www.zf.com

1.2012

Foot printGlobal 

How ZF services customers worldwide

Perfect pourFrom molten aluminum to high-tech component

Steady growthChief Executive Officer Stefan Sommer on ZF’s future

Additionally, we are keenly observing the know-how and growing involvement of Chi-nese companies in the auto-motive supplier segment.

We have long been a techni-

cal partner to our customers, no matter where they are lo-cated. This global – and I use the word in the truest sense – business model is becoming increasingly important, in-deed limitless as borders no longer pose boundaries. With 121 manufacturing companies in 27 countries, the Group al-ready has an extensive net-work around the world. Our network is even more valuable thanks to the opening of addi-tional plants, which allows us to be even closer to custom-ers. This creates trust and al-lows us to continue along our path of growth. Granted, man-aging future growth will not

always be an easy task – but it will certainly be more enjoyable than the last three years of crisis manage-ment. And, without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading this issue of drive.

If someone had told us three years ago that before long we would be busy managing so much growth, we would have shaken our heads in disbelief. And yet, that is exactly what we are doing today. The latest figures – showing 20 percent sales growth in 2011 – mark one milestone for ZF and rep-resent part of a longer-term development that is reflected both in the number of units our customers are planning to order and in market forecasts.

But our growth is not just about unit quantities or sales figures: Our responsibility and the radius of our global busi-ness activities are growing as well. We are constantly ex-panding our range of products and services in strategic tech-nology areas and it’s precisely these developments we talk about in the following pages. We are, for example, working hard to expand our ex-pertise in lightweight material design. In doing so, we underscore our strength as a partner to our custom-ers while increasing our overall competitive edge.

32 1.2012

EDITORIAL

SIDE NOTE

Perched on blue bases, the orange

handling robots at ZF Die Casting Tech-

nology take part in an unusual dance:

With playful ease and fast sweeping

motions, the workers made of steel –

which the casters affectionately refer

to as “robbies” – spin around the gray

transmission housings, then slowly

and carefully set them down for further

Dance of the robbies

handling. In the space of only 32 sec-

onds, the sprues and drill filings left from

casting are milled away from each alumi-

num housing, structural components are

precision-punched and burrs filed, finally

the entire transmission housing is

blasted. Then the choreography starts

again from the top. In this assembly hall

alone, the ensemble working on the

8-speed automatic transmission housing

is made up of 17 robots, which handle

about 150 aluminum-housing units per

hour. Spectators can only discern the

dance’s perfection after observing it for

a long time. This robotic ballet is per-

formed behind thick bars and safety

glass so that no one is injured.

On the path toward stable growth

Chief Executive OfficerStefan Sommer

4 51.2012

36 IRREPLACEABLE

Heavy-duty demands on alumi-nium housings

42 INDESTRUCTIBLE

How e-drives are changing utility vehilcles

Publisher ZF Friedrichshafen AG, 88038 Friedrichshafen , GermanyPublications Officer Matthias Lenz, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, 88038 Friedrichshafen , Germany, Phone: +49 7541 77-2790, Fax: +49 7541 77-2764, E-Mail: drive@zf.comEditors in Chief Martin Demel, Wolfgang MillerChief Coordinator Claudia WangerEditors Frank Thoma (managing), Thomas Wenzel; Die Wortwerkstatt GmbH, 72127 Tübingen, GermanyOther authors contributing to this issue Frank Malerius, Michael Seitz, Marcus SchickDesign Advance Consultants GmbH,Kurfürstendamm 212, 10719 Berlin, GermanyPrinting Bodensee MedienzentrumGmbH & Co. KG, Lindauer Straße 11,88069 Tettnang, Germany

Photo Credits Cover: Hauke Dressler; p. 2: Bernhard Huber; p. 3: Steffen Jahn; p. 4–5: gettyimages, Harley-Davidson, Bernhard Huber, Steffen Jahn, iStockphoto; p. 6–7: Mauritius, ZF; p. 8–9: BMW, Daimler, Jaguar, Porsche, ZF; p. 10–13: Thomas Bender, Detlef Majer, Tim Müller, ZF; p. 14–23: Hauke Dressler, iStockphoto, Detlef Majer, Tim Müller, Strandperle, Volkswagen; p. 24–27: Steffen Jahn; p. 28–31: Illustration Advance Consultants; p. 32–35: BMW, iStockphoto; p. 36–41: Bernhard Huber; p. 42–45: iStockphoto; p. 46–47: Daimler, ZF; p. 48–51: Steffen Jahn; p. 52–55: Harley-Davidson; p. 56–57: Illustration Advance Consultants; p. 58–59: Wolfram A. Riedel/DLG-Verlag, CLAAS, ZF

CONTENTS

6 NEWS

In briefZF in new vehicles – Excellent sales results – Construction of two new assembly plants – Creative HR image campaign

28 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INNOVATIONS

A leaner packhorseRobust a must? This assumption is only a half-truth for today’s commercial vehicles. How manufacturers are out-innovating each other.

32 INFOTAINMENT

Bringing driving into the information ageNavigation comes standard, but information technologies can offer much more. How cars are getting ever smarter, to drivers’ delight.

36 ALUMINUM DIE CASTING

Mad about light metalsTransmissions require sturdy and light housing. These injection molded parts can only be produced by experts, because quality is a decisive factor – a closer look at ZF Die Casting Technology’s Nuremberg site.

42 ELECTRIFICATION

Power up, and liftAn electrified drivetrain isn’t just an attractive feature in a car: Heavy loading vehicles are also getting an extra jolt of power.

46 VIBRATION DAMPING

Good vibrationsPutting a damper on small-engine skepticism by making motor-down-sizing comfortable for customers.

48 TRANSMISSION SERVICE

No such thing as no can doRight outside of Milan, ZF is servicing rare specimens on the Italian market. The not-so-everyday job of the all-rounder team.

52 COMPANY PROFILE

Living legendsHarley-Davidson isn’t just a motorcycle manufacturer. The brand stands for freedom, feeling, and the American Dream. Combined with technological know-how, the image takes on mythical porportions.

56 CITY LIVING

Microcosms to the maxThe majority of us live here; these places determine our daily existence – a few figures on the rapidly growing living spaces we call home.

58 YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Visionary powerhouseProgress owes much to a courageous few. In 1978, Schlüter built the most powerful tractor Europe had seen to date – with a ZF transmission.

48 UNPREDICTABLE

How ZF Italia tackles unique repair cases

14 ZF STRATEGY

Keeping close to the customerBeing a global company means having operations worldwide but also offering custom-fitting products for every market. Four case studies illustrate the multi-faceted world of ZF’s customer relations.

24 INTERVIEW

A conversation with ZF’s new CEOZF Friedrichshafen AG has a new Chief Executive Officer. drive talks to Stefan Sommer about his plans, visions, and personal interests.

52 UNBEATABLE

Tradition and high-tech: the Harley-Davidson legend

76

NEWS

To your dock, please!

In order to keep transport costs low,

container ships are growing at a rapid

pace. Starting next year, 400-m (1,300-ft)

long megacarriers will be carrying up

to 18,000 containers at a time. While

the size of these ships is not a problem

at sea, it can be in ports, where tug -

boats push, pull, and tow the floating

workhorses to and from their docks.

One of those tugboats is the “Arion,”

owned by the shipping company Iskes

Towage & Salvage in IJmuiden, the

Netherlands. Two steerable azimuth

thrusters made by ZF make sure that its

3,600 ps (3,550 hp) can be optimally

harnessed in the water.

1.2012

8 9

The Jaguar XF, too, masterfully combines the dynamics of a modern

sports car with the comfort of a luxury sedan. The 8-speed automatic trans-

mission by ZF, together with the speed-dependent Servolec-

tric steering system by ZF Lenksysteme, provides

the thrill of speed. The electrically adjustable

steering column also offers drivers a unique,

comfortable grip on the steering wheel.

New vehicles with ZF technologyOn-road, off-road & out at sea – on the move with ZF

This Porsche 911,

which the Zuffenhausen-based company

presented at the 2011 IAA, is the seventh

generation of the iconic sports car. The

power of its boxer engine is transferred to

the road via a new standard 7-speed

transmission by ZF. On request, a 7-speed

dual-clutch transmission provides for

sporty gear shifting without torque inter-

ruption. ZF supplies composite pedals

and suspension components, while ZF

Lenksysteme delivers the Servolectric

electric power steering system.

Mercedes-Benz’s B-Classe, now in its

second generation, impresses with its athletic appear-

ance. But those who value more than just the look of

this compact van can order Sensitive Damping Control

(SDC) instead of the standard twin-tube dampers by ZF: As an

evolutionary development of today’s standard dampers, SDC stands for sporty

and agile driving. Equipped with SDC, the sport suspension of the B-Class is

firm yet comfortable.

BMW’s 3 Series is, ac-

cording to the manufacturer, the

“best-selling premium car” in its class.

ZF technology helps ensure that stays

the case in the current sixth genera-

tion: ZF supplies a 6-speed manual trans-

mission including clutch kit as standard,

while customers can opt for the 3 Series

with a comfortable and energy-efficient

8-speed automatic transmission. Both

trans missions can be combined with a

start-stop system. The Servolectric electric-

power steering system by ZF Lenksysteme

also helps with fuel economy, as it only con-

sumes energy when steering. Axle systems

and components for the sporty suspension of

the new 3 Series are also supplied by ZF.

1.2012

SWL 938K is what the

construction specialist Caterpillar calls

its fundamentally revised wheel loader.

ZF Multitrac axles ensure that it can

maneuver forward and backwards agilely

to the millimeter. They not only bear its

weight of up to 17 metric tons (18.70 tons), but also transfer engine power to the

wheels of the “small wheel loader” with the utmost precision.

NEWS

The Sea Hawk and the Sea Eagle are the latest

passenger ferries of the Singapore ferry company Tian San Ship-

ping. Their special, lightweight monohulls can achieve speeds of up

to 26 knots even with a full load. This corresponds to a speed

of almost 50 km/h (31 mph). The required

driving force is transmitted to the

ships’ 5-blade propellers by

three ZF 3050A marine

transmissions.

10 11

With the acquisition of the cab suspension business unit of ThyssenKrupp Auto-

motive Systems GmbH (TKAS), the Commercial Vehicle Technology division has

extended its product range. At last count, the unit had generated sales of about

€15 million ($19.6 million) for TKAS. It will be transferred to the Dielingen site by

the end of the year, and all employees will be offered continued employment there.

The acquired know-how fits perfectly with ZF’s commercial vehicles business, as

the automotive supplier already offers a range of systems to minimize vibrations in

the cabs of commercial vehicles.

NEWS

Electric test vehicles

Sprinty savers

New supply contractsJust-in-time

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has signed new contracts with Daimler.

Chassis Technology division. “With these

projects, our longtime partnership with

Daimler will reach an international level.”

