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

  • Advances in US paving machines and material feeders
    May 30, 2013
    Paving machines vary considerably in North America compared with those units used elsewhere. On a worldwide basis, pavers with tamper bar screeds are popular having been developed in Europe and also favoured by Japanese and Chinese firms. But in the US the length of highways to be constructed resulted in a focus on high production pavers, which still continues today. North America and Latin America are key markets for these machines, with Australia being one of the few territories to employ both European an
  • Welsh contractor enlists a ‘road warrior’ for stabilisation work in England
    September 28, 2015
    Groundworks contractor DCM Roadways, based in the southeast Wales town of Monmouth, has brought in an FAE MTM to ensure the best result possible for an access road project. DCM, which specialises in soil stabilisation and road recycling, is working on a solar project in the Forest of Dean area of Gloucestershire county, just across the border in England. The job is for the construction of around 1.2km of stabilised highway access roads.
  • Caterpillar's latest models
    February 16, 2012
    Caterpillar has introduced the next generation of articulated trucks, with the new B Series models, which now include the 735B, offering a 32.7tonne payload; the 740B (39.5tonnes), and the 740B EJ with ejector body (38tonnes).
  • Improved excavator models available
    September 7, 2021
    Improved excavator models are now being made available for customers wanting higher performance