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

  • Full-electric: CIFA’s Energya Mixer on Volvo’s BEV Truck
    November 14, 2023
    CIFA’s latest addition to Energya: the E9 electric mixer mounted on a Volvo electric truck, a 100% electric vehicle that works in a fully sustainable manner. Energya - CIFA's brand with the first and only range of electric machines in the concrete industry - aims to reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution on the job site to zero, helping to make the transport and laying of concrete more environmentally friendly. Thanks to the electrical operation, new opportunities are opening up for the use of heavy-duty vehicles, particularly in densely populated historic centres and on sites with restrictions, where lower environmental impact is an added value.
  • Bentley’s point cloud innovation for information modelling in road design
    August 22, 2013
    Latest software packages from Bentley Systems will help optimise project design and construction efficiency – Mike Woof reports Software systems have come a long way in helping optimise construction projects from design through construction to delivery. And the latest software from Bentley Systems offers additional capabilities for road design applications. Bentley Systems is offering the V8i (SELECTseries 3) versions of its InRoads, GEOPAK, and MXROAD products. All of the products now share the
  • China’s rising construction equipment sector in focus at CONEXPO
    February 13, 2017
    In recent years, China construction machinery industry has made great achievements, a fact that will be featured at this year's CONEXPO-CON/AGG. China’s Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products and the China Construction Machinery Association will introduce China construction machinery industry at its booth, G2116A. Chinese construction equipment makers are the world’s largest producers of mobile cranes, wheeled loaders, excavators and now also concrete pumps than
  • GPS technology developments
    June 13, 2012
    The use of GPS-inclusive technology is proving invaluable to contractors responsible for major transport-related construction projects across the globe. Guy Woodford looked at some of the latest and imminent site solutions featuring GPS Staff at Trimble Heavy Construction based in Sunnyvale, California recently finished developing three new solutions for connecting the construction site. The Trimble Connected Office, the Trimble Connected Controller and the Trimble Connected Machine, are all now available t