ZF is responding to the booming auto-

mobile market in China and North

America by investing in new just-in-time

(JIT) production capacities for its client,

Daimler. In Beijing, a new assembly plant

is being built for about €15 million

($19.6 million), where, by the end of 2012,

approximately 350 employees will be as-

sembling axle sets for the customer Bei-

jing Benz Automotive Co., Ltd. (BBAC).

At the same time, starting in the middle

of this year, the Group will be expanding

its plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The im-

petus for the expansion is a new supply

contract for chassis systems from long-

time client and Daimler subsidiary Mer-

cedes-Benz U.S. International. “These proj-

ects have come at exactly the right time,”

says Dr. Peter Holdmann, who heads up

the Chassis Systems business unit in the

Production milestone

CDC shock absorbers for passenger cars have been produced by ZF Friedrichshafen

AG’s Schweinfurt site since 1994. CDC stands for Continuous Damping Control. This

adaptive damping system that improves comfort and safety can be found in many

vehicles ranging from compact to luxury cars. At the 2011 IAA, ZF presented a

special version for subcompact cars and vans.

The Stromos test vehicle with electric drive by ZF delivers a spry performance.

Economic climate

ZF ended the 2011 fiscal year with record sales of €15.5 bil-

lion ($20.3 billion). That represents an increase of around 20

percentage points from last year. “Much of this growth has

been fueled by the booming business in the BRIC countries

and the growing market share in the passenger car segment,”

said outgoing Chief Executive Officer Hans-Georg Härter at

the annual press conference in Stuttgart on April 27. Last

year, the Group hired 7,500 new employees worldwide, bring-

ing the total to about 72,000. Investments in fixed assets

were also at a record high: More than €1 billion ($1.3 billion)

went to the building and expansion of plants. The company’s

future prospects are also good, explains Stefan Sommer, the

incoming CEO. For example, in North America, ZF has gained

Chrysler as a new customer for its 8-speed and upcoming

9-speed automatic transmissions.

Impressive financial position

ZF’s involvement in the field of e-

mobility continues to bear fruit: Using

the Stromos electric car by manufac-

turer German E-Cars, ZF has built two

test vehicles with the electric drive

system, which it presented at the

IAA. The system consists of a 90-kW

(120-bhp) electric motor and an

integrated 2-speed transmission. The

power electronics and control soft-

ware are also by ZF. The Stromos

delivers a driving experience on par

with high-performance mid-size cars

with gasoline-fueled engines: It can

go from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph)

in 9 seconds and reach a maximum

speed of 150 km/h (93 mph). The ZF

concept differs from other systems

in its significantly increased power

density, which in turn enables a low

cost level. This demonstrates the

competence of the ZF Group in deliv-

ering a complete electric drive system

from a single source.

Acquisitions

A well-rounded portfolio

1,0003,0005,0007,0009,000

11,00013,00015,000

Sales development 2008–2011

Foreign countries Germany

€ million

2008

4,605

7,896

12,501(–1%)

2009

3,452

5,919

9,371(– 25%)

2010

4,365

8,542

12,907(+ 38%)

2011

5,290

10,219

15,509(+ 20%)

1.2012

www.zf.com, Media Center

For further information

12 131.2012

NEWS

At just 21 years of age, the pianist Claire

Huangci was dubbed the winner of

the ZF Music Award, which includes a

€5,000 ($6,500) cash prize. The Chinese-

American competed against five other

award-winning young musicians over

the course of three concerts. The final

concert took place before an interna-

tional jury on March 10 in Friedrich-

shafen. The ZF Art Foundation and the

Lake Constance International Concert

Association have been organizing the

biennial public piano competition for

the Music Award since 2001.

Mr. Spitz, how much series-production technology is actually in the

race trucks that lead the pack at Dakar?

The teams use many series-production components. Not only for cost rea-

sons, but also because the FIA requires it for homologation. The transmis-

sions and transfer cases of the winning vehicles are, for example, by ZF. Of

course, the standard engine gets a performance boost: We push it to around

900 ps (887 hp) and 4,000 Nm (2,950 lb-ft) of torque. But the racing teams

build the chassis themselves – that’s their well-kept secret.

Are series-production drive components able to withstand the ex-

treme stress of a long-distance race?

At first glance, the Dakar Rally seems like a battle of materials. But if

you actually calculate the mileage, it’s not as brutal as you might think:

The race length, preparatory races, and test miles add up to no more

than 25,000 km (15,534 mi) a year. Our trucks are designed to be driven

1.2 million km (745,000 mi) before the transmissions need to be repaired

or replaced.

You mentioned engine torque of 4,000 Nm (2,950 lb-ft). Isn’t that

well above the allowable input torque of the ZF Ecosplit transmission

that’s used?

The decisive factor is the output torque. Driving a fully loaded construction

vehicle in first gear produces greater torque than at high speeds. Plus, peak

loads are applied only very briefly during the race, and the racing profession-

als are conscious to handle their clutches carefully.

Mario Spitz test-drives heavy commercial vehicles of over 18 metric

tons (approx. 20 tons) for Iveco. This weight class includes the

series-production versions of the winning trucks in this year’s Dakar

Rally: The De Rooy team from the Netherlands drove one Iveco

Powerstar and two Iveco Trakkers to first, second, and sixth places.

And, of course, they were equipped with driveline and chassis

technology by ZF.

Mario Spitz, Test Drive Manager for heavy commercial vehicles at Iveco Magirus AG.

Spotlight on …

Readers’ choiceGreat confidence

Triple win: The editors of the three

major German car magazines asked

their readers about the best brands in

the automotive industry. In all three

cases, ZF ranked number one in the

Transmissions category. With 79 per-

cent of readers giving it the highest

ranking in the “Best Brands” reader

poll by auto motor und sport, ZF came

out on top for the seventh year in a

row. The result of the AutoBild read -

ers’ poll was almost just as high, at

74 percent. In the “Best of 2011”

brand survey of 25,500 readers of

Auto Zeitung, ZF was the winner in

the Transmissions category.

ZF Music AwardVirtuoso on the keys

The international campaign I’m with ZF

has been boosting the Group’s reputa-

tion on the job market. “You can only re-

cruit the best people for the company

when you’re an attractive employer,”

says Marco Reich, who heads up talent

management in the ZF Group. At the

same time, the campaign also aims

to retain employees. “We shouldn’t play

down the career opportunities here or

our position as a technological leader,”

says Reich. Information about the cam-

paign is available at www.zf.com/career.

As part of a targeted approach to reach

potential candidates, the campaign is

visible across different media: online, at job fairs, in schools

and universities, and in print media – just about everywhere

potential employees might look. Experts are currently predicting

Bright minds

The “Image Profiles 2012”

study by the prestigious

business journal man ager

magazin ranks ZF Fried -

richs hafen AG in 10th place

overall. The automotive

supplier thus counts among

the most prestigious inter-

national brands in Germany

and is in good company

with car manufacturers Audi, BMW, Porsche, Volks wagen, and Daimler.

ZF moved up an impressive 44 places in the overall ranking since the last

survey. In the Industrial category, ZF came in second after Bosch. manager

magazin has been performing the study, based on a survey of over 4,000

managers in Germany who rate 170 national and international companies

in 10 industries, since 1986. Key criteria include customer orientation, in-

novation, financial soundness, quality management, and sustainable

business practices.

Powerful brandImage study

a severe, worldwide labor shortage in the

auto motive industry. Reich points out:

“While demographic change over the

next few years will greatly impact the

pool of applicants in Germany, in countries like China, Brazil, and

India, ZF’s reputation as an employer still has some catching up

to do.”

On May 1, the ZF Group joined the

Global Compact, a pact made between

companies and the United Nations to

ensure minimum social and ecological

standards within the global economy.

“By signing on, we are underscoring

that ethical and social principles are an

integral part of our corporate culture

and have global importance,” said Chief

Human Resources Officer Jürgen

Holeksa. Through its participation, ZF

also aims to encourage its own suppli-

ers to comply with the global minimum

standards. This could simplify bidding

processes in the future.

Global CompactFairness guaranteed

IT specialist WalterLauter monitors the global server systems.

HR image campaign

14 151.2012

Writing his autobiography, Be My Guest, in 1957, Con-rad Hilton described the

secret behind the success of his inter-national hotel chain: No matter where

travelers are in the world, at the Hilton they will always find the same standards and amenities they expect in the United States: bathrobes, hair dryers, a restau-

rant with a steakhouse and a well-stocked bar. With his goal of achieving identical quality worldwide, the hote-lier can be considered a pioneer of glo-balization. Today, this kind of approach to the worldwide market is much more pronounced and extends far beyond the hospitality industry. The prolifera-tion of free trade zones and Western foreign direct investment in new mar-kets has driven a 250-fold increase in global trade in the past 60 years. Ac-cording to the United Nations, between 1950 and 2010, the volume of interna-tional exports increased from $62 bil-lion to $15,230 billion. However, this figure does not reflect a key part of global economic relations: local pro-duction for globally active corporations.

Keeping close to the customer

▶

ZF STRATEGY

In today’s business world, geographical boundaries are only a minor consideration in the production and sale of products. drive looks at the globalization of the automotive industry – and how ZF has adapted to it.

16 171.2012

For some time now, products have not only been exported to emerging mar-kets but also produced locally. This “lo-calization” is especially profitable for complex products of a certain size – like motor vehicles.

“In the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – the size of the mar-kets themselves calls for local produc-tion,” says Nikolaus Lang, a partner at the Boston Consulting Group and an ex-pert on globalization in the automotive industry. “These four emerging econo-mies alone now cover about 40 percent of the global passenger-car market – and 60 percent of the world truck mar-ket.” The depth of value added in these countries is increasing, which means that more and more components are manufactured locally. Decades ago, many European or American carmak-ers were content to work with com-plete knock-down kits – that is, all the components necessary to build the car were delivered to a local assembly hall from the carmaker’s home country. At high volumes, local production is only economically viable if suppliers in the destination country are incorporated. Only then can wage and cost advan-tages be exploited, which, among other things, helps level the playing field

with competitors that already have lo-cal production operations.

ZF and the ‘Hilton effect’

Localization is rapidly gaining ground in the automotive industry. In 2010, German manufacturers produced more vehicles at foreign locations than in domestic plants. When establishing a local supplier structure, many groups like to use suppliers they already know from their home markets. “Suppliers are often present in local markets be-fore manufacturers are,” says Lang. According to figures from Boston Con-sulting Group, about 80 percent of all suppliers are now active in markets like Brazil and China, and about 50 percent in In-dia. Russia is the only country at the other end of the spectrum, with just 10 to 20 percent of suppliers repre-sented. With a total of 121 manufactur-ing companies in 27 countries, ZF is usually close-by when manufacturers start looking for a local supplier for driveline and chassis technology for

on- and off-road applications. With its know-how and process expertise, the group is famous for manufacturing to high standards of quality and is ac-cordingly popular with manufacturers. For ZF, the “Hilton effect” is a given: No matter where in the world a manu-facturer contracts ZF, that company can rely on receiving the same high level of quality ZF is known for.

