Our ZT-1-BGS-DPU BigGrid™ AirBath features a big 16-square inch (110 sq. cm) preheating grid with 1,500 watts of power, plus 50 CFM (1,415 liters per minute) of air supply for preheating and cooling. Introduced in 1998, this is the second largest AirBath™ from the recognized pioneer and world leader in PCB preheating technology.

This is the same BigGrid™ AirBath used by NASA and JPL for preheating PCB's for the two Mars Rovers that were so successful on the Red Planet! And in our ever so famous trademark pyramidal design.

Manufactured in Los Angeles: The BigGrid™ is 100% fabricated and assembled in our state-of-art factory in California. It has a full, one-year limited warranty and is ideal for large PCB's or with high copper content, heat-sinks, large ground or back planes. It's a workhorse!

The patent-protected technology of the BigGrid™ AirBath™ is the most effective PCB preheat solution for your needs during prototyping or rework at the bench for thru-hole and surface mount technology including Ball Grid Arrays.

For Thru-Hole, SMT & BGA Preheating Tasks: The BGS Series AirBath Preheating Systems is ideal for all PCB challenges from low-volume production runs, prototyping during design or during rework with all SMD packages such as BGA, CSP, QFP, QFN, TSOP, PLCC, SOIC, SOL, LCC, Flip Chip and Glob Top components. Still, the AirBath  is not limited to only SMD devices: Don't overlook the superb benefit the AirBath  preheating boost brings to your tough through-hole (PTH) soldering and de-soldering tasks! Plus, it easily handles all substrates including FR-4, polyimide, composites, flex circuits and ceramic boards.

The Many Benefits of Preheating Your PCB: The benefits of preheat are multiple and compounding. 1.) Preheating or "soaking" the assembly before reflow activates the flux that removes oxides and surface films thereby enhancing the wetting process and solder joint quality. 2.) Preheat permits lower soldering reflow temperatures. 3.) Preheat reduces "dwell time" at the final reflow stage. 4.) Preheat reduces thermal stresses to the PC substrate and components if localized reflow is made with soldering irons, de-soldering tools or hot air tools. 5.) Preheat gives a thermal boost for  RoHS lead-free solders without damaging the work!

Two BigGrid™ Models: Our BigGrid™ AirBath is available in two models: analog and digital. Both models feature variable temp selection from ambient up to 205°C.

Both models feature closed-loop feedback temperature sensing control.

The ZT-1-BGS-DPU 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 temp at the air exit point

The ZT-1-BGS-MIL Analog model has a dial for temp selection on the front panel.

The Best Lead-Free Solution: Lead-free or RoHS compliant solder alloys all have higher melting points and this makes preheat more essential to PCB work. But, don't raise the temperatures higher on your soldering irons, desoldering tools, hot air nozzles, thermal tweezers or hot air pencils! Just briefly preheat the PCB's bottom  before reflow and perform your soldering or desoldering on the top side at lower temps.

Preheating at the Bench Duplicates the Quality
 Thermal Profiles of
High Volume Production

Remove Chip Quickly Below 150°C with  AirBath™ & LOWMELT® "Never Lift A Pad"

100% Non Contact SMT Hot Air Soldering With the AirBath™ &
a Hot AirPencil™.
 Highest Quality Joints.

Thru-Hole Desoldering
Is Easier & At Lower Temps With AirBath™ Preheat. Heavy Ground Planes? No Problem!

  Ideal For Heat Shrink Tubing Applications.
Superior To Non-Regulated Heat Guns!

AirBath™ Preheat
Compliments the
 ZT-7-MIL SMD/BGA Station Perfectly.

  Comparing the Four Methods of Preheating

Preheating PCB assemblies falls into four categories: 1.) hot plates, 2.) ovens, 3.)  IR systems, and 4.) forced convection (warm air) under a PCB: The short video at the right breaks down these four methods with comparative demonstrations. While any PCB preheat prior to soldering is better than none, an objective analysis of the various methods of preheating reveals that all preheating methods are not equally effective or beneficial:

1.) Ovens: Using ovens to preheat before rework and soldering 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 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 can preheat with an oven, and then rush the PCB back to your bench, but it's hardly practical solution.

Hundreds of Zephyrtronics AirBaths™ Utilized to Build the International Space Station (ISS)

39-Page Rework Guide
by NASA with Zephyrtronics AirBaths™

Zephyrtronics AirBaths™ Used on the Mars Rover & Phoenix Programs.
Photo Credit: NASA

2.) IR: There are many drawbacks with infrared and why it really never completely caught on.  Some of the drawbacks (enumerated in articles and white papers) are the difficulty in ramping temps, darker surfaces heating more than lighter ones ('albedo' effect), shadowing caused by high profile devices on PCB's. IR preheaters can warp PCB's and some chips require IR shielding with aluminum foil! If an IR preheater is very large, working on small PCB's can be very uncomfortable for techs (a common complaint).

Another quality disadvantage of IR preheaters is they are not "temperature controlled" without taping an external thermocouple onto each PCB before working on it...a hassle/headache for techs and filled with quality pitfalls, and inconsistent results. There are more drawbacks, but these are some of the worst.

NASA & JPL: 'IR Preheaters Are Risky': Addressing the preheating process for heat sensitive chips in a 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."

Citing the late William Scheu, the authors point to the superiority of bottom-side preheating with forced convection systems. The JPL/NASA Survey 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" Aug.'05

 Post-Cooling™ Feature Built Into The AirBaths™ 

Another real AirBath™ advantage is with flipping a switch the unit transforms into a post-cooler™ cooling down your PCB, chips and solder joints. Post-Cooling™ is essential to 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.  Our AirBaths™ can cool BGA's enough within only 8 second permitting the hot air nozzle to be lifted without fear of bridging. Without post-cooling™ a technician must wait for the ball/pad interface to solidify completely before lifting the nozzle to inspect. The Post-Cooling™ feature remedies this problem allowing rapid lifting of your hot air nozzles from over the BGA after soldering.