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

  • CNH new CEO Mario Gasparri says firm keen to continue its growth curve
    January 6, 2017
    New CNH Construction president Mario Gasparri says the firm is keen to build on its “strong, sustainable growth opportunities in every major region”. Speaking to the Daily News Gasparri, a Fiat veteran who took on his prestigious new role last month, said, “In 2011, we saw the highest growth in North America, where demand increased by 38%. The European, African, Middle Eastern and CIS markets were not far behind with a 35% increase. In Latin America, the strong demand from projects in the private and public
  • CNH new CEO Mario Gasparri says firm keen to continue its growth curve
    April 17, 2012
    New CNH Construction president Mario Gasparri says the firm is keen to build on its “strong, sustainable growth opportunities in every major region”. Speaking to the Daily News Gasparri, a Fiat veteran who took on his prestigious new role last month, said, “In 2011, we saw the highest growth in North America, where demand increased by 38%. The European, African, Middle Eastern and CIS markets were not far behind with a 35% increase. In Latin America, the strong demand from projects in the private and public
  • Concrete mixing technology offers advanced recipes
    February 13, 2012
    Modern concrete production plants are using technology to offer more sophisticated mix recipes as Patrick Smith reports. The growing trend towards ever more sophisticated concrete recipes calls for fully developed mixing technology. Companies are responding to the challenges with equipment that offers new levels of sophistication including computer controls and units that can deliver a huge variety of mix recipes.
  • MTU and Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company form JV
    February 19, 2016
    MTU Friedrichshafen and Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company will set up a 50/50 joint venture to manufacture MTU diesel engines in China. MTU Friedrichshafen, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce Power Systems, and Guangxi Yuchai Machinery (GYMCL), part of China Yuchai International Limited, will each invest €10.5 million in the joint venture. The joint venture will be based at Guangxi’s primary manufacturing facilities in Yulin City in Guangxi Province, southern China. Production is expected to start in 2017 and