Meanwhile, another development is becoming increasingly significant: Some orders are only given to ZF’s German locations if the technology in question can also be offered in other markets and on other continents. “Car manufacturers use global sourcing – they are looking for suppliers who can deliver in all markets,” says Chief Ex-ecutive Officer Stefan Sommer. He is also Executive Vice President for Mate-rials Management. Manufacturers want to use global modular and plat-form strategies to create additional synergies, for instance, by volume bun-dling. But global presence is not just a way to secure additional business in the boom and growth markets; it is also helping secure the core business in the domestic market. On the follow-ing pages, you will find examples of the different ways the ZF Group operates on a global scale.

ZF STRATEGY

In the BRIC countries – Brazil, Russia, India and China – the size of the markets themselves calls for local production. These four emerging econ-omies alone now cover about 40 % of the global passenger-car market – and 60 % of the world truck market.” Nikolaus Lang, Boston Consulting Group

The of global trade is increasing sharply

value

“

Mobility is rising worldwide, and with it the need for reliable driveline and chassis technology.

Developing countries like India are important markets for ZF.

Export volume in billions of USD

Source: UNCTAD

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

1,97

2.1

3,48

3.4

5,17

1.6

6,44

8.5

10,4

94.3

12,1

29.9

13,9

99.1 16

,120

.1

12,4

83.7 15

,229

.6

▶

Worldwide export trade volume since 1985

18 191.2012

ZF STRATEGY

its engineering center in Shanghai in 2009. There products will soon be

adapted for the local market.

Headed back home

ZF’s customers in-clude Chinese

con struction equipment

makers, like Li-ugong, Sany and

Zoomlion, which started out sup-plying the Chinese market. Now these

manufacturers are targeting further growth

through exports. Conse-quently, construction equip-

ment made by Chinese manu-facturers – and equipped with

ZF technology – is now heading to South America, Africa and Russia.

That’s not all: Chinese companies also want to gain market share in Western Europe. To do that, they are exploiting their cost structures and favorable cur-rency exchange rates. For these markets, the companies are upgrading their prod-ucts with technology – for example, with ZF powertrain tech-nology from the Pre-mium Line. “That’s how we send a con-siderable volume of high-tech products from Passau to China, from where they will be ex-ported back to Eu-rope in a piece of construction equip-ment,” says Beck. He is sure of one thing: “We wouldn’t have this business if the manufactur-ers hadn’t gotten to know us in China so many years ago.” ■

Agiant country, a con-struction industry run-ning at full throttle and

an enormous demand for construction equipment technology – that describes the United States in the mid-1990s. This was when the former ZF Passau GmbH began building up local produc-tion in order to exploit the opportuni-ties offered on the US market. “We set up an assembly line for excavator axles there, and initially sourced the majority of our components from Passau,” re-calls Herrmann Beck, describing the first production plant, which was lo-cated in Gainesville, Georgia. Today, Beck is responsible for the Off-Highway Systems business unit in ZF’s Industrial Technology division. At its inception, the Gainesville site was essentially a textbook example of complete knock-down (CKD) assembly: a good way to quickly enter the market and circum-vent import duties, but less advanta-geous in terms of costs and fluctuations in unit volume. “When we tried to es-tablish a local supplier structure for our Passau-designed axle, we saw that it re-ally wasn’t that easy,” says Beck.

Components from around the world

That challenge remains. Only 30 per-cent of the components needed for the current MT-B 3065 excavator axles made in Gainesville come from US-

based suppliers; the rest come from all over the world. Strategic

components like bevel gears and planetary gears still come from Passau. For most other components, ZF relies on its own production or on suppliers at the Industrial Technology division’s other locations worldwide. This con-cept is a favorite among business con-sultants since it is considered the most modern way to structure a worldwide production network: clustering compo-nent manufacturing where the best cost structures are. But Beck takes a somewhat more sober view. “All the global legwork we do for the different production locations requires a great deal of logistics and organization.”

But that’s not the only way to do things. The same ZF division, around 16,000 km (10,000 mi) from Gainesville, offer-ing the same product – but a completely different approach to localization: “In India we laid the groundwork for pro-duction of the MT-B 3065 one year in advance so we could build up a sup-plier base that was as broad as possi-ble,” explains Beck. Although the situa-tion is similar – an existing product is localized with only minor adjustments – ZF was able to start production with a local supply position of 40 percent when the assembly plant in Pune opened in spring 2010. Now the figure

is 50 percent and should rise to 90 per-cent in the future – and then supply not just Pune but also Gainesville.

Finely tuned portfolio

The Off-Highway Systems business unit of the Industrial Technology divi-sion has tailored its product portfolio to global activities: The Basic Line offers robust technology that is especially at-tractive for emerging markets and can be adapted before local production be-gins. Design-to-market is the magic word here. The High Line is somewhat more sophisticated, offering products with electronic control systems. The Premium Line, on the other hand, cov-ers the latest high-tech products; these are still developed and manufactured at the headquarters in Passau. The stra-tegic importance of early localization is clearly spelled out in an example from China: Since the late 1990s, the Off-Highway Systems business unit has been represented in China at several manufacturing locations. Just as in other regions of the world, construc-tion equipment customers there also benefit from the wide service network in China, where the Group also opened

Construction sites are still a prominent feature of the Shanghai cityscape.

Production for the Indian market: the MT-B 3065 rear axle

Indian wheel loader from JCB with Ger-man axle technology

The ZF Industrial Technology division has been establishing local manufacturing operations in different world markets for more than 20 years. But that doesn’t mean that global production has become routine.

Supplier support

USA: Gainesville / India: Pune /China: Hangzhou, Liuzhou

Excavator axle based on an existing design for local manufacturers of construction equipment

Localize production of proven European technology in the United States and the Far East. Strategically orient the product spectrum to meet local needs in the target markets.

Excavator axle MT-B 3065

Product

Task

Countries/locations

20 1.2012 21

the final phase of develop-ment, including prototype

trials in Brazil, needs to be co-ordinated between the project

team in Schweinfurt and the resi-dent engineers at Ford.

Strategic considerations

Negotiations are currently underway to extend clutch production to Asia. In Shanghai, a ZF plant already manufac-tures clutches for the Chinese version of the Ford Fiesta and has a structure of local suppliers. In India, ZF still needs to build up clutch production; a business park structure at the ZF site in Pune would be conceivable. Any deci-sion about localizing a product is always full of strategic considerations,“We want to secure and expand our posi-tion as a global clutch supplier for the Fox platform,” says Memmel, adding, “After all, we’re talking about a large volume of orders and, in addition, a solid foothold in the growing market for small vehicles.” ■

ZF STRATEGY

▶

ZF could also deliver parts for the Fox engine platform from China or India.

Slovakia: Trnava / Brazil: São Bernardo /China: Shanghai / India: to be decided

Clutch set consisting of disc and pressure plate; mechanical torsional damper (MTD) for the new 3-cylinder Fox downsized engine (1.0 L)

Industrial manufacture of a product under the same technical requirements met in Europe – but under different initial conditions and at a locally competitive cost level.

Countries/locations

Product

Task

Production of clutch sets at the Slovakian ZF site in Trnava

Three continents, one clutch

When Ford was designing its international Fox engine platform, ZF offered to supply the powertrain. Today, the Group has plants in Slovakia and Brazil and is discussing about locations in India and China.

plains Müller. There are a lot of preliminary op-erations like punching, forming technology, electro-plating and facing manufac-turing. The successful industrial manufacture of the products, how-ever, was just the beginning.

“ZF’s global production alliance was a powerful argument during our discus-sions with Ford from the very begin-ning,” remembers Klaus Memmel, Global Key Account Manager in the Powertrain Technology division. Since this was a global engine platform, ne-gotiations about other markets were es-sentially already on the agenda. At the same time, Ford also wanted to contin-uously reduce the number of its sup-pliers worldwide – all the more respon-sibility for preferred suppliers like ZF with global operations.

Different situations on the ground

In mid-2011, ZF was also awarded a contract to produce the Fox clutch sets in São Bernardo, Brazil. Building up a local supplier structure was crucial, since the site does not have the same level of vertical integration as Trnava. “Engineering competence on the ground is the decisive factor,” says Müller. Having solid global communi-cations is equally important. After all,

More than a ray of hope in a dark hour: Even in 2009, during the worst of the cri-

sis, the sales team for passenger car clutch systems at the ZF site in

Schweinfurt received a new order from their cus-

tomer, Ford. The Group was to pro-duce clutch modules in Europe, including

pressure plates and discs, for the Fox pow-

ertrain. Under this pro-gram name, the car man-

ufacturer developed a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder EcoBoost direct-injec-tion gasoline engine. This unit,

in various performance classes, will end up powering a large num-

ber of Ford vehicles, starting with the Ford Focus, but this year the unit will also equip the new Ford B-Max series and the family car Ford C-Max. “Origi-nally, the goal was to supply the Ford locations in Cologne, Germany, and Craiova, Romania, from ZF’s Trnava location,” recalls Jeff Müller, who is a project manager at Schweinfurt.

Key to success: communication

Ford’s intention to set up localized pro-duction in Slovakia was destined to be fruitful: “Trnava is a ZF location with a high level of vertical integration,” ex-

In emerging markets like Brazil, the use of private transport is growing steadily; downsized engines offer a lot of potential.

Clutches for Fox engine platform

22 231.2012

Key to success: service

The Ecomid transmission is the second example. ZF manu-

factures this manual 9-speed trans-mission, with only minor adjust-

ments, at four locations around the world: Bouthéon (France), Sorocaba (Brazil), Naberezhnye Chelny (Russia) and Pune (India). “Design-to-market so-lutions are what really open the door to the Indian market, because the trans-mission can be used by local manufac-turers in differently designed vehicles,” says Gründler. “In Brazil, we sometimes supply the same customers as in Eu-rope, so the transmission specifications are similar too.” But no matter where the customer is based, one discipline in particular is always in high demand: service. “No service network, no mar-ket success” is Gründler’s matter-of-fact

ZF STRATEGY

It is actually very simple. If you want to achieve global suc-cess in the commercial vehicle industry, you “just” have to master the following disciplines: technology leadership

in the domestic market, high level of industrial know-how, design-to-market solutions and universal service. Of course, not every market demands every discipline with the same level of intensity.

