At a press conference held in Kulmbach, Germany in late July, German vehicle component manufacturer ZF Friedrichshafen AG detailed its latest component news.

In U.S. trucking circles, ZF is best known for its joint venture with ArvinMeritor, ZF Meritor, which produces and markets the FreedomLine automated transmission for commercial vehicles. The FreedomLine is a variation of the AS (Automatic Shifting) Tronic transmission that ZF makes and sells on its own elsewhere.

Wolfgang Vogel, executive vp & group executive, commercial vehicle & special driveline technology, said ZF is expanding its 6-speed AS Tronic offerings to cover vans, pickups and medium-duty trucks and buses. Volume production will start in October 2003 for light-duty and a year later for medium-duty models. He also said a new 12-speed AS Tronic for trucks and buses will reach volume production in the second half of next year.

Vogel noted that the fully automatic, two-pedal AS Tronic uses the identical hardware as the manual transmission it is based upon. He said the AS Tronic will now use a clutch and clutch actuator from ZF Sachs, the operation formed by the company's recent acquisition of Sachs Group from Siemens.

ZF Sachs AG specializes in powertrain components, including automated clutches, and suspension components, including truck shock absorbers.

The company disclosed that ZF Sachs is at work on two new suspension approaches for commercial vehicles — Continuous Damping Control (CDC) and Pneumatic Damping Control (PDC). Both systems would automatically adjust to “driving situations and load conditions.”

ZF Sachs also unveiled three other developments. The ConAct pneumatic clutch control is a fully automated system for both automatic and manual transmissions; and the Xtend clutch boasts automatic wear compensation. The Automated Switch Gearbox (ASG) was described as a cost-effective way to automate manual transmissions to reduce fuel consumption.

Dr. Manfred Schwab, group executive, off-road driveline & axle systems, announced that the first prototypes of ZF's independent front suspension for trucks were “under way.” He said extensive engineering studies and detailed simulation indicated the suspension would increase ride comfort and “active safety.”

Responding to word of the AS Tronic expansion as well as the Sachs purchase, an ArvinMeritor spokesman told FleetOwner that many additional products are planned for the ZF Meritor joint venture, including an “auto-adjust clutch and new transmission technologies.” He pointed out, too, that Sachs-branded clutches will become standard on ZF Meritor FreedomLine transmissions and Meritor Clutch Co.-branded units (also made by Sachs) will be standard on Meritor 9- and 10-speed manual and SureShift transmissions.

For more information on ZF operations in North America, go to www.zf-group.com
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