At Agritechnica in Hanover, ZF showed its latest product highlights. As the technological leader, ZF is continuously working on the expansion of its range of products. The power density of the new products has again been increased and the gear spread extended. This means that vehicles with ZF components work even more efficiently and more economically. Also, the increased demands from users and vehicle manufacturers within the framework of the new emission directives are taken into account, in particular with regard to Tier 4 Final.
Best Choice Strategy
With the "Best Choice" strategy, ZF is working to the objective of always offering suitable driveline technology for the relevant requirement for construction and agricultural machines and for material handling equipment. Put briefly, Best Choice says: As much high tech as necessary, as much economy as possible. Three technology levels – Basic Line, High Line and Premium Line – open up the necessary leeway during the selection of the suitable ZF products for the driveline. Additional flexibility is obtained through the modular construction of the ZF products.
Representative for the products of the Basic Line are aspects such as local development, production and application, technical equipment with basic functions, a robust design and reliable quality with engineering which has been well proven on the market.
On the other hand, transmissions and axles in the Premium Line are high tech products for the international market which are developed centrally and which exhibit the highest performance and efficiency with high tech equipment. They are produced in Germany to the highest quality and process standards.
Products in the High Line technical level offer the customer many options for the technical features. They combine the advantages of the Basic and Premium Lines and therefore can achieve the best ratio of performance and economy for the relevant application.
New TERRAPOWER transaxle TPT 20
With a total of eight models, the new TPT range (TERRAPOWER Transaxle) covers power levels from 65 to 320 hp.
The exhibited TPT 20 transaxle covers the central power range between 180 and 210 engine horsepower and facilitates the design of vehicles with a maximum permissible total weight of 12.5 t and a maximum driving speed of 50 km/h. Special variants of the TPT 20 are available for the driving speed range of up to 40 km/h so this can be covered without compromising the towing power or gear gradation. There is a choice of other variants, for example with mechanical shift or on request IRS, so that an ideal driveline solution can be found for any vehicle design through a suitable combination of the variants available.
Apart from the TPT 20, with the shift transmissions further new transmissions will soon be going into large-scale production – e.g. the TPT 11 and the TPT 16.
New TERRAMATIC transmissions
Now that the power range has been expanded at the bottom end with the new transaxles TMT 09 and TMT 11, the product range for standard tractors is also being extended upwards through to 450 hp. The TERRAMATIC transmission TMG 45, a further development of the ECCOM 3.0, is characterized by a higher power density and a further improved efficiency. In the familiar configuration the new hydrostats are used in the oblique disc/oblique axle designs and the modules from the ECCOM kit are employed.
Along with the two small and the large TMT transaxles soon further TERRAMATIC transmissions will go into large-scale production. For example, several prototypes of the TMT 16, TMT 18 and TMT 32 have already been built and vehicles with these transmissions could be seen at Agritechnica.
The ZF Efficiency Package for agricultural machines
ZF optimizes tractor transaxles with the option Efficiency Package. With this package of measures ZF bundles its expertise from the transmission, axle and software development, thereby offering more than the sum of the constituent parts. In this way the often conflicting requirements on the components can be harmonized, such as for more comfort, higher productivity, less consumption and reduced wear at steady cost.
Electrical single-wheel drive
At Agritechnica, ZF presented for the first time an electrical single-wheel drive for agricultural applications. The scope of deployment for this novel driveline design is wide ranging. Electrically driven axle systems for trailers and slurry tankers as well as electrically driven stabilizer wheels for ploughs are just some examples of this.
Due to the sharing of the drive power between the tractor and trailer or attachment there are substantial advantages in difficult driving situations, e.g. with movement across a slope. The highly dynamically controlled traction support from the electrical drive facilitates working under arduous conditions. Consequently, cultivation of the fields during adverse weather conditions with softened ground is possible. The time frames available to the farmer for field work are therefore significantly lengthened.
The electrical drive is provided by a fluid-cooled three-phase asynchronous motor with a high power density and a following transmission stage. The motor is integrated in the wheel hub unit to save space. The system can also be optionally fitted with a wheel brake.