From South America to Europe

Just how different these types of global projects can be is en-capsulated by two examples described by Winfried Gründler. Gründler is responsible for sales and applications for the Truck & Van Driveline Technology business unit in the Com-mercial Vehicle Technology division. The first example con-cerns Volkswagen, a ZF customer. VW’s Amarok pickup has been produced in Argentina since 2010 and has enjoyed con-siderable success worldwide. It is equipped with a ZF 6-speed manual transmission that is produced by the ZF Commercial Vehicle Technology division in Sorocaba, Brazil; the unit vol-ume is in the upper five figures. Soon, Volkswagen will start manufacturing the pickup in Europe, and ZF came along for the ride. “That in itself is quite remarkable, since VW usually manufactures transmissions for its European vehicles in its own components plant,” says Gründler. But the car manufac-turer required the European transmissions to be made identi-cal to their South American counterparts so that delivery vol-umes could be swapped between Europe and South America. And when it comes to manufacturing a Brazilian-made ZF transmission in Europe, ZF is clearly the one that does it best. That’s why the division is now developing industrial series production of Sorocaba’s successful transmission in Eger, Hungary. There’s also another nice side benefit for the ZF Group: The Powertrain Technology division benefits from the contract too, since the automatic transmission option for the Amarok is equipped with ZF’s 8-speed automatic transmission.

Brazil: Sorocaba / Hungary: Eger /Germany: Saarbrücken

6S450 manual transmission;8HP automatic transmission

Mass-produce 100-percent identical transmissions at the Sorocaba and Eger locations.

Countries/locations

Product

Task

Transmissions for VW Amarok

Whether it’s made in Eger (right) or in Sorocaba, the transmission is identical.

When compared to other sectors, the ZF Commercial Vehicle Technology division operates in a large number of countries around the world. That’s why some customers find awarding a contract to ZF a more attractive option than setting up their own production operations.

Identical around the world

Since the mid-1990s, ZF has been supplying car manufacturers abroad with complete car axle systems.

One-stop solution

More responsibility for suppliers” has been one of the cen-tral demands in the automotive industry since the mid-1990s. It’s no wonder: The development cycles have

grown shorter and shorter while the variety of models have in-creased. Carmakers outsourced traditional in-house production

competences to suppliers. ZF accepted the challenge and be-came an axle systems partner. Within 10 years, the com-

pany had added seven new assembly locations for just-in-time and just-in-sequence delivery of axle systems to the production lines of the automotive manufacturers. ZF re-

ally got its chance in locations where the manufacturers them-selves built new production plants – where there was no existing in-house production for axle systems.

The number of assembly plants has doubled, now totaling 14 around the world. “In the car axle business, supplier management and global logistics competence play very important roles,” says Pe-ter Holdmann, vice president of the Chassis Systems business unit of the Chassis Technology division. So it works out well that in the international axle business, ZF covers the entire range of localiza-tion: The required parts and components can be purchased locally or delivered worldwide from other ZF locations. Assuming sufficient volume is provided, it is also worthwhile to set up stand-alone component manu-facturing operations.

The new ZF assembly sites must be located within a 40-km (25-mi) radius of the customer’s production facili-ties; otherwise it would not be possible to guarantee just-in-time delivery. That means that ZF generally builds its axle plants on undeveloped land, which makes it possible to im-plement the latest approaches to lean manufacturing and as-sembly. ■

Car axles and half-shafts

Great Britain: Solihull / Austria: Lebring / USA: Chicago, Duncan, Tuscaloosa / South Africa: Spartan, East London, Rosslyn / Thailand: Rayong, Halol / China: Changchun, Shenyang / Australia: Adelaide

Production of complete car axles or half-shafts

Set up axle assembly and just-in-time delivery to customers, with responsibility for delivery logistics, purchasing and supplier management.

Countries/locations

Product

Task

analysis of the situation. In contrast to replacing shock absorbers, performing maintenance on and repairing trans-missions is anything but run-of-the-mill. Special tools and expertise are es-sential – and they can only be found in the ZF service network. ■

25

INTERVIEW

A new generation is taking the helm of the ZF Group. Dr. Stefan Sommer, the man who will be steering the company, already knows the Group well. The 49-year-old took time to answer a few of drive’s questions.

already initiated take root in the com-

pany. That’s why I prefer to describe it

as refining.

So you would say that those

changes are taking the Group in

the right direction.

Absolutely. The overall goal of this

reorientation was to become more

customer-focused. I still think that that’s

the right goal and that it makes sense.

But it also means thinking about where

we are now. There are some areas

where we need to catch up – for exam-

ple, customer service in market regions

worldwide – and we’ll be focusing on

them shortly.

That all sounds very good, but how

crisis-proof is this growth prognosis?

Our growth forecasts are pretty crisis-

proof, if you mean in terms of business

and regional cycles. ZF products are

benefitting from broader mega-trends,

such as the high demand for more

energy-efficient transport. That’s not

going to change if, say, economic

growth in China levels off or the automo-

bile market in southern Europe declines.

However, a global economic crisis on

the scale of 2009 would shake things up.

Of course, we conduct risk analyses and

put in place risk-prevention measures,

and we keep a close eye on all the early

indicators.

of effort. At the moment we are laying

the foundations for this growth.

What does that involve?

I’m primarily referring to high invest-

ment. This year it will reach €1.5 billion

(approx. $2 billion) – that’s over 8 per-

cent of sales, a record high in the history

of the ZF Group. We will maintain these

high levels of investment in the coming

year, and then we will return to a more

normal level of 5 percent of sales.

Is it enough to just invest?

No. In addition to investing in assets,

it’s important to strengthen the com-

pany’s organization. We will have to be

able to cope with the expected high

sales volumes in terms of technology,

competitiveness and quality. Our

ability to find and develop suppliers in

all the important markets will have to

grow alongside this, as will our indus-

trial expertise, our worldwide develop-

ment network and our management

structures.

Will this mean more changes in the

Group’s structure?

The new structure we introduced in

2010 came at exactly the right time, just

before we entered this growth phase.

But we’re not planning on making more

changes. Instead, we’ll be concentrating

on ensuring that the changes we’ve

Mr. Sommer, you’ve just taken over

as Chief Executive Officer. What

challenges do you see facing the

Group?

What has been keeping us busy on the

Management Board is actually a positive

development: the Group’s extremely

strong growth. This is only partially

reflected in the latest financial figures,

including 20 percent growth in sales.

That will only continue as we are in

a growth phase. By 2015, we want to

have an annual sales of €20 billion

($26.3 billion). This will require a lot

Growth and change

▶

Sommer, a mechanical engineer who received his PhD at the Ruhr University of Bochum, joined ITT Automotive Europe in Frankfurt in 1994 as a develop-ment engineer. In 1997, Sommer joined Continental AG as Director of Electronics & Sensor Development. He held various positions where he was responsible for developing and implementing technical solutions that combined automobile passenger safety with active security systems. In 2008, he joined the then ZF Sachs AG, Schweinfurt, as a member of the Management Board in the Chas -sis division. Two years later, the Supe r- vi sory Board of ZF Friedrichshafen AG invited him to join the Group’s Manage-ment Board. There, he was responsible for Materials Management and led the project to restructure the Group into today’s four divisions. This married, 49-year-old man has been CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG since May 1.

STeFan SOMMer

Presenting Stefan Sommer: He sees it as his job to manage sales levels that are predicted to increase.

24 1.2012

26 271.2012

technology in combustion-engine ve-

hicles. That’s exactly where our products

can make an important difference …

… and driveline technology is front

and center here.

Yes, for passanger cars we definitely

have to mention the 8-speed automatic

transmission. We’ll be entering a whole

line of new business, with volumes of

400,000 units a year, when our 9-speed

automatic transmission for vehicles

with front-traverse transmissions goes

into series production in 2014. With fuel

Changing the subject, how will ZF’s

range of products change in the near

future?

We won’t be making any fundamental

changes, because our current portfolio

is a good fit. We are pioneers in energy-

efficient products that are currently in

very high demand worldwide. It’s not

just automobile manufacturers that are

looking to offer their customers fuel-

saving models, it’s commercial vehicle

and industrial machinery manufacturers

too. The greatest potential for fuel effi-

ciencies is in optimizing conventional

INTERVIEW

savings of 16 percent, it outclasses all

the standard transmission technology

that is currently on the market.

What role does the electrification

of the drivetrain play in the quest

for greater energy efficiency in

auto mobile design?

You will find our hybrid technology in a

lot of cars. In 2008, ZF was the first

supplier in Europe to open up a plant for

electric motors for use in parallel hybrids,

in which we are now seeing good

growth. This year, we will be introducing

innovative commercial vehicle transmis-

sion technology that will save fuel, even

in heavy commercial vehicles.

And what kind of progress is the

Group making on electric mobility?

As far as completely electric transmis-

sions are concerned, we are already

test-driving two prototypes. Electric

vehicles need to be lighter, which is

where our expertise in lightweight

design comes in. All in all, our current

product range has an unparalleled

technological breadth.

If the prospects in the automotive

market are so good, why is ZF

investing so heavily in wind power,

a market where profit warnings

have been issued recently?

Our strategy of making ourselves more

independent of the automotive market

by entering the wind-power market was,

and is, correct. I still consider earning

20 percent of our sales outside the

automotive business to be desirable.

The fact that it will take a little longer

because our sales in the automobile

and commercial vehicle markets is

growing so fast is not something that

worries me.

How big are the synergies?

Entering the wind turbine gearbox

market and acquiring our current Wind

Power Technology business unit re-

quired us to draw on some of ZF’s key

competencies: our development and

materials expertise and our experience

in industrial production, processes and

quality. As a result, we are diversifying

our core business and generating

synergies. In the long term, there is

little doubt that the wind energy busi-

ness will grow.

Your résumé reveals a strong affinity

for electronic systems. Are you push-

ing this issue at ZF now?

Electronics are very important for the

whole industry – and, consequently, for

ZF too. Using electronics almost always

has cost advantages and enhances the

functionality of all of our products. This

increases our competitiveness. ZF has a

lot of electronic competencies, but we

have to increase our in-house supply

capacity. If we want to be taken seriously

as a systems integrator, then it is impor-

tant that the electronics for our own

systems come from within the Group.

You’ve only been with the ZF Group

for four years, on the Management

Board for a year and a half. Com-

pared to previous CEOs you’re

virtually an outsider.

Well, in my capacity as project leader

for our structural reorganization, I got

to know the ZF Group very intensively

and very well –

and the reverse

is, of course, also

true. I’ve felt very

accepted and sup-

ported by the man-

agement team.

Your predecessor,

Hans-Georg Härter,

was known to

be interested in music. Where do

your personal interests outside of

work lie?

Not surprisingly, many of them have to

do with cars. I like pushing fast cars

to the limit on the racetrack. I personally

own vintage and modern classic cars

that I take care of and bring to classic car

rallies whenever I get the chance. But,

of course, I stay well within the limits of

driving physics. ■

The Group is in the middle of a long-term growth phase. By 2015, we want to have an annual sales of €20 billion ($26.3 billion). This will require a lot of effort. At the moment we are laying the foundations for this growth.

29

Efficient process design is one of the trademarks of the logistics company United Parcel Service

(UPS). They even go as far as planning routes for their drivers based on mini-mizing the number of left turns in or-der to reduce driving time. For in-creased efficiency, Isuzu/Utilimaster have developed five prototypes. The composite cars, featuring the typical brown color associated with UPS deliv-ery vans, have been tested by the pack-aging service in different regions of the United States for several months now. Instead of the usual metal bodywork, they include composite components in the body as well as the chassis, reduc-ing the vehicle’s weight by as much as 450 kg (990 lb). Drive demands are met by a slimmed-down 4-cylinder diesel engine with 150 ps (148 hp). Engineers are now evaluating the operating expe-rience and the achieved fuel and emis-sion reductions.

