Skip to main content

50 years of driveline technology

ZF has celebrated 50 years of developing and producing driveline technology and axle systems for construction machinery at its location in Passau, Germany. The company is also celebrating two world premieres: ZF cPower, a continuously variable construction machinery transmission, and ZF Ergopower Hybrid.
May 14, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
2304 ZF has celebrated 50 years of developing and producing driveline technology and axle systems for construction machinery at its location in Passau, Germany.

The company is also celebrating two world premieres: ZF cPower, a continuously variable construction machinery transmission, and ZF Ergopower Hybrid.

ZF’s path in construction machinery started off with powershift transmissions, planetary design and reduplan transmissions for wheel and crawler excavators. Then its product portfolio was extended to steering and rigid axles for construction machinery.

In 1997 series production of the ZF-Ergopower transmission started, and according to ZF “to the present day Ergopower transmissions are still common practice in many wheel loaders, dumpers and aircraft tow tractors.”

Hermann Beck, vice president business unit Construction Machinery Systems at ZF Passau, said: “ZF develops the whole driveline ranging from transmissions over axles to hydraulic/electronic control elements and functional software. Thanks to the optimised interaction with diesel engine and working hydraulics the driveline becomes an integral component of the overall vehicle system. This is the only way to achieve up to 20% fuel savings as well as up to 40% productivity increase in the latest transmission generation.”

Today ZF Passau is represented with driveline technology and axle systems for construction machinery on all international markets with its export rate of over 80%.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ZF shows cPower for wheeled loaders at INTERMAT
    January 6, 2017
    ZF Transmissions used INTERMAT to reveal its cPower continuously variable transmission (CVT) for wheeled loaders up to 210kW. Using experience gained in the agricultural tractor sector, where CVTs have been in use for more than 10 years, ZF’s cPower transmission uses a blend of hydrostatics and mechanical drives to split power throughout the entire working speed range.
  • ZF shows cPower for wheeled loaders at INTERMAT
    April 18, 2012
    ZF Transmissions used INTERMAT to reveal its cPower continuously variable transmission (CVT) for wheeled loaders up to 210kW. Using experience gained in the agricultural tractor sector, where CVTs have been in use for more than 10 years, ZF’s cPower transmission uses a blend of hydrostatics and mechanical drives to split power throughout the entire working speed range.
  • Earthmoving machine advances
    June 10, 2019
    One of the most competitive segments of the off-highway equipment sector, it is no surprise that earthmoving machinery is seeing a wide array of new models coming to market - Mike Woof writes Competition is tough in the market for earthmoving equipment. Manufacturers from Europe, the US, Japan, Korea and China are all vying for increased market share across the globe. Firms are developing new models and widening product lines, with a wide range of excavator, wheeled loader, dozer, grader and soil compact
  • Komatsu launches next-generation WA475-11 and WA485-11 wheeled loaders with joystick steering controls
    April 10, 2025

    Komatsu Europe has premiered its new next-generation WA475-11 and WA485-11 wheeled loaders, which the manufacturer says represent a leap forward in performance and efficiency.

    At the heart of new Dash 11 generation wheeled loaders is a newly developed Komatsu diesel engine which is characterised by extremely high torque in the low-speed range. This new engine is combined with a Komatsu-designed hydro-mechanical-transmission (HMT), resulting in excellent performance, power reserves, fuel efficiency and ease of operation for all transport and loading tasks.