ZF wins first order for innovative brake actuator platform European CV maker

A leading commercial vehicle OEM in Europe has become the first customer to adopt ZF’s new brake actuator platform on its range of medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses.

Using a platform approach for the first time, ZF’s fourth-generation brake actuator technology offers significant safety and cost efficiency benefits for CV manufacturers. ZF has already signed a long-term agreement with the European OEM to equip its CV products with ZF’s latest brake chamber range.

“Delivering the highest safety and quality standards, our new brake actuator platform provides significant performance and efficiency advantages for OEMs, including cost and variant reduction. Securing our first customer award from a leading OEM is clear validation of our approach,” said Nick Rens, EVP, President EMEA with ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Control Systems division. “Having sold more than 70 million brake actuators worldwide, this innovation will further build on our global market leadership position as a trusted OEM partner with almost four decades’ mastery of brake actuation technology.”

“Our new brake actuator platform is a powerful example of how ZF creatively innovates core products to enhance them for customers,” added Rens.

Design builds on Wabco’s brake actuation tech
Providing value-added differentiation for OEMs world-wide, ZF’s brake chamber range with innovative platform approach supports all types of trucks, buses and trailers. The redesign builds on WABCO’s proven brake actuation technology with a rigorous focus on design-to-cost.

Offering OEMs significant cost savings, the platform enables economies of scale through standardisation. This includes a reduction of variants by up to 27% and by up to 23% fewer parts as well as associated maintenance cost savings. Requiring less space and offering greater mounting flexibility, component sizes and weights have also been lowered. Further maximising cost effectiveness, the enhanced quality and robustness of the technology helps improve reliability and contributes to optimised vehicle uptime.