Adaptive damping systems by ZF

A Milestone for Active Safety

For safety reasons, shock absorbers are designed for fully loaded vehicles. If the vehicle is not loaded, there is too much damping and thus a loss in comfort. The optimum adjustment for standard dampers is therefore always a compromise. For trucks, buses or cars - the damping system CDC (Continuous Damping Control), which was developed by ZF, is considered a milestone for more safety.

Cockpit

The correct damping hardness for every driving situations

In comparison to conventional shock absorbers, electronically controlled variable systems offer a tangible added value to the driver: They are not underway "ex works" with rigid damper characteristics which stay with the same setting not matter whether you are crossing cobble stone pavement or speedily rush through cornering routes. The CDC sets the correct damping hardness for every driving situation.

Intelligent suspension control system

The CDC damper is integrated into an intelligent suspension control system consisting of CDC dampers, a sensor system, and a control unit. This control system continuously monitors all influences on the driving situation such as loads, driver actions, and vehicle movements – and adjusts for the optimum damping force. All of this is made possible thanks to electronically controlled proportional valves which minimize oil through-flow in the shock-absorber tube within split seconds (for hard damping characteristics) or will expand the diameter once again (for soft suspension). Continuously variable valve adjustment and rapid adaptation of the damping forces enable variable regulation of the damping rate.

PDC - particularly suitable for trailers and semitrailers

The PDC (Pneumatic Damping Control) follows a technically slightly modified approach. With this system, the proportional valve control is performed in a load-dependent manner on the damper by means of pneumatic pressure in the air spring bellows; this means that the system does without sensors and electronic control unit. For this reason, the PDC is particularly suitable for trailers and semitrailers.

Top