Product highlights

ZF hybrid systems

Efficient solutions

Hybrid transmissions save fuel, conserve resources and thus significantly reduce CO2 emissions. But efficient propulsion is another advantage of ZF's new, intelligent hybrid solutions: They are economical, practical and ready for series production. And so hybrid systems that push forward all applications – from cars and trucks to buses and vans right through to rail and special-purpose vehicles – are possible.

You can find all information on hybrid solutions and systems from ZF on our global corporate Web site.

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8HP - 8-speed innovation wonder

ZF has developed a new automatic car transmission with 8 speeds, which enables savings of up to 22 percent over the 5-speed automatic transmission still widely available. To achieve this new benchmark in automatic car transmissions, ZF engineers set the bar high. The second generation of ZF’s 6-speed transmission (6HP), just released in 2006, set standards for fuel savings that were difficult to top. But the new 8-speed automatic transmission (8HP) achieves a further 11 percent in fuel savings and thus make a clear contribution to cutting CO2 emissions. There are many innovations that play a part here: the completely new transmission concept with four planetary gear sets and only two open shift elements, a higher overall gear ratio, a variable oil pump, new torque converters, and optimized hydraulic and transmission control. A stop-start function is available as an add-on option, automatically turning off the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt and restarting it and the transmission when the brake is released.

All information and technical data on the new 8 HP is available on our corporate web site, www.zf.com.

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• Transmission Trends

AS Tronic: automatically saving power

Economy is more important than ever for freight forwarders and fleet operators. For this reason, financial attention is increasingly focusing on the drive train. Innovative transmission systems must pay off in the long run. As does the AS Tronic transmission series. Ten years ago, this automatic transmission system set a milestone in driveline development. Today, AS Tronic transmissions are available for all commercial vehicle classes.

Whether for long-distance hauling, international distribution or city delivery services, ZF’s AS Tronic, AS Tronic mid and AS Tronic lite provide just the right transmission for the job.

You can find more background information on the No. 1 automatic transmission system on our corporate Web site.

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CDC and PDC damper systems

Most traffic accidents involving commercial vehicles are caused by driver error. So technology that relieves the driver and in turn increases road safety is much in demand. ZF’s variable CDC (Continuous Damping Control) and PDC (Pneumatic Damping Control) damper systems are recognized milestones in ensuring greater safety together with maximum driver comfort. CDC and PDC significantly reduce body movement and rolling of tractors and trailers and so reduce pitch in the driver's cab to a minimum. The CDC damper is built into an intelligent suspension control system. The control system continuously monitors all influences on the driving situation, such as load, driver behavior and vehicle movements, and within milliseconds, applies the optimal damping force. This is made possible by electronically controllable proportional valves, which restrict (hard damping) or increase (soft damping) oil flow in the damper tube within fractions of a second.

PDC takes a slightly different technical approach. In this system, control of the proportional valve is effected according to load on the damper by pneumatic pressure in the air bellows. The system thus works without sensors and electronic controls, making it particularly suited to trailers and semi-trailers.

You can find more information, data and facts on adaptive damper systems by ZF on our corporate Web site.

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