No One Knows More About Preheating
PCB's Than Zephyrtronics!
Bottom-Side Convection Pre-Heating for PCB, Thru-Hole, SMD, SMT, QFN
& BGA Rework
& Repair. With Post Cooling™.
Two Economy AirBaths From the Inventors of Stand-Alone Bottom Side
PCB Preheating
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
See
Details Below
Made in the U.S.A. Quality
Standard
Analog Compact AirBath
Over 10 CFM
(285 Liters/Minute) Air Volume.
Our Analog ZT-1-CLS-MIL
AirBath™ Delivers
More Than Double
in Preheat Power Than All Others in Its Compact Class.
Deluxe
Digital Compact AirBath
Over 15 CFM
(430 Liters/Minute) Air Volume.
Our Digital ZT-1-CLS-DPU
AirBath™ Delivers
As Much As
Triple in Preheat Power Than All Others in Its
Compact Class.
Real Preheat Power in Compact Units:
We heard your voices! Our engineers
have packaged our patented preheating technology into
two amazingly powerful, yet compact systems. Packing more
than double and triple the preheating air volume capacity
of any other small profile pre-heater on the market, the
ZT-1-CLSAirBaths™
also have a one-year limited factory warranty.
Two Compact Models: Digital & Analog! Our
ZT-1-CLSCompact AirBaths™
are available in two popular choices:
1.) Our ZT-1-CLS-DPU
Deluxe Digital AirBath™ packs over 15CFM
(430 liters/minute) of forced-convection preheat power: Over
3 times more preheating/post-cooling™ power of others in its size and class!
2.) And our ZT-1-CLS-MIL Analog
AirBath™ which, while not quite as
powerful as the Deluxe Model, still packs over a whopping 10
CFM (285 liters/minute) of forced convection preheating and
post-cooling™ which is up to twice the output of other
compact pre-heaters in size and class.
Key to PCB Preheating: Successfully preheating
a PCB is done, not with higher temps of
low-volume preheated air, but lower temps with effective
volumes of preheated air. Beware of imitative
pre-heaters with less than 10CFM (285 liters/minute) that
crudely attempt to compensate for their lack of air
volume
with higher temp settings!
Keep in mind that the critical glass transition of a FR-4 PCB is only
170°C (338°F)! You don't want higher preheat temps, you want
a higher volume of safe preheated (100°C to 170°C) air for
your PCB's. (See more below.)
More Details:
ZT-1-CLS COMPACT, ECONO AIRBATH PREHEATERS
DESCRIPTION
MODEL
PRICE
BUY
NOW
DELUXE
DIGITAL
COMPACT
AIRBATH™
15
CFM Preheat
Air Volume &
PostCooler™
430 Liter/Min
Board Cradle Not Included.
ZT-1-CLS-DPU
120 Volt for the
U.S., Canada & Mexico
$750.00
ANALOG
COMPACT
AIRBATH™
10 CFM
Preheat
Air Volume &
PostCooler™
285 Liter/Min
Board Cradle Not Included.
ZT-1-CLS-MIL
120 Volt for the
U.S., Canada & Mexico
$329.00
* You may wish
to also check out the rest of our preheating line of
AirBaths. We manufacture many other sizes of
AirBaths. Please note that this CLS Compact Series are
our smallest pre-heaters. Our larger preheating systems
have even more air volume preheating power, which is
the secret to successful preheating: greater volume
of preheated air, not higher temps which destroy
PCB's. You can see our entire
AirBath Catalog 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
TINY BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (8.5” X 13”)
SHIPS WITH 4 STANDARD POSTS
ABC-TT
$195
TINY BOARD CRADLE QUATRO™ (8.5” X 13”)
SHIPS WITH 4 STANDARD POSTS
ABC-TQ
$235
* Please note
that our T-Series of ABC Adjustable Board Cradles only fit
the two CLS-Compact AirBath™ Preheaters shown on this web
page and will not straddle our larger AirBath™ Preheaters
which utilize our standard (larger) ABC Cradles.