A futuristic delivery vehicle

In another new commercial vehicle concept, the futuristic qualities are im-mediately recognizable: “eT!” was de-veloped by the Volkswagen Group in collaboration with Deutsche Post. This is a concept in which two wheel hub motors power the truck – quietly and locally emission-free. When in “follow-me” mode, the eT! actually drives itself, following behind the delivery person at a maximum speed of 6 km/h (3.7 mph), while the delivery person travels on foot from house to house.

Lightweight material design, electrifi-cation, and reduced size were primar-ily associated with passenger cars rather than with trucks and delivery vehicles. Now that is changing in the commercial vehicle industry: “The main trends we are focused on are ex-haust treatment, weight reduction, minimizing aerodynamic drag and

Currently, commercial vehicle manufacturers and their customers are retooling their portfolio. High-tech innovations are making lighter, cleaner and more efficient vehicles possible.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INNOVATION

▶

A leaner packhorse

28 1.2012

30 311.2012

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INNOVATION

current average of 0.53 to 0.30. This would result in a 25-percent reduction in consumption. The streamlined truck concept not only differs in visual ap-pearance from cur-rent heavy-duty trucks, but also re-quires a cutback in the carrying capac-ity. Ultimately the designers achieved a lower drag coef-ficient by elongating the front end – at the expense of the length of the load-ing area. This was necessary because European law restricts the total length

istered trucks in Europe, starting in 2013. Additionally it requires the man-ufacturers to reduce the amount of ni-trogen oxides in exhaust gases from an already low level by another 80 per-cent. Modern diesel engines often achieve this in conjunction with highly complex exhaust systems that are prone to higher fuel consumption. If the total consumption under Euro 6 cannot increase, then the increased fuel consumption must be countered elsewhere in the drivetrain. Here, shift points in the automatic transmission can provide a solution. For product planners like Demmerer it is clear: “In a traditional truck drivetrain consisting of an engine and transmission, the ex-haust treatment will also play a deci-sive role in the future, because con-sumption and emissions can only be minimized if the complete system is addressed.”

Another approach to fuel economy is tackling the appearance of many of to-day’s trucks. Rethinking the boxy front end of trucks could make way for a more optimal aerodynamic design. The key is to reduce drag due to air resis-tance. Experts believe it is possible to reduce the drag coefficient from the

break into the heavy-duty truck mar-ket. The Daimler Group, which con-centrates its commercial vehicle hybrid activity at the Fuso Trucks’ Global Hy-brid Center in Kawasaki, Japan, did ex-tensive field trials in late 2011 involv-ing heavy trucks. “The evaluation of the results shows that hybrid technol-ogy also has advantages for heavy-duty trucks in typical long-distance trips,” says Gustav Tuschen, Vice President of Product Engineer ing at Fuso. The pos-sible savings amount to 10 percent. ZF also is working on hybrid solutions for heavy goods vehicles. According to Demmerer, “Even though the percent-age of savings is less than with a full-hybrid, lightweight truck operating in an urban area, the accumulation of the extremely high mileage adds up to high overall cost savings for a typical fleet owner. Investment in hybrid technol-ogy will prove to be a good business decision.”

Savings and network connectivity

Many changes are also coming to con-ventional drivetrains with diesel en-gines. One of the reasons for this is the Euro 6 standard. This new emissions standard drastically limits the emis-sions of soot particles for all newly reg-

electrification,” says Dr. Stephan Dem-merer, who is re-sponsible for prod-uct planning in the Truck & Van Drive-line Technology business unit of ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Technology division.

A cleaner future

Engineers are still far from exhausting the potential for hy-brid and electric

drives in delivery vehicles. These vans and trucks are mostly operated in ur-ban areas, where the electric drive’s key advantages are especially impor-tant: locally silent and emission-free operation. Moreover, the performance demands are conveniently routine: starting the motor, setting off to the destination, stopping after a short dis-tance, turning the motor off and taking a break. These constantly repetitive tasks are particularly well handled by an electric drive. Lightweight material design is well suited for this purpose for two reasons: Less weight increases the cruising range for electric vehi-cles and, as seen in the example of UPS, does not re-quire as much en-gine performance in the conven-tional drivetrain. However, even be-yond urban stop-and-go traffic, elec-tric motors are be-coming more im-portant. Soon the hybrid drive will also be able to

Breathe easy

Source: lnternational Association of Public Transport

Emissions reduction

Lightweight material design increases the cruising range of electric vehicles and allows for the use of smaller, more fuel-efficient combustion engines.

lbs

Electrification will move to the mainstream in heavy commercial vehicles. Significant cost and emissions reductions will result over high accumulated mileage.

CO2

CO2 CO2

CO2

CO2CO2CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2

CO2CO2

of a truck and trailer. Another strong trend Dem-merer sees is the increasing mobile connectivity. First, complex systems such as hybrid and electric drive sys-tems necessitate a more sophisticated energy manage-ment system. Sec-ond, the vehicular communication sys-tems also feed into the commercial ve-

hicles. This refers to the communica-tion between vehicles themselves (“car-to-car”) or with their surroundings and infrastructure. What is often described

as a way to control the traffic density also affects the core competence of ZF: “We are working intensively with a forward-thinking, GPS-based operating strategy for our transmission controls,” explains Demmerer. Like a driver shift-ing a manual transmission in anticipa-tion of the road ahead, an automatic truck transmission could automatically downshift shortly before going uphill to handle the incline more easily. Many of these trends and innovations will take time before they are widely imple-mented. Others cannot wait. Truckers, for example, are pressing for truck-ori-ented navigation systems based on the individual vehicle dimensions. Routes would be removed, for example, if they include bridges with inadequate clear-ances, streets that are too narrow, and delivery addresses without adequate turning options. ■

Communication networks will make vehicles operate more intelligently. Predictive shifting strategies will also save fuel.

Various technical approaches are fitting trucks for the future.

In 1990, a bus that complied with the Euro 0 emission standard released as many soot particles as 35 buses complying with Euro 6. 35

1thanks the Euro 6 standard

In-car infotainment systems are evolving at a rapid pace. Linking navigation, communication and multimedia tools to the Internet opens up new possibilities. As such, we see the mega-trend of connectivity taking greater shape everyday.

Bringing driving into the information age

Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to City Hall?” Most drivers probably don’t remem-

ber the last time they asked a passerby for directions. No wonder, since navi-gation and communication in cars are no longer dependent upon a rolled down car window. High-performance

infotainment systems with navigational functions have long been a standard feature in luxury cars. But what drivers don’t see behind these systems is the race among individual providers to integrate additional information via the Internet. “One in every two drivers wants access to the Internet,”

says Martina Koederitz, head of IBM Germany. BMW is ahead of the game here, having offered its BMW Assist telematics service since 1999 and its Internet-based BMW Online portal since 2001. The technical basis is a fixed cellular unit through which data either enters the infotainment system

3332

▶

1.2012

INFOTAINMENT

1. Konstantin, Kaiserstrasse

Smartphone automatically connects to vehicle, vehicle-specific apps are activated, auto syncs with calendar. Next appointment: dinner with Marco in the city. In-vehicle route guidance system retrieves the restau- rant’s address and determines the best route, including parking and alternative methods of getting there by public transport.

3. Meeting place, Luisenstrasse

Vehicle proposes route and closest free parking on the augmented-reality Heads-Up Display. Before the phone disconnects, it sends a MicroMap of the last few meters to the restaurant to Konstantin’s phone, which then takes over the guidance function. Vehicle parks itself.

2. Marco, Herzbergstrasse Marco sends a text to Constantine: “Restaurant is too crowded, any other ideas?” Marco receives a text with the address of the new restaurant.

dreds of features packed into smart-phones in the form of apps. No wonder that almost all car manufacturers adapt and assiduously develop the app prin-ciple. Mini was one of the first brands to offer an app that integrates the most popular features. “For us, the whole is-sue of apps is not just about individual functions inside the vehicle, such as Web radio, Facebook, or Twitter. This technology makes our vehicles fit for the future,” said Florian Reuter, Prod-uct Manager for MINI Connected.

Infotainment is just getting started

To ensure that offerings grow rapidly, outside developers will need to be brought in. For that, BMW has just opened three AppCenters in Munich, Mountain View, California, and Shang-hai. This will allow BMW engineers to respond quickly to local needs and trends. Mercedes is also grappling with the problem and is integrating the en-tire Apple iPhone 4s in its new A-Class using an app. In order to handle the va-riety of news and multimedia content, all automotive manufacturers are re-searching new ways for that content to be displayed and used. Along those lines, also at this year’s CES, Mercedes Benz presented a cockpit of the future whereby the entire windshield and dashboard function as a display. It is operated largely through facial expres-sions and gestures. So it looks like we will increasingly speak to our cars, an-grily look at them or wave to them. All to the delight of passers-by who just might think they’re being asked direc-tions again after all this time. ■

positions and motion profiles of mil-lions of anonymous cell phones pro-duce an exact replica of traffic flows in real time. Supplemented by data from traffic control centers or commercial vehicle fleets, they also encompass in-formation about highways and inner-city routes. Vehicle manufacturers feed this data into their navigation systems, which in turn use it to determine the best route. The rapidly increasing adoption of smartphones and their ver-satility is a major challenge for the pro-viders of infotainment systems: Con-stantly integrating new devices into the operating environment of the vehicle is the name of the game. Users want to use all the content and features of their smartphones in their vehicles, just like they would anywhere else. So far, this has been possible on a limited basis. Handling calendar entries or emails in the vehicle is often problematic, and proves even more true for the hun-

or is transmitted from the vehicle. “We want drivers and vehicles to inter-act with their environment as intelli-gently as possible,” says Eckhard Steinmeier, head of BMW Connected-Drive services.

Full service on the go

Drivers can look up directions at home using Google Maps and send the data to their cars with a single click. Forgot something? No problem. Even while on the road passengers can contact a helpline that transmits destinations di-rectly to the system. Both BMW and Audi link their current navigation sys-tems to the Internet in an inconspicu-ous, user-friendly way. BMW uses small icons to display the current weather directly on the navigation screen. Audi integrates satellite views from Google Maps and Google Local Search, with the option to use ad-dresses and phone numbers found in the search. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Ford’s concept car Evos showcased the company’s vision of cloud computing, which provides access to music, docu-ments, and various applications from the comfort of the driver’s seat.

Ever since the introduction of naviga-tion systems, drivers have wanted ac-curate traffic alerts. In reality, they are often incorrect or not up-to-date. But now providers of infotainment systems are breaking new ground. They have been moving away from conventional data transmission over an FM radio sig-nal, instead using the fixed cellular unit of the vehicle for frequent updates. In detecting traffic, the cellular phone network also plays a decisive role. The

INFOTAINMENT

means to driversWhat Infotainment

Internet

Smartphone

Vehicle

Addresses Music Calendar Email Texts etc.

