Passion Turned Into a Profession
Abhilash Ramakrishnan, Chief Engineer Software for Brake Controls at ZF CVS, is delighted to see the role of electronics becoming more focused on the need for safety-critical systems.
His natural curiosity towards finding out how things happen, led him to pursue his interest in building small, do-it-yourself electronic projects. These activities, scripted with his knowledge of basic programming, helped him win accolades in high school and laid the foundation for his passion and vision to become an electronics engineer.
Abhilash pursued his engineering at Shanmugha College of Engineering (SASTRA) in Tamil Nadu, India, which provided him with the necessary input to understand the theory behind the hands-on experience he had gained earlier. His initial three years of working with an automotive electronics supplier laid the foundation for his position in the industry, which was further solidified after he moved to Sundaram Clayton (part of the TVS group of companies) in 2006.
FutureStarter Abhilash Ramakrishnan, Chief Engineer Software for Brake Controls at ZF CVS
Laying Down the Foundation Stone
Driving down memory lane to the early days, Abhilash remembers being part of a small team of around 20 engineers involved in a limited scope of software development in WABCO products. Slowly but significantly the team grew into taking over complete responsibilities for products and delivering software globally from the Technology Center in Chennai.
The results in software development were paving the way for capabilities expanding into other fields of product development, mainly in system development and testing. Abhilash remembers his pathway at the site, through various hirings and collaborations, while setting up the system development and testing teams for the Trailer product line in 2013. This was the foundation stone for expanding the site’s scope from being a Software Development Center to a Global Technology Center.
With the role of Chennai in the roadmap, the calm endeavor of Abhilash significantly grew the team size. His work has been essential in achieving ASPICE capability level 3. His training and certification in ASPICE as a provisional assessor were crucial in helping the team achieve this target.
What Abhilash appreciates most about ZF is that the company’s leading role in innovative developments.
Increased Comfort and Safety
Abhilash is responsible for software development for braking products as the Chief Engineer Software. He is accountable for releasing software to global customers. He believes that ZF Commercial Vehicle Solutions has a particular advantage over its competitors because the systems enable assisted and automated driving. One example of this is mBSP XBS, the pneumatic braking system platform for trucks and buses. He summarizes the features of the innovative system: "We developed the next generation mBSP XBS pneumatic braking system platform for commercial vehicles. This system offers functionalities that support ABS/EBS braking and can support automation up to Level 5. This system provides higher performance in braking and is a much safer system, compliant with Functional Safety and Cybersecurity regulations."
Contributing to Safer Roads
What Abhilash appreciates most about ZF is that the company’s leading role in innovative developments in many areas. “That is also the reason why I feel like a FutureStarter. We are far ahead in many areas because as a company, we are active in many product segments and are driving the future of mobility at an unprecedented pace. For example, we are focusing now on product innovations and the latest technologies like AI to further enhance the products we deliver to the customers. For me, this is a significant difference compared with when we were not part of the ZF Group.”
Being involved in the future of autonomous vehicles gives the passionate electronics engineer – who is also involved in animal welfare in his spare time at the Indian Blue Cross – a great deal of satisfaction. “In my opinion, my passion has transitioned into a career that involves contributing to the development of safety-critical products for commercial vehicles leading to a safer world,” says Abhilash. “In a way, it takes me back to when I was a student assembling robotic systems. Only now I’m not just doing it for my own amusement. I’m creating a social benefit and contributing to a lower accident rate for road traffic."
What Exactly Does ZF Do?
We are designing the vehicle of the future. In this process, the focus is on our team, our #FutureStarters. Every day, they are developing technologies – from sustainability, electric mobility and autonomous driving to software, digitalization and vehicle motion control.
