ZT-7 BGA, CSP & SMT HOT AIR REFLOW CENTER
The Comprehensive Solution for BGA, SMT and CSP Rework &
Repair, Reballing, BGA  Alignment, Placement, Preheat and Reflow at the Bench

The Zephyrtronics ZT-7 System "makes mounting / removal of through-hole and surface mount components easier than routine benchtop methods" and "minimizes thermal stresses due to temperature differentials during assembly and rework" and "enables the mounting of Ball Grid Arrays and other hidden pin packages on site."  -- NASA Report, Jan. 9, 2004

With all of the critical process controls "built in," the Zephyrtronics ZT-7-MIL System was engineered to eliminate the worry over compressed air hook-ups, air pressure settings, external fanning equipment, external and awkward foot pedals. The ZT-7-MIL is a fully integrated system making the meticulous, temperature profiles of high volume production equipment now attainable right at the bench. 

The Zephyrtronics ZT-7-000 BGA, SMT & CSP Comprehensive Benchtop System Shown Above.

So Many Utilities: Whether the application is of the highest reliability possible such as space and military work or everyday rework of even commercial game entertainment systems such as the XBOX, the ZT-7 is at work even as you read this all over the world!

Video Demonstration: See the ZT-7 in Action As It DeSolders & Removes BGA's

Here’s Just a Few of the ZT-7’s Novel Features: This remarkable benchtop system features closed loop electronic digital temperature control; a digital countdown timer with audible beeper for process and profile uniformity; a heating zone with the unique capacity of both 1.) a "Z-Axis" which raises and lowers the heating zone to the targeted component on the substrate; and 2.) a "Y-Axis" which retracts and returns the heat zone before and after reflow allowing the technician to align, flux, prep, clean, inspect without the heat zone interfering. (Both the Z and Y axis travel are made via precision linear ball bearing slides which mean smooth, accurate and repeatable performance.

Unique Retractable Heat-Zone & Single-Spot Alignment: Most noteworthy is our exclusive and patent protected "Single Spot Alignment, Placement and Reflow Feature" due to the fact that the ZT-7000 System NEVER requires movement of the PCB Assy. once your BGA or CSP has been aligned and placed. The ZT-7-MIL brings the heat zone to the target unlike most other BGA "machines" which have elaborate (and expensive!) vision alignment systems that constantly need calibrating and which remotely place the BGA or CSP, only to require the board and the loose components to be moved afterwards to a distant heat zone. (Who on earth thought of that??) And what's even better, the ZT-7-MIL is universal for both BGA's & CSP's (You don't need to buy two different machines!)

Patented BGA Alignment Template Eliminates Need for Expensive Split-Beam Vision Systems.

Noteworthy! Extra Low Velocity Hot Air Flow from ZT-7 Reflow Nozzles: The ZT-7-MIL has less than 18 CFM of air velocity from its Reflow Nozzles. Why is that important? Three critical reasons: 1.) Our extra-low velocity heated air from the Nozzle prevents unwanted adjacent component reflow. Today when caps and resistors typically surround the BGA area, our extra-low air velocity is a key advantage!  2.) Moreover, the extra-low velocity heated air does not blow or scatter solder around the PCB unlike other hot air systems; and 3.) Our less-than-18 CFM of air velocity at the nozzle helps prevent hydroplaning of small chips during reflowr. Your chip stays put because we don’t blow it out of alignment.

Our Secret? The low velocity air flow at the nozzle is only possible because Zephyrtronics has ample preheating air flow from below the PCB from our AirBaths. High volume, low temp preheat air flow from below translates into easy reflow from above with only minimal air velocity at the nozzle. And this is where nearly all the other SMT & BGA machines on the market really get it wrong because they have ineffective preheating (weak IR or hot plates) and therefore must compensate with high velocity air from their nozzles to achieve solder reflow. QFN's and E-Pads? Of course, our AirBath preheating advantage makes working with those pesky QFN packages easy as can be. Yes, those "e-pads" or "thermal pads" or "belly slugs" on the bottom side of the chip are no problem with your ZT-7 System! And this really becomes especially important if you are thinking of using lead-free solders.

The ZT-7 Selected by NASA & JPL

Don't let the simplicity and affordability of the ZT-7 lead you to underestimate its capacity, its power, its utility or its quality performance. This is the very same ZT-7 chosen by both NASA and JPL for soldering the BGA's and SMD's on the two high-reliability and highly successful Mars Rovers. Even the largest full metal-topped BGA's used on both of the Mars Rovers were soldered with the Zephyrtronics ZT-7 Hot-Air Reflow Center!

Indeed, NASA engineers prepared a 39 page document touting the ZT-7 system in a report for its employees which includes nearly 300 color photographs of how to install and operate the Zephyrtronics ZT-7. Zephyrtronics now includes this helpful report inside of every ZT-7 that we ship to our customers along with the Zephyrtronics detailed ZT-7 Owners Manual. We don't know of any other manufacturer of SMT or BGA reflow machines that can make that claim.

Additionally, the ZT-7 is used by engineers and technicians at Raytheon® at their Tomahawk and Patriot Missile projects and is also currently in use by Boeing®, Harvard, M.I.T., Sony®, Intel®, International Rectifier®, National Semiconductor, Xilinx®, LSI Logic®, Motorola®, Agilent® and many more of the world's most prestigious commercial, academic, military, medical and electronic campuses. It may very well be the number one selling SMT & BGA benchtop system sold in North America.

Easy to use? Absolutely. Affordable? Definitely. Dependable quality in performance? Well, the solder joints that were made with the Zephyrtronics ZT-7 by JPL employees were catapulted out of the atmosphere at 4 million Newtons (900,000 pounds) of thrust, traveled over 500 million kilometers (310 million miles)  at times as fast as 25,000 miles per hour, endured extreme thermal conditions coupled with exposure to gamma rays, survived the landing impact onto the red planet's surface and thereby permitting the two Rovers to perform admirably on the rugged terrain of Mars. How's that for quality solder joints?

Launch of first Rover, Spirit:   June 10, 2003
Spirit's arrival on Mars:
Jan. 3, 2004

And don’t overlook that the ZT-7-MIL is also your BGA Re-Balling solution. 

The ZT-7 BGA, CSP & SMT Hot Air Bench Top Reflow System is available from Zephyrtronics today. The ZT-7-MIL, the ZT-1-BGS-DPU, the ZT-1-HIS-DPU, and the ABC-1 can be purchased separately or as a complete system as shown below. For more detailed information on Zephyrtronics most popular systems, see our Zephyrtronics Systems Section.