Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

zf

ZF invests €800 million in Saarbrücken plant in Germany

by

Over the next four years, ZF will invest €800 million in its Saarbrücken site in Germany, the lead location of ZF’s transmission technology, in production plants and systems, infrastructure, and its supplier network for the transition from conventional to electric car drives.

“The share of hybrid drives in production will increase tenfold over the next few years – from five to 50 percent,” said Wolf-Henning Scheider, CEO of ZF Friedrichshafen AG.

ZF is investing more than €3 billion worldwide in new products and its production network for transmission technology.
[Read more…] about ZF invests €800 million in Saarbrücken plant in Germany

ZF gets green light for drone deliveries in Germany

by

ZF is the first company in Germany to receive official approval for automated drone flights over factory premises. A drone prototype has recently started flying spare parts such as sensors or control cards from the central warehouse to workshops.

As soon as the test flights are complete and drones properly deployed, such flights will relieve vehicle traffic at the plant and save time on the up to one kilometre-long delivery routes that are often on the upper floors of buildings.

In the long term, packages could even be delivered outside of factory premises, for example to facilitate package delivery in residential areas that are difficult to access.

[Read more…] about ZF gets green light for drone deliveries in Germany

ZF claims broadest portfolio of hybrid and electric drive solutions

by

ZF claims to now offer the broadest range of hybrid and all-electric drive solutions for almost every vehicle segment.

In 2008, ZF was the first company in Europe to volume-produce hybrid modules – a technology that reduces CO2 emissions by up to 70 percent compared to vehicles with combustion engines.

In the meantime, many manufacturers are now producing a variety of car models equipped with the 8-speed plug-in hybrid transmission (8P) that features a longitudinally-mounted drive.

[Read more…] about ZF claims broadest portfolio of hybrid and electric drive solutions

ZF developing 3D interior observation system for autonomous driving

by

ZF is developing a three-dimensional Interior Observation System (IOS) capable of detecting and classifying vehicle occupants, determining their size, location and position, and whether or not they are in active control of the vehicle.

While ZF is well-known as a world leader in the production of forward facing object recognition cameras that sense the external vehicle environment, the company has also been involved in the development of interior observation cameras for more than ten years.

Due to the trend toward advanced safety and vehicle automation, interest in interior camera technology has intensified and ZF is now developing a 3D camera interior observation system supporting a broad variety of potential safety, comfort and AD applications.

[Read more…] about ZF developing 3D interior observation system for autonomous driving

ZF acquires stake in ASAP to boost autonomous driving resources

by

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is taking over 35 percent of the shares of the engineering services provider ASAP Holding GmbH, located in Gaimersheim, Bavaria, Germany.

The move is in line with the company’s strategy of securing additional resources for autonomous driving and e-mobility in order to better meet the ever growing demands from customers in these areas.

“As an established development partner, ASAP Group has extensive expertise in the areas of autonomous driving, e-mobility, connected cars and vehicle software,” says Torsten Gollewski, general manager of Zukunft Ventures GmbH and head of ZF’s Advanced Development department.

[Read more…] about ZF acquires stake in ASAP to boost autonomous driving resources

ZF works on European ‘truck platooning’ 

by

ZF is working with truck manufacturers as part of the EU co-funded ENSEMBLE project to test programmes with the goal of introducing multi-brand truck platooning on European roads by 2021.

Truck platooning – when lorries move on motorways in a tightly spaced convoy – for trucks from numerous manufacturers requires exacting networking standards.

ZF’s current portfolio has the technology to enable platooning capabilities, including camera and radar sensors, the ZF ProAI supercomputer, the ReAx electrohydraulic commercial vehicle steering system as well as the transmission system.

[Read more…] about ZF works on European ‘truck platooning’ 

ZF developing autonomous ‘last-mile’ delivery

by

The logistics industry is overtaking the passenger car sector when it comes to the automation of driving functions. ZF is supporting this trend with innovative concepts and major investments.

For example, there are commercial vehicles that are intelligently connected thanks to production-ready ZF technology and equipped with autonomous driving functions capable of independently performing all logistics tasks or assisting package delivery drivers.

Autonomous delivery trucks will make package deliveries along the “last mile” more efficient – which will in the future help to deal with rising delivery volumes while reducing traffic in city centres.

[Read more…] about ZF developing autonomous ‘last-mile’ delivery

ZF launches ‘smooth driving system’ for automated cars

by

ZF’s new fully active chassis system, sMotion, can reduce unwanted car body movements caused by potholes, bumps or bends, claims the company.

An intelligent actuator actively controls individual wheels, capable of adapting suspension movement for each travelling situation and road condition.

sMotion also offers vehicle manufacturers modular scalability as well as component dimensions and interfaces, making it easy to tailor and integrate the system into vehicle designs.

[Read more…] about ZF launches ‘smooth driving system’ for automated cars

ZF and e.Go to start series production of autonomous and electric ‘people mover’ vehicle

by

Automotive components manufacturer ZF and a startup called e.Go Mobile have agreed to start series production of an autonomous and electric “people mover” vehicle.

ZF says it is demonstrating its “multiple systems expertise” as a partner in the newly founded e.GO Moove joint venture.

In addition to other innovations which ZF will show at IAA commercial vehicles event in Hanover this September, the e.GO Mover is part of an entire digital logistics offering including hardware, software and services, highlighting the company’s strategic orientation.  [Read more…] about ZF and e.Go to start series production of autonomous and electric ‘people mover’ vehicle

ZF testing driverless tractors and combine harvesters using new AI computing device

by

ZF, the German company known worldwide for its automotive technology, has launched a new computing device specifically aimed at making combine harvesters, tractors and other farming vehicles more autonomous.

The new device, which features artificial intelligence, is called the “ZF ProAI” processor unit.

The company will be demonstrating the new technology at Agritechnica, an event to showcase agricultural machinery.  [Read more…] about ZF testing driverless tractors and combine harvesters using new AI computing device