drive 2.2015
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TR W AC Q U I S I T I O N How customers will benefit A I R B AG D E V ELO P ME N T Serial lifesavers M e g ac i t y s h a n g h a i Escape from urban gridlock Smart TechNology for a more mobile TomoRROW Agile, ef ficient, interconnected: ZF’s A dvanced Ur ban Vehicle c­ ncept o car demons trates the enor mous potential of smar t i­ teraction between c­ assis, n h driveline and driver assis tance s­ s tems. y

Following the integration of TR W, ZF has the broades t pro­ uct por tfolio of any automotive supplier in the world. N ow d the c­ mpany can of fer these technologies and solutions as a o full-­ pectrum response to the three major mobilit y megatrends. s Regenerative braking AUTOMATED DRIVING Predictive damping Highway Chauffeur The electric motors in hybrid and all-electric drivelines are also capable of braking. Because this puts them into generator mode, they even produce electricity, which is fed back into the battery. But for more vigorous braking maneuvers, foundation brakes are also...

“The integration of TRW into the ZF Group is guided by a clear vision: as one of the world’s leading technology companies, we want to supply the global a­ tomotive u industry with complete system solutions for the megatrends of the future.” Dr. Stefan Sommer, ZF CEO* * You can read the full interview with Dr. Stefan Sommer starting on page 38.

Cover photos: [M] Detlef Majer, Volker Martin, Getty Images; Content photos: Mareike Foecking, ZF (2), Dominik Gigler 30 EXIT HERE FOR THE FUTURE How automated driving will totally transform global m­ bility over the next ten years o 48 50 YEARS OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS Why the acquisition of TRW is such a big win for the technology company and its customers. As explained by ZF CEO Dr. Stefan Sommer – two letters, one success story. HP And it started half a century ago 52 FOR THE COMPANY’S GLOBAL FAMILY is celebrating the company’s 100th Anniversary ZF with employees around the world What...

Tomorrow’s engineers Photo: Felix Kästle Race fever in Friedrichshafen! In June, 500 Formula Student c­ mpetitors gathered at the Friedrichshafen Exhibition Center. ZF o sponsors a total of 36 student teams around the world. At ZF Race Camp, students taking part in the race series work together with ZF engineers and alumni. It’s a fantastic opportunity to discuss, for e­ ample, the specific challenges involved in racing electric vehicles x – more than half of the student-built racing cars are e-racers. For ZF, these committed students are ideal candidates for recruitment, and Race Camp is...

Mercedes AMG GT CDC adaptive damping system Lightweight vibration dampers Chassis components The CDC adaptive damping system adapts the chassis damping continuously and in real time to the current driving situation – smoothly, precisely, and for each individual wheel. Thus, the CDC resolves the conflict of aims between comfortable-soft and dynamic-firm chassis tuning. Honda CR-V 9-speed automatic transmission Vibration dampers Electronic safety systems Fro m rac i ng t rucks an d coaches to ra c i ng bi ke s an d plug-in hybrid s Thanks to the high spacing of the 9-speed automatic...

Delighted by new development opportunities for ZF (from left): Board member for North America Dr. Franz Kleiner, CEO Dr. Stefan Sommer and CEO of ZF TRW John C. Plant, in their first joint a­ pearance following the closure of the acquisition. p ZF is acquiring the industrial transmission business of Bosch Rexroth AG, together with more than 1,200 employees. This represents the company’s first step into the market for industrial transmissions as used in, for example, oil drilling platforms, mining vehicles, tunnel boring machines (photo) and cable-car systems. “Strengthening the...

ZF’s Highway Driv in g Assi s t sys te m suppor ts semi-­ a utoma te d driv in g. A nove l drivi ng experi ence on the a ­ tobahn n ear Düsse ldor f in Ge r ma ny. u By Joachim Becker Photos: Mareike Foecking lack paintwork gleams in the sunlight: a sporty-looking station wagon is parked in the yard of ZF’s D­ sseldorf plant. From ü the outside, the car looks identical to a standard production model. But hidden beneath the skin are sophisticated systems representing an extra 2,500 hours of work. Only when you flip open the tailgate and lift the floor of the trunk does the car reveal its...

In the open-plan office above the ZF TRW workshops in Düsseldorf, robotics experts rub shoulders with physicists and IT wizards. All of these team members were recruited with the aim of gathering together the broadest possible range of IT expertise – supplemented by an ability to think outside the box. The car in front of me is among the most complex pieces of equipment that customers can buy. However, you need to build up some experience with this system before you can safely relinquish control and allow it to brake and steer on its own. “Our development team in Düsseldorf can draw on ZF...

Debriefing after the test drive: Dr. Marco Wegener and project manager Dr. Carsten Hass evaluate the stored driving profile. “Teaching a car what it’s supposed to do is an absolutely fascinating job.” Dr. Marco Wegener, Development Engineer In actual fact, I’m able to take my hands off the steering wheel for long stretches of the A3 freeway. But I’m not allowed to pick up my notepad and take notes while driving at high speed. The ZF experts who would normally be sitting behind the wheel are specially trained as test drivers. They keep a close eye on the traffic at all times and can override...

Drivers can easily park the Advanced Urban Vehicle while standing on the sidewalk. The Intelligent Photos: ZF, [M] Detlef Majer, Volker Martin, Getty Images C ar f or Urb an Mobilit y Mo bil it Agile, intelligent, ur ban: a concept vehicle from ZF shows what the future of ur ban mobilit y could look like. By Andreas Neemann compact city car stops in the middle of the street, a few yards from a very tight parking space. Both driver and passenger get out, much to the surprise of passersby. Are they really going to leave the car parked like that? No, they aren’t. The driver taps his...