Navigation Music Phone book Status reports etc.

Google Local Search + Maps Facebook Twitter Restaurant reviews Travel guides Music services Web radio Location-based services etc.

Infotainment: versatile features on the go

Telematics and networking are becom-ing more important for ZF, too. Cus-tomers have long been able to retrieve the location and various operating conditions of their vehicles via cellular technology. This has been possible thanks to the open telematics platform known as Openmatics. The ZF info-tainment system also makes it pos-sible to provide information to passen-gers – for example, via Wi-Fi on buses or information systems with constantly updated news. Openmatics is geared to large fleet operators and freight forwarders. In addition to applications offered by ZF, external providers can create their own apps for use with the platform. Particularly in demand are programs to increase efficiency, such as eco tips for drivers, as well as information and entertainment offerings.

OpEnmAtIcs: WItH Apps IntO tHE futurE

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

http://social.telematicsupdate.com

34 1.2012

36 371.2012

mad about light metalsNuremberg is home to ZF Die Casting Technology. This is where the ZF Group produces the die-cast aluminum housings for the 8Hp, its 8-speed automatic transmission. drive goes to Franconia to see how these light-metal specialists create high-tech components from liquid aluminum.

ALUMINUM DIE CASTING

Frequent inspections ensure a high- quality product.

38 391.2012

the high-pressure die-casting ma-chines. There are seven of them in to-tal, six of which are in operation today. These machines make the housings for the 8HP, ZF’s 8-speed automatic trans-mission. Each die-casting machine has a storage container that can hold 1.5 metric tons (1.65 tons) of aluminum. A hydraulic piston pushes liquid metal out of the gooseneck and into the die at a pressure of 800 bar (approx. 1,670,000 lb/sq ft). In comparison, car tires usu-

plant. The plant’s employees will then mix it with the melted block alumi-num, processing a total of 130 to 140 metric tons (143 to 154 tons) of alumi-num per day. ZF uses spectroscopic analysis to inspect the quality of each and every aluminum transport in both solid and liquid forms.

Working under pressure

Why does the plant use both solid and liquid aluminum? “For two reasons,” explains Max Kiess-ling, head of heavy casting. “Pure pri-mary aluminum in bars that has never been re-smelted be-comes porous as it hardens. That’s why we mix in second-ary aluminum in the form of recycled material – usually about 40 percent of the entire mixture.” This recycled material, which comes from aluminum cans, window profiles, and alloy wheel rims, improves crystal growth during the hardening process. In effect, aluminum die-casting relies on recycling for quality purposes. One beneficial side effect is that recycled material is cheaper than primary alu-minum. Moreover, the process of pre-paring and melting this material uses just one-twentieth of the energy needed to extract pure aluminum from bauxite. We move on to the next hall, where a loud and clear bang is audible over the noise of the machines, despite the ear protection. It is coming from

Nuremberg, Nopitschstrasse 71, 8:30 am. The production hall door is wide open, but the

smell of hot metal still hangs in the air. It makes the cool, silvery color of the aluminum flowing out of the holding furnace, resembling a ball-shaped sub-marine with a spout, seem all the more incongruous. But the pulses of heat ra-diating from it send an unmistakable signal: Stay back. “The aluminum that pours out of here is just under 700 de-grees Celsius (about 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit),” says Wolfgang Mönig, Management Board member and Chief Operations and Technology Officer of ZF Die Casting Technology. He is re-sponsible for ensuring that the produc-tion of die-cast components runs as safely and smoothly as possible. “It’s no place for lax safety,” says Mönig, insist-ing we wear protective jackets, goggles, and ear protection. The liquid metal flows into a firebrick-clad steel transfer ladle attached to a forklift. A ladle like this can carry up to 800 kg (1,764 lb). Since the ladle is uncovered, the fork-lift operator has to transfer the hot load using extreme care.

Compulsory recycling

A long row of palettes, each taller than an average person, is stacked against the opposite wall. They contain alumi-num bars that will be melted down in the two smelting furnaces with the pro-duction scraps. However, the die-cast-ing professionals don’t just use block aluminum – they also use liquid alumi-num from refining plants. There is al-ready a tractor-trailer loaded with three thermal containers waiting at the gate. Each one of these transport containers carries almost 5 metric tons (5.5 tons) of liquid aluminum. Just as on any other working day, three more tractor-trailers will deliver a total of 60 metric tons (66 tons) of liquid aluminum to the

A worker skims materials that reduce quality from the surface of the liquid aluminum.

Aluminum is primarily known as a lightweight material. It has the same strength as steel at only one-third of the weight, making it an essential part of lightweight material design. And there are even more advantages – it is highly resistant to corrosion, and easy to process and recycle.

multIfAcEtEd And lIgHtWEIgHt

ALUMINUM DIE CASTING

ally have a pressure of 2.5 bar (5,221 lb/sq ft). The die-casting process takes place in the blink of an eye – about 150 milliseconds. It’s clear why the die cast-ers refer to this process as “shooting.” Die-casting expert Kiessling explains why the extreme speed and high pres-sure is necessary: “There are huge dif-ferences in temperature because the aluminum is 680 degrees Celsius (1,256 degrees Fahrenheit) when it is shot into a steel die that is at most 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).” The

We inspect the quality of each delivery – whether it’s liquid or block aluminum.”

Max Kiessling, head of heavy casting

“

▶

40 411.2012

cluding die-casting pressure, speed, and temperature. Another visual di-mensions check is then conducted be-fore the components are packed into Euro grid boxes, each of which contain six housings. Whereas the 8HP hous-ings go to the processing plant in Saar-brücken, ZF Die Casting Technology delivers other housings ready for as-sembly. This all depends on the indi-vidual customer’s preferences.

Aiming to be technological leaders

At the moment, the plant produces ap-proximately 3,500 8HP transmission housings every day. Ralph Bast, CEO of ZF Die Casting Technology, hopes to see the production numbers rise to 4,500 in the next year. “We’re primarily concerned with optimizing our produc-tion methods to increase output right now,” says Bast. And how! Demand for the 8-speed automatic transmissions is so high that the entire supply chain has been stretched to its limits. ZF is also producing housings for the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and the Eco-split, ZF’s transmission for commercial vehicles. On top of this, they are pro-ducing steering components that are quite difficult to make and supplying external customers with die-cast mag-nesium transmission housings. Bast and his management team have big plans for the future. “Not only do we want to safeguard ZF’s ability to de-liver, we want to become technological leaders as a Center of Competence. In the medium term, we have to become the ‘best in class’ for our processes.” The Nuremberg team is already setting the standards in the industry for both aluminum and magnesium die casting for complex steering components. ■

sure is not everything in aluminum die-casting – not by a long shot. There is a whole range of quality parameters that only specially trained employees can monitor. The strength of the housing wall, for example, is not always the same. That’s because of the ZF devel-opers’ specifications. Using modern simulation and testing methods to re-duce weight as much as possible, they calculate how strong the housing has to be. Making sure these specifications are met is one of the key challenges that the team in Nuremberg faces, and it is one they share with their col-leagues in ZF Die Casting Technology’s second plant in Grosbliederstroff, France, not far from Saarbrücken.

Digital birth certificate

The transmission housing remains en-closed in the die for a total of 17 to 20 seconds, where it hardens. As soon as the halves of the die have separated, a robotic arm grasps the hot housing. These robots remove gate marks, edges, and spills from the components. All the

scraps land on a conveyer belt and are re-smelted in the smelting fur-nace, starting the production cycle anew. Be-fore the surface undergoes final

processing, which involves stamping and abrasion, each housing unit has to pass a visual inspection. “A trained eye can pick up any bigger die-casting faults immediately,” says Kiessling. A random sample of the housings is also x-rayed. To finish up, an RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip is at-tached to the exterior of each housing. This digital birth certificate contains all the important processing data, in-

steel die is automatically sprayed with a special separating wax before each shot to ensure that the die-cast com-ponents and the die are not fused to each other.

The steel dies used for transmission housings are very big: They are 2.5 sq m (21.5 sq ft) and weigh up to 28 metric tons (31 tons). Why such huge dimen-sions? “Our dies need over 2,000 met-ric tons (2,204 tons) of closing force to ensure that they do not explode when the liquid metal is injected,” says Kiessling. The die-casting machines on the floor cost €500,000 (approx. $660,000) each, a price based on the extremely high-precision production processes that go into making the ma-chines. And if they are to achieve their life span of approximately 100,000 in-jections, they also need to be serviced and updated with exactly the same level of precision. Servicing takes place in an in-house manufacturing depart-ment, which also produces small and very intricate dies for steering compo-nents. Se-lecting the right tem-perature and pres-

We want to be ‘best in class’ for the design and implementa-tion of our processes.”

“

ALUMINUM DIE CASTING

Ralph Bast, CEO, ZF Die Casting Technology

Even with automation, visual inspections are absolutely necessary (above). Robots take care of some of the tougher jobs, like deburring (below).

43

ELECTRIFICATION

Industrial Technology division. The 48-year-old mechanical engineer has worked for ZF since 1990. He worked in Corporate Research and Develop-ment in Friedrichshafen until 2001 and then headed up the development de-partment at ZF Gotha for forklift sys-tems. Last year he came to Passau with the Gotha core team to take charge of electric drives for off-road machinery in the new Indus-trial Technology di-vision. As part of the restructuring and reorganization of the division, ZF re-configured the four product lines of off-road machinery: agricultural ma-chinery transmissions, off-highway ax-les, construction machinery transmis-sions and electric drives. “We are tak-ing advantage of the synergies arising from the division-wide similarities in implementing new production lines and processes,” explains member of the

Temperatures of – 40 degrees Cel-sius (– 40 degrees Fahrenheit) are extremely harsh – for both

people and machinery. In a refriger-ated warehouse in Hamburg, this bitter cold temperature is required for flash freezing, a process that maintains the freshness of fish just caught from the North Sea. Here the warehouse em-ployees carry the packaged fish fillets from the plate freezers to the storage shelves. The forklifts quietly buzz through the halls, manned by drivers bundled up like Eskimos. The drivers’ breath, made visible by the cold air, ap-pears like plumes of white smoke – and is the only exhaust visible in the room. “High mechanical prowess is a must with electric forklift technology. Fork-lifts need to operate without producing exhaust or excessive noise, achieve high efficiency, and continue to run smoothly even under extreme condi-tions like 40 degrees below zero,” ex-plains Dirk Bald, who manages the product line for electric drives in ZF’s

Power up, and liftThe ZF Group has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about electric drives, opening up new possibilities in the area of off-road machinery.

ZF Board of Management, Wilhelm Rehm, responsible for the Industrial Technology division.

