL engineers, Dr.
Rajenshuni Ramesham and Dr. R. David Gerke, wrote "Hot
plates and infrared preheaters are not recommended for
this type of rework. The reason that they should
not be used is that the thermal reaction times, energy
transfer rates and efficiency are never consistent.
However, they can be used for large metal and
ground-plane boards in limited applications, e.g., where
the size of the board matches that of the preheater in
area."
Continuing and also citing the late William Scheu,
the authors pointed out the superiority of preheating by
bottom-side forced convection systems. Moreover, the
NASA Survey by JPL spotlighted still more of the deficiencies of IR
preheating devices: "They have little capacity to
ramp and soak to perform properly engineered repair
scenarios or to support the creation and application of
complicated thermal profiles. They also are limited in
their ability to preheat beyond the physical dimensions
of the heating surface. Hot-air preheating can be
ramped, soaked and, on some systems, synchronized with
the reflow process, permitting duplication of the actual
profile used in manufacturing the assemblies. BGAs and
photoelectrical parts are sensitive to higher
temperatures and
any attempt
to preheat with marginally controllable sources is risky."
---' NASA & JPL: Survey of Rework Methods & Equipment
for Various Packaging Technologies."
-- August 2005.
4.) Superior,
Forced Convection Preheat, The AirBath™: The
market has long spoken with regards to the distinct
advantages and superiority of a
warm air bath in the pre-heating
process. Forced convection completely disregards the
topography (or bottomography) of the PCB, allowing
immediate, direct access of the warm air into all of the
nooks and crannies of the PCB assembly. And much like
the newer, popular forced convection commercial ovens,
the circulating warmed air is far more effective than
static warm air.
"Hot air is more
versatile than a hot plate due to the
non-uniform parts on the bottom of the board."
-- Glen Dody, Manager Motorola's SMT Lab
National Journal of SMT, 1996
Post-Cooling™ By The AirBath™:
Further, an another clear advantage of a
Zephyrtronics AirBath™ is that with the flip of
a switch the unit immediately becomes a
post-cooler™ cooling down your PCB and its
components and most importantly, your solder
joints.
Post-Cooling™ is essential to any soldering of
BGA's because hot air nozzles must not be lifted
from above the BGA until all the balled joints
have cooled so as not to cause unwanted bridging.
It's important to point out the obvious: hot
plates, static ovens and IR plates do not
provide the critical post-cooling™ feature
standard on every Zephyrtronics AirBath™. Again,
our engineers introduced the concept of
post-cooling™ to the benchtop clear back in
1994.
Typically, our AirBaths™ can cool BGA's after
reflow within only 8 second permitting the hot
air nozzle to be lifted without fear of
bridging. Without post-cooling™ the technician
has to wait for the ball/pad interface to
solidify completely before lifting the nozzle to
inspect or to move on to another chip. The
Post-Cooling™ feature remedies this problem
allowing rapid lifting of your hot air nozzles
from over the BGA after soldering.
The AirBath™ Cools Down Within 8 Seconds
Allowing Quicker Lifting Hot Air Nozzles
Preventing Bridging.
Zephyrtronics Led and Leads the World in Preheating PCB's: Judged "Best New Product of the Year" and winner of the prestigious "Vision Award" at the Surface Mount International Expo in Silicon Valley
in 1996 for its milestone contribution to the global production
of printed circuit cards , Zephyrtronics' AirBath™was
recognized and spotlighted by SMT Magazine in 1997 as a "safer and simpler method for removing and repairing sensitive devices."
True, our AirBaths™
have inspired a lot of cheesy imitations which are little more
than hair dryers in a box, but that aside, we are still the
original pioneers and understand the thermodynamics of preheating better
than anyone else. Our AirBaths™
are the intelligent solution to stop burning up your printed circuit board assemblies by preventing thermal degradation, thermal shock, lifting pads & traces, substrate delamination, measling and warping of your boards.
It is no wonder
that for over fifteen years now, these Zephyrtronics AirBaths™have become the pre-heater of choice of nearly every major aerospace and semiconductor manufacturer. It truly is the one single tool that belongs on every bench. This is the "Science of Zephyrtronics." We have an AirBath™ for you.
The BigGrid™
AirBath, One of Our Larger, More Powerful AirBaths™ is Surprisingly
Compact in Size& Delivers 50CFM (1,415 Liters/Minute) & 1,500 Watts of Preheat
Power
Fully MIL-Spec Compliant and Approved for Space
Applications!