Loaded With Premium Features:
The ZT-1 AirBaths™get 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 and long
production life.
Critical Thermal
Ramping: TheZT-1AirBaths™
have the industry standard, built-in temperature ramping at
2° to 4°C per second preventing thermal shock to sensitive
chips, ceramic caps and glass diodes. The ramp is "built in"
by design into every Zephyrtronics AirBath™
Preheating System. Our ramping was essential to Motorola®
and Boeing®
with their space applications.
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!
For Thru-Hole, SMT & BGA Preheating Tasks: TheTheZT-1AirBaths™
are 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.
Our Two Compact AirBath™ Models: As mentioned
above, our
ZT-1-CLS
Compact AirBaths™
are available in two models: analog and digital. Both models feature
variable temperature selection starting at ambient (room temp). Both
models are temperature controlled:
The Compact Analog Model
has a dial for
temp selection on the front panel with
10 CFM of Air Volume.
The
Deluxe Compact 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 and features full-closed loop
temperature feedback sensing, too.
Remember:
The greater the volume of preheated air translates into
lower preheating temperatures!
Our Deluxe Compact Digital AirBath™
Delivers a Lot of Product for a Great Price!
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.
But you can be certain that a Zephyrtronics AirBath™ preheating system
is your Lead-Free,
RoHS soldering solutions radically reducing
the elevated solder reflow temps, that
without preheat, are needed with lead-free
alloys. No need to burn your PCB's when you
have an AirBath™.
All Preheaters Are Not Created Equally:
Here's a few of the many helpful applications and
utilities of all "industry standard"
AirBaths™Preheating Systems.
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
Zephyrtronics AirBath™
preventing thermal shock to 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: Remove SMD's below 150°C
(300°F) with only an AirBath™and LowMelt®DeSolder with the proven process of co-metalization. No
nozzles! No lifting pads! No more burning PCB's! Your AirBath™
puts this nifty rework option at your fingertips.
Video Demo: SMD Removal With an AirBath & LowMelt®.
3. Non-Contact Hot Air Soldering:
The AirBath™
preheat allows you to use solder "paste" -- as well as
solder wire --- just like high volume soldering
production with just a
Hot AirPencil.
This is a 100% non-contact (NASA calls it "non-touch")
method of soldering at the bench. Witness the short video of
Video:How To Solder SMD's With Solder Paste.
4. Thru-Hole Rework:
Heavy ground planes? High copper content? Big heat sinks? No
problem! Your AirBath™
makes de-soldering 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. Heat Shrink Tubing: The AirBath™ is ideal for your shrink tubing. Superior to heat guns that can burn and tear your
wire insulation or heat-shrink tubing, the AirBath™ is temperature controlled.
Preheating PCB
at Bench
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!
Ideal For Heat Shrink Tube Applications...Far Superior To Heat Guns
Without Any Control!
AllAirBaths™
Work Perfectly By Design with Our
ZT-7-MIL
BGA, CSP, SMT & Thru-Hole Hot Air Reflow Center.
6. BGA,
CSP Soldering & DeSoldering. The AirBath™ is
also a modular component to to our comprehensive
ZT-7-MIL BGA Hot
Air System.So even if you are not yet working with BGA's, your
AirBath™ will have you half the way there
should you begin to work with BGA's. How? Because
the AirBath™ has
all the essential features for BGA processing
incorporated in its design: industry standard ramp
rate to preheat; "post-cooling" for rapid cool-down
(critical to the BGA reflow process); and a
powerful 10 to 15 CFM (285 to 430 Liters/Minute,
depending on model)
of preheat
power permitting lower final reflow temperature from
your nozzles above. See the short video of BGA
rework:
Video: BGA & SMD De-Soldering
in 3 Minutes.