Modular solutions

“In the hybridization and electrifica-tion of dumpers, wheel loaders, exca-

vators, tractors, and forklifts, we are able to draw on the expertise of engi-neers from ZF automotive units. This enables us to implement the develop-ments of customer-desired adjust-ments relatively quickly and inexpen-sively,” says Bald describing the advan-tages of the new organizational struc-ture. Similar to a model construction set, each division uses or combines different parts, and adapts them in ▶

Electric forklifts have to be extremely robust and reliable.

Whether for dumpers, wheel loaders, or excavators – the neces-sary electrification expertise is available within the Group.

42 1.2012

In off-road machinery electrification, the division can take advantage of the Group‘s wealth of knowledge.

44 1.2012

ELECTRIFICATION

not hybridization, but to maintain an efficient and profitable operation of the agricultural systems when seeding, fertilizing, and conducting pest con-trol. Unlike with rough plowing or har-rowing, these tasks require very pre-cise control of the high-tech attach-ments at times.

Significantly decreasing emissions

As a veteran engineer, Bald sees a broader potential for electrification in off-road machinery when operating within a small radius, such as rail-mounted container carriers in ports or rail yards. They can be connected to a power grid and operated completely on electricity. This technology is also be-coming more and more appealing for construction sites in urban areas, where lawmakers are increasing re-strictions on machine operators to re-duce exhaust and noise emissions. A partial hybridization could bring ad-vancements even in classic excavators, allowing them to position their buckets or grippers through hydrodynamic ro-tation of the revolving superstructure.

for that, and always turn to us as sup-pliers for the next stage of develop-ment.” ZF developers see forklifts, like those at the refrigerated warehouse in Hamburg, as setting the pace in drive electrification. Over the past year, ZF drives for forklifts posted a 50 percent growth in sales, almost twice that of the overall market. These types of off-road machinery mainly use asynchro-nous motors with a performance of 1–15 kW (1–20 bhp). They need to sup-port a number of individual functions: driving, turning, picking up, lifting, and much more. “Over the course of its lifetime, a forklift puts in an average of 20,000 service hours in harsh oper-ating conditions with constant shaking and ever-changing power demands,” notes Bald.

The expertise in the Industrial Tech-nology division also combines proven techniques with the continuous inno-vations when it comes to other types of off-road machinery. ElecTra, the new electric drive system for tractors, is a prime example. The main focus here is

sophisticated processes according to the desired application. “With our ex-tensive engineering and simulation background, we can precisely predict the physical demands on, say, an exca-vator: which difficulties its shovel will encounter when digging, where fur-ther cost savings and efficiency poten-tials lie, and how operating costs will likely develop over the course of the machine’s life cycle,” said Bald, add ing: “Our customers greatly appreciate us

“These systems can be replaced by electro-technical solutions,” says Bald. In Asia, the first wheeled- and track-excavators equipped with these drives are already in full-scale production. Unlike with passenger car production, lightweight construction in modern off-road machinery is rarely discussed. Bald, however, sees rewards in efforts involving smart electrification, such as engine cooling systems that rely on electronic rather than mechanical ven-tilators during driving or off-road op-eration. Rather than leaving the 500 ps (490 hp) engine running while waiting for a truck or combine, the drivers of

Small to save space, highly energy effi-cient, and designed to be robust: With the electrification of the drivetrain, the DynaStart starter generator by ZF can be deployed in the complex environment between the engine and transmission. The electric motor’s torque is up to 1,200 Nm (885 lb-ft) with a maximum performance of 200 kW (268 bhp). Specially designed for parallel hybrid solutions, it supports fuel-intensive, frequent starting or opera-tion processes. This reduces up to 15 per - cent of fuel consumption and CO2 emis-sions. In construction machinery, the electrification of the drivetrain serves primarily to support or exclusively operate power take-off units.

Taking off wiTh Power

tractors with battery-powered ventila-tion and air conditioning would still be able keep their cabs cool. This would considerably reduce emissions and op-erating costs. Series-proven modules from forklift drive technology are avail-able for these functions. Satisfied with the prospects of electrification, Bald concludes, “There has never been a more exciting time than today.” ■

Even the classic excavator can become more efficient through electrification.

The ElecTra electric drive system for tractors enables the use of electrically driven attachments.

45

www.vdi-wissensforum.de/enConference on transmissions in mobile machinery, June 19 & 20, 2012, in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

MORE INFORMATION

46 471.2012

Switchable engine mounts make for a noticeably comfortable ride.

Luxury cars used to have eight cyl-inders and four speeds – now it’s the other way around. At least

that’s how one journalist recently de-scribed the current trend in engines. In a move toward fuel-efficient vehicles, engine developers have been turning their attention to the number of cylin-ders. Thanks to turbochargers and su-perchargers, a modern 4-cylinder en-gine wrings enough power to deliver the driving pleasure that luxury car

owners have grown accustomed to. Yet this pleasure could be hampered else-where: The fewer the cylinders, the more roughly the engine runs and the more vibrations the engine block trans-mits to the bodywork.

Comfort at any speed

In supercharged engines with few cyl-inders, this NVH behavior (noise, vi-bration and harshness) varies greatly depending on the speed and driving situation. While you only get a low growl when the engine is in neutral, the comfort level while driving at high speeds on the highway can be drasti-cally reduced as road excitations gener-ate unwanted vibrations in the engine and transmission blocks. Rubber-metal joints and hydraulic engine mounts usually absorb these vibrations. How-ever, they quickly reach their limits in downsized engines. The solution? Switchable engine mounts, which ZF has been sup-plying for several years. They do the trick no matter what: When in neutral, they isolate low-frequency ex-citations through an internal, soft air spring; while at high speeds, a hy-

draulic mount with a tight characteris-tic curve is engaged. “We put the switchable engine mounts into series production in 2007 in order to expand our portfolio,” says Peter Binner, a powertrain product line manager in the Rubber & Plastics business unit at ZF in Bonn. “And now we’re profiting from the current trend toward down-sizing.” While the innovative engine mounts from Bonn were already used in the Audi A4, A5 and Q5 models and the Mercedes-Benz C-, E-, M- and GLK-Class models, at the end of 2011, an-other car model joined the bandwagon: the Mercedes S 250 CDI BlueEffi-ciency. It is the first luxury sedan to run on “only” four cylinders. ■

good vibrationsModern engines can get by with fewer cylinders, which is great for fuel economy and the environment – but could be problematic in terms of noise and vibration characteristics. Unless the engines come with switchable engine mounts from Zf.

Downsizing is an important principle when it comes to energy efficiency in the powertrain. In terms of engines, this primarily means reducing the engine displacement or the number of cylinders. Turbochargers or compressors are used so that the “slimming” doesn’t affect driving performance. Downsizing can also be applied to the entire vehicle: If you reduce the weight of the entire vehicle, smaller, less powerful engines achieve the same driving dynamic. If electric and internal combustion engines work together in the same powertrain, as in the case of a parallel hybrid, the “guzzlers” can also be made smaller without any perceptible loss of perfor-mance. Even the combustion engine itself has the potential to be optimized by, for instance, reducing moving masses in the engine (as seen in lightweight design) or through improved engine control systems.

Trend: Smaller engineS, Same Power

Membrane

Air spring

Upper hydraulic chamber

Lower hydraulic chamber

Solenoid switch

VIBRATION DAMPING

491.2012

We just got another batch of tram axle drives to ser-vice,” says workshop man-

ager Paride Bonvini, pointing to a workbench full of component parts. In the middle is an unscrewed housing with oversized gears and roller bear-ings. The axle drives have come from Milan’s transport authority, Azienda Trasporti Milanesi (ATM), which oper-ates several hundred trams in the northern Italian city. “The main model in Milan is the Sirio from Neapolitan manufacturer AnsaldoBreda, ZF’s larg-est OEM partner in Italy,” says Bonvini. “The drives we are currently servicing here in Assago are from those vehi-cles.” The town of Assago, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from downtown Milan, is home to ZF Italia. ZF Italia is the Italian subsidiary of ZF Services. In Milan, as in all major cities around the world, tak-ing the tram during rush hour is faster and more relaxing than driving by car.

‘Limited edition’ experts

So how does ZF Italia proceed in a ser-vicing situation like the one described above? “The customer replaces the tram drive units with replacement parts ahead of time. That way, the trams can continue to run, and we can inspect the defective parts with due

TRANSMISSION SERVICE

no such thing as no can doZf italia services a wide range of products, from rail and wind turbine gearboxes to marine transmissions. This requires flexible employees with a broad knowledge base. a workshop report.

diligence,” says Bonvini, adding, “For-tunately, we now have a modern high-bay warehouse only about 1 km (0.6 mi) away. We used to have to store all the parts here in the workshop, which was really cramped.”

It’s amazing how many different prod-ucts the 12-strong team services in rela-tively little space in the workshop. Alongside the dismantled tram trans-missions are marine and wind turbine gearboxes and automobile transmis-sions. Service manager Claudio Berto-lini proudly says, “Even when we get in limited-edition component parts, there’s

A new “patient” is brought in via forklift.

Workshop manager Paride Bonvini (right) and an employee inspect a tram axle drive.

48

▶

50 511.2012

The workshop boasts a well- stocked spare parts warehouse.

TRANSMISSION SERVICE

If you include the service operations, the rail vehicles business pays off for ZF, despite the low quantities. Tram ve-hicles like the Sirio run for decades and need to be serviced or repaired on a regular basis.

Important: regular maintenance

Under good conditions, axle drives can clock 900,000 km (559,000 mi) before needing to be serviced – provided that the transmission oil is changed regu-larly. This corresponds to an operating life of around 10 years. With ATM in Milan, however, the maintenance in-tervals for the Sirio are shorter: “That’s because of the routing,” says Bertolini. The Milan tram began service with horse-drawn streetcars in 1876 and was electrified in 1893. As such, the track lines are old. “The curving tracks

cially when it comes to rail vehicles, there is no standard transmission in the conventional sense. Everything is tailor-designed for a specific model, which greatly expands the variety. The Sirio axle drive is the closest thing to a high-volume model. All 5,000 of them were produced by ZF’s Special Drive-line Technology business unit in Fried-richshafen. With such customizations, it makes sense for the workshop em-ployees in Assago to document every step of their work with a camera. This way they can play back their findings to the transmission engineers in Friedrichs hafen. For workshop man-ager Bonvini this is essential because “through the active transfer of know-how from the service center to the en-gineering department, we are able to contribute to product improvements.”

really nothing we can’t do here. For ex-ample, we just finished working on a speed boat transmission that came in for preventive maintenance.” It will soon be used by the Guardia di Finanza, the Italian police force specialized in fiscal crimes, to intercept smugglers at sea.

Precision work instead of textbook pro-cedure is the motto in Assago. That’s why the team is made up of all-round-ers – in other words, real problem solv-ers. ZF Italia outsources routine repair work on truck and bus transmissions to workshop partners in close proximity to its customers. Because for the cus-tomers, every hour waiting counts.

