Driveline and chassis control specialist displays a selection of new products for the heavy vehicle industry
September 20, 2012
Driveline and chassis control specialist ZF used the 2012 IAA show in Hanover, Germany to unveil a selection of new products for the heavy vehicle industry.
Chief among these is the new Traxon modular truck transmission. It can be mated to a variety of drive inputs, including dry clutch, hybrid module, dual clutch and torque converter clutch.
The Traxon unit also includes ZF’s Prevision GPS shifting strategy, which uses a combination of satellite location and topographic data to identify terrain changes and select the correct gear before it is needed.
This includes holding higher gears at the crest of a hill, allowing the truck to use momentum to maintain speed on the descent rather than accelerating and burning additional fuel.
Other advantages include not selecting top gear in undulating terrain where a short descent is followed by a longer and steeper uphill climb.
As well as the Traxon unit, ZF introduced a new four-link rear suspension for bogie drive configurations made from fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP), saving 11kg compared to a standard cast metal component, while retaining full strength.
Also on show was the IS 80 TF independent front suspension that eliminates the beam axle used by truck manufacturers, offering improved driving characteristics as well as a weight saving of 40kg compared to a current rigid front axle.