Zephyrtronics' AirBath Spotlighted
in Ray Prasad'sText
"Surface Mount Technology"
Comparing The 4
Methods of Preheating:
Pre-heating PCB
assemblies falls into four categories: Hot
plates, convection ovens, IR systems, and the use of forced
convection (warm air) up under the PCB: While any
preheating of your PCB's 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 a PCB 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 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 Post-Cooling™ Mode of All AirBaths™
Cools Down BGA's After Soldering Within
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, ourAirBaths™
have inspired a lot of cheesy imitations which are little more
than hair dryers in a box, but that aside, we are still the
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
for over a decade 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.
ZT-1-CLS ECONO AIRBATH PREHEATERS
DESCRIPTION
MODEL
PRICE
BUY
NOW
DELUXE
DIGITAL
COMPACT
AIRBATH
15
CFM
Preheat
Air Volume &
PostCooler™
(430 Liter/Min)
ZT-1-CLS-DPU
120 Volt for the
U.S., Canada & Mexico
$750.00
ANALOG
COMPACT
AIRBATH
10 CFM
Preheat
Air Volume &
PostCooler™
(285 Liter/Min)
ZT-1-CLS-MIL
120 Volt for the
U.S., Canada & Mexico
$329.00
Fully MIL-Spec Compliant and Approved for Space
Applications!
* You may wish
to also check out the rest of our preheating line of
AirBaths. We manufacture many other sizes of AirBaths.
Please note that the CLS Compact Series are our smallest
pre-heaters. Our larger preheating systems have even more air
volume preheating power, which is the secret to successful
preheating: greater volume of preheated air, not higher
temps which destroy PCB's. You can see 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
TINY BOARD CRADLE 3-RAIL (8.5” X 13”)
SHIPS WITH 4 STANDARD POSTS
ABC-TT
$195
TINY BOARD CRADLE QUATRO™ (8.5” X 13”)
SHIPS WITH 4 STANDARD POSTS
ABC-TQ
$235
TECHNICAL DATA & SPECS
Models: ZT-1-CLS-DPU-120:
120 VAC (U.S., Canada & Mexico)
Digital Model ZT-1-CLS-MIL-120:
120 VAC (U.S., Canada & Mexico)
Analog
Model
Other: (All Models) Power:
Up to 500 Watts Electrical Construction:
3-Wire
Input with Earth Safety Ground W x H x D:8" x 4.5" x 7" (20 cm x 11 cm
x 17 cm)
Weight:5.3 lbs (2.41 Kg) Air
Volume (Forced Convection With PostCooler™) Deluxe Digital Model:15 CFM (430 liters/minute)
Analog Model:10 CFM (285 liters/minute) Temperature Modes:
Preheat & PostCooler™ by Patented AirCone™ Preheat
Temp Range: Deluxe Digital
Model:Ambient (Room Temp) to 205°C
(400°F)
Analog Model:Ambient (Room Temp) to 190°C
(375°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:
One Year Limited Warranty Parts & Labor
Recommended: Use With ABC Series of
Board Cradles / Fixtures
FEATURES & BENEFITS
Award Winning,
Internationally Acclaimed
Patented Preheat Technology
Used By Boeing on the International Space
Station
Prevents Thermal Shock of Components
Permits Lower Soldering & De-Soldering Reflow Temperatures
Ideal for the Heaviest PCB's & Lead-Free Applications
Helps Prevent Warping Substrates & Damaging Pads
Superior Forced Convection Preheating
Up to 500
Watts of Preheat Power
Triple & Double the
Air Volume of All Other Compact Preheaters
Digital & Analog Models
Trademarked PostCooler™
Feature
Attractive Lighted Indicator Lights. Pre-Heating: Red.
Cooling: Blue.
Variable Temperature Control
Preheating Ramp Rate at Industry Standard 2°-4°C Per Second
Self-Contained (No Air Hook-Ups Required)
Small, Compact Construction Respects Benchtop Space
MIL-Spec, RoHS Compliant,
ESD Safe
One Year Limited Warranty Parts & Labor
Every Unit is
Individually
Calibrated at the Zephyrtronics California Factory
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
DESCRIPTION
ITEM
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)