Small numbers, many types

“We usually service limited-edition lines here,” explains Bertolini. Espe-

Marco Civinini, Director of Business Operations & Development at ZF Italia, on the specifics of the service business.

“Versatility is the key”

What role does ZF Italia have within the Group?

We are a part of the ZF Services business unit and

offer one-stop product and service solutions. We work

with the automotive, marine and industrial automation

teams to handle the sale of ZF products in Italy –

both to OEMs and end customers. The second major

pillar is the workshop center at our headquarters

here in Assago.

Do you serve the entire Italian market from

Assago?

Of course not – we have to be close to our customers.

“Italy is long and narrow,” as they say. So, for the

OEM business, we have sales offices in Turin, Rome,

and Bologna. In the service business, we work with a

nationwide network of partners. Here in Assago, we

service only special applications that require special

expertise.

How has ZF Italia positioned itself for the future?

For us, versatility is the key. To give just one example:

Even before ZF acquired the wind turbine gearbox

manufacturer Hansen, we were already servicing wind

turbine gearboxes in our service center. We also focus

on the customer. That’s why we decided to provide

extended service for non-ZF products, making us a

full-service provider.

are scenic, but they are quite demand-ing on the long, modern trains,” says Bertolini. When a tram turns, the inner and outer wheels have to rotate at dif-ferent speeds. To achieve this, the clutch of the axle differential unlocks. Slipping clutches are always a chal-lenge, especially with the high torque of a tram.

And what is the drive component that Bonvini and his team replace the most? “No matter what the application, it’s al-most always the transmission mounts. The gear wheels themselves last for-ever with proper lubrication.” ■

In ZF Italia’s service center, transmissions are disassembled to the last gear.

To be able to work on trans-missions for a variety of applications, employees need a broad knowledge base.

52 531.2012

harley-davidson owes its exceptional brand strength to, among other things, its image of rebellion, classic styling and performance. Just like its suppliers, the US motorcycle maker has to position itself as a tightly-run technical company. By no means however are economic constraints and cult status mutually exclusive.

let the thumb be the judge

u

Riding a Harley isn’t just about going from point A to point B. For many enthusiasts, a Harley-

Davidson motorcycle is a way of life hammered out in metal. Nevertheless, the design of every new model from the iconic brand Harley-Davidson be-gins with a simple sketch. In the next step, the finely drawn lines are brought to life as three-dimensional computer simulations and after that as a proto-type. All along the way, the developers demand the best of each individual component – not only in terms of func-tionality but also in terms of to the eyes and fingertips. After all, the Harley-Davidson legend is based in no small part on the distinctive look and feel of the motorcycles.

As integral to the essence of a Harley-Davidson as look and feel is the sound a Harley makes. The Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the company is based, show-cases the engines of different model generations. It is a place of pilgrimage for Harley enthusiasts, and, with the press of a button, visitors can hear the unmistakable rumble of a Harley, which stems from its unique cylinder configuration. That sound has echoed around the globe for more than a cen-tury. Harley enthusiasts worldwide have formed clubs where they get to-gether and indulge their passion.

Extremely strict specifications

Like any other industrial company, Harley-Davidson, too, relies on suppli-ers, is subject to market cycles, and has to be profitable in the long run. No one

COMPANY PROFILE

54 551.2012

COMPANY PROFILE

vail throughout the company, all the way up to management. In fact, it’s hard to tell the customers apart from the employees. “The employees exem-plify the brand’s promise,” says Kempf. As a child he hung posters of the shiny chrome Harleys in his room. Today, he values the laid-back atmosphere at the company.

Don Gogan translates this symbiotic re-lationship into business-speak, “We en-joy a comprehensive perspective on the customer experience, including, say, the rides of the Harley Owner’s Group (HOG), the motorcycle apparel, the

knows that better than Vice President of Materials Management Don Gogan. The 46-year-old describes his 20 years at the company in biker lingo as a “great ride.” He is referring to the com-pany’s many twists and turns, “In my first ten years we were growing and had to meet extremely high global de-mand,” recalls Gogan. “But in recent years, we were faced with an economic crisis that put our business model to the test, highlighting the importance of being customer-led and the need for flexibility in our manufacturing.” If you want to fit into this business model as a

demo events and the whole accessories business. None of these are one-off ac-tivities, because we want to build life-long customer loyalty.”

It’s the devotion of customers and em-ployees to Harleys over generations that has been the defining constant, says Gogan. “We have a T-shirt for this phenomenon that says: ‘If I had to ex-plain you wouldn’t understand’.” ■

Recognizing the myriad tanks and emblems is a science on its own.

Harley-Davidson:a classic sporting modern technology

ZF produces all of Harley-Davidson’s hand controls as well as heated handlebar grips and fully pre-assembled steering systems for special models. Harley-Davidson is ZF Electronics North America’s largest single customer, accounting for 20 percent of its operating revenue.

whaT Zf SuPPlieS To harley-daVidSon

www.harleydavidsonmuseum.com

MORE INFORMATION

Harley-Davidson supplier, you have to meet stringent criteria – not only in functional but also in aesthetic terms. That’s nothing new to Anton Kempf, Managing Director North America at ZF Electronics. “When Harley-David-son decided to convert its mechanical hand controls to electronic operation in its 2011 Softail model, we had ex-tremely strict specifications,” he says. The company supplies all of Harley-Davidson’s hand controls. “We could only change the shape of the controls slightly. But it was of the utmost impor-tance that the electronic shift system

Harley-Davidson is among the 100 most valuable brands in the world.

feel like its predecessor. At the end of the day, only the thumb of a Harley rider can tell.”

A top global brand

Today, Harley-Davidson is again cruis-ing the smooth straightaway and is in for the long haul. “We restructured our business and focused on brand man-agement,” says Gogan, adding confi-dently, “That has prepared us for the next hundred years.” To think in such time spans, you need to be firmly rooted in the minds of your customers. In fact, for Harley-Davidson, brand im-age is just as important an asset as tech-nical know-how. And it is this image that remains exceptionally strong more than 40 years after the film classic “Easy Rider” and Peter Fonda’s legend-ary Harley “Captain America.” Harley-Davidson is, according to the interna-tionally respected Interbrand ranking of brand values, one of the 100 most valuable brands in the world. That puts the company, with its 2011 revenue of $5.3 billion and shipments of 233,000 motorcycles, among the ranks of far larger, multinational corporations.

Close connection

The basis for the success of the Ameri-can motorcycle maker is its close con-nection to its customers. This link is not an invention of PR professionals, but is authentic – and lived out in Mil-waukee every day. At Harley-Davidson, you won’t find the dark suits you would normally see in the automotive indus-try; jeans and Harley-logoed shirts pre-

57

CITY LIVING

more megacities exist today than

35 years ago. while there were only three of these

giant urban centers with more than 10 million inhabitants

in 1975, there were 21 in 2009. By 2025, there will

be about 30. If the term “megacity” were expanded to

include metropolitan areas as well, there would already

be that many today.

29,650

of all people will live in cities

by the middle of this century, while only 30 percent will live in rural areas,

according to experts. In 1950, it was the other way around. Already in 2008,

the number of city dwellers surpassed the number of rural residents.

is the average time it takes

commuters in Bangkok or Seoul to get to work. However, even

longer commutes of up to two hours are not uncommon. The

reason is not so much the distances, but the low speeds:

Countless share taxis, mopeds and unofficial minibuses

clog the roads. But, as many cities with bus rapid transit (BRT)

systems have proven, it doesn’t have to be that way. Thanks to

private lanes, BRT buses always have the right of way and can

reach high average speeds.

is what a passenger car

would need to transport

in order to be as environ-

mentally friendly as a fully loaded city bus.

This (clearly) hypothetical comparison shows the

positive impact public transport has on the

environment.

per sq km (about two-fifths of a sq m) is the population density

of the Indian port city of Mumbai. That makes the former Bombay

the most densely populated city in the world. Second place in terms of population density goes

to another Indian city, Calcutta, with 23,900 inhabitants per sq km. This represents barely more than

40 sq m (430 sq ft) of “floor space” per person. By comparison, New York City has 10,350 inhabitants

per sq km.

56

14 people

inhabitants

microcosms to the maxThe world’s cities are bursting at the seams. more and more people live in smaller and smaller spaces, especially in cities in developing economies. Transportation and utilities are huge challenges for urban planners. drive shares some interesting facts about city living.

70

60 minutes

70%

30%

Hrs. Sec.Min. 7 ×

Mumbai

percent

1.2012

58 1.2012

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at right to receive the magazine drive free of charge.

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SERVICE

Tractors with 500 ps (493 hp) and higher are now standard around the world.

ZF’s Industrial Technology division offers driveline technology with the power

to match this demand. To name one example, the Claas Xerion – the top model

of the largest European manufacturer of agricultural equipment – uses a Zf-

eccom. ZF developed these continuously variable transmissions especially

for large modern tractors with engine power output of up to 650 ps (641 hp).

’78

The Schlüter tractor got its power from a MAN Turbo engine with 12 cylinders and 21 liters of displacement (approx. 1300 cid). After searching for a transmission that could transfer this force, Schlüter turned to ZF. Since there was no mass-produced tractor transmission on this scale at the time, engineers in Friedrichs-hafen modified a Zf Transmatic, which had originally been designed for use in heavy-duty trucks. Thanks to its torque converter clutch, the transmission allowed a smooth start-up with minimum wear and tear under heavy loads.

In the late 1970s, the small German tractor manufacturer Anton Schlüter München

unveiled a prototype with 500 ps (493 hp) – by far the most powerful tractor in Europe

at the time. Known as the Profi Trac 5000 TVL, this giant tractor used a specially

modified heavy-duty truck transmission by ZF.

Visionary powerhouse

todayand

ZF steering axles in the front and back enabled all-wheel drive steering and made the Profi Trac 5000 TVL extremely agile for its size.

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“At a Glance” brochure about the ZF Group.

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you can download the online

version of the 2011 annual

report at www.zf.com (under

Company).

When visitors to an

exhibition of the

German Agricultural

Society in Frankfurt

first saw the 5000 TVL,

many people consid-

ered it too grandiose,

questioning the purpose

of such a giant tractor. At

the time, agricultural structures

in Europe were still too small to make efficient use

of a tractor that size, which is why the 5000 TVL

never made it past the prototype stage. Nevertheless,

it is considered a courageous pioneer of the top tier of

tractors today.

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www.im-with-zf.com

I’m with ZF. Engineer and chief pilot.

I love doing things that are unique – like fl ying model airplanes. Taking something from an idea to completion, thinking it through and then building it so that it works – that’s my passion. On and off the job. I’m Matthias Möller, and I’ve worked as a development and project engineer for over 10 years. To me, ZF is a place where I am challenged to grow, and where I feel good. For more about me, what I do, and the ideas for tomorrow that I’m working on today, go to www.im-with-zf.com.

Find out more about me and what I do at ZF:

Matthias Möller

CAD Design Project Engineer

ZF Friedrichshafen AG

Dielingen, Germany