TECHNICAL DATA & SPECS
Models: ZT-1-BGS-DPU-120:
120 VAC (U.S., Canada & Mexico)
Digital Model ZT-1-BGS-DPU-230:
230 VAC International Digital
Mode ZT-1-BGS-MIL-120:
120 VAC (U.S., Canada &
Mexico)
Analog
Model ZT-1-BGS-MIL-230:
230 VAC International
Analog
Model
Other: (All Models)
Power:1,500
Watts Electrical Construction: 3-Wire
Input with Earth Safety Ground W x H x D:12" x 4.5" x 7.2"
(30 cm x 11 cm x 18 cm)
Weight:5.3 lbs (2.41 Kg) Air
Volume: 50CFM or 1,415 Liters per
Minute Preheating & Cooling Air Grid:
16 sq. inches (110 Sq. Cm) Temperature Modes:
Preheating & Cooling Preheat
Temp Range: Ambient (Room Temp) to 205°C (400°F)
Preheat Ramp Rate:
2-4° C per second
Cooling Temp:
Ambient
(Room Temp)
Temperature Stability:
± 3°C (± 5 °F) at
Idle.
Absolute Temperature Stability:
Meets or Exceeds
ANSI-J-STD
Air Supply: Self-Contained Internal Supply (No
Air Hookups)
Construction: All Metal ESD Safe
Construction
Warranty:
All
One Year Limited Warranty Parts & Labor
Recommended: Use With ABC Series of
Board Cradles / Fixtures
FEATURES & BENEFITS
BigGrid™ AirBath Was Used by NASA on Both Mars Rovers
Prevents Thermal Shock of Components
Lower Soldering & DeSoldering Reflow Temperatures
Ideal for the Heaviest PCB's & Lead-Free Applications
Helps Prevent Warping Substrates & Damaging Pads
Superior Forced Convection Preheating
1,500 Watts of Preheat Power
16 Square Inch (110 sq. cm) Preheat Grid
Powerful 50 CFM (1,415 Liters/Minute) Air Volume
Digital & Analog Models
Preheating Mode With Red Lighted Indicator
Preheating Mode: Ambient (Room Temp) to 205°C
Post-Cooling™ Mode with Blue Lighted Indicator
Preheating Ramp at Industry Standard 2°-4°C Per Second
Self-Contained (No Air Hook-Ups Required)
Small, Compact Construction Respects Benchtop Space
ESD Safe
One Year Limited Warranty Parts & Labor
Every Unit is
Calibrated at the Zephyrtronics Factory
ZT-1-BGS BIG-GRID™ DIGITAL AIRBATH PREHEATER
Description
Model
Price
Buy Now
BIG-GRID™
DIGITAL
AIRBATH
50
CFM Air Power
(1,415 Liter/Min) 1,500 Watt Power
ZT-1-BGS-DPU-120
(120 Volt for the U.S., Canada & Mexico)
$1,985
ZT-1-BGS-DPU-230
(230 Volt For All
Int'l Customers)
$1,985
BIG-GRID™
ANALOG
AIRBATH
50
CFM Air Power
(1,415 Liter/Min) 1,500 Watt Power
ZT-1-BGS-MIL-120
(120 Volt for the U.S., Canada & Mexico)
$1,450
ZT-1-BGS-MIL-230
(230 Volt For All
Int'l Customers)
$1,450
*
We manufacture many other sizes of AirBaths.
Please note that the BigGrid™ is one of our larger
AirBath Preheaters and may be too big for your
applications. Please check out our entire
AirBath Catalog Directory
where we are certain that we have an AirBath Preheater tailored to your
company's PCB needs.
ABC SERIES OF ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLES
Description
Model
Price
Buy Now
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (10” X 18” MAX)
ABC-1
$235
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (20” X 18” MAX)
ABC-2
$275
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE QUATRO (10” X 18” MAX)
ABC-1-Q
$295
ADJUSTABLE BOARD CRADLE QUATRO (20” X 18” MAX)
ABC-2-Q
$315
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
Description
Model
Price
Buy Now
EXTRA/REPLACEMENT POSTS (SET OF 4) 2-POST AND 8-POST POSITIONING (8 POSTS ALLOW PCB INSIDE OF ABC TO BE FLIPPED UP & DOWN DURING THRU-HOLE DESOLDERING)
