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Tag: ZF

Transport Orchestration Platform with new Capabilities

Posted on by David Priestman

As the transportation industry evolves, software solutions are becoming increasingly critical in managing complex logistic systems. By integrating ZF’s deep expertise in vehicle systems into the development of its software solutions, ZF’s AI-powered orchestration platform SCALAR can help fleet managers optimize their fleet operations through predictive diagnostics and avoid unplanned downtime of their vehicles.

Unlike traditional fleet management tools, SCALAR offers a comprehensive approach that takes fleet management to the next level. Fleet managers benefit from being able to access real-time data and predictive analytics so that they can optimize the movement of their vehicles, trailers, and drivers.

Ensuring software is kept up to date

With the introduction of cybersecurity regulation UNECE R156, vehicle manufacturers are required to follow a standardized approach for software updates, authorizations and management. To help OEMs comply with the SUMS (Software Update Management System) regulations efficiently, ZF has introduced a new secure and efficient service through SCALAR. Its cloud-based SUMS as a Service (SUMSaaS) function manages the software updates for commercial vehicles, as well as for individual vehicle system or component, and makes them available for authorization. Additionally, it also keeps accurate records throughout the vehicle’s entire lifecycle. SCALAR SUMSaaS ensures that vehicle software can be updated securely, efficiently and effectively to fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities as well as add new features while maintaining compliance with processes as stipulated by UNECE R156.

The SCALAR Trailer Software as a Service solution helps maximize uptime and performance while reducing costs for the whole trailer ecosystem, including trailer builders, rental companies, and fleets.

By connecting to ZF EBS-connected and TPMS-ready trailers, it enables a detailed remote assessment of the trailer’s technical health status. Beyond the collection of track and trace information, the service also supports fleets in optimizing fuel efficiency and avoid unplanned downtimes with wheel-end monitoring including tyre-pressure and tyre-temperature. Furthermore, it enables trailer builders to improve trailer design and customer service, creating a closer connection with their fleet customers.

Service time module enhances compliance

The service time module in the SCALAR dashboard helps fleets transition to digital systems, ensuring compliance with the mandatory upgrade from Smart Tachograph Gen 1 to Gen 2. This platform visualizes drivers’ service times, analyzes service options and assists with payroll administration as well as salary calculations. Additionally, SCALAR supports data downloads from all leading tachograph manufacturers, including the upcoming ZF Smart Tachograph.

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Fleet Connectivity for Commercial Vehicles

 

Electrification for Trailers

Posted on by David Priestman

ZF’s latest version of its pioneering concept to electrify the trailer will be on show at the NUFAM commercial vehicles trade show in Karlsruhe (Germany). The ZF electrified trailer solution is made possible by integrating ZF’s AxTrax 2 electric axle with a modular battery system box for recuperation and traction support. Thanks to its ability to recuperate energy from braking, the system can effectively convert a heavy-duty diesel truck into a hybrid vehicle, generating up to 16 percent fuel and CO2 savings, while the optional plug-in variant can save up to 40 percent. The trailer also provides benefits for zero-emissions electrified heavy trucks by extending their range.

ZF’s electrified trailer concept is gaining traction as interest from the industry grows. Bringing the benefits of electrified trailers to fleet operators took a step closer as ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions (CVS) division announced that it will cooperate with BPW to offer a fully integrated running gear system for trailer builders including ZF’s AxTrax 2 electric axle. Kässbohrer and Krone, two leading trailer manufacturers will also start to implement ZF´s pioneering electrification system into their platforms. This announcement will see the companies start the process of integrating ZF’s pioneering electrified trailer technologies into their range of products.

“Electrification for trailers is an innovative solution to decarbonize road freight transport in the very near future,” said Dr. Bernd Meurer, responsible for the electric trailer program at ZF. “Instead of solely being pulled by the truck, the new approach provides additional traction while generating fuel savings, reducing CO2 emissions and improving sustainability.

“The fact that industry leaders are embracing our system demonstrates that we have taken the right concept approach in developing a lightweight and modular system that can be adapted to suit the diverse requirements and various applications of manufacturers and fleet operators.”

Thore Bakker, General Manager Business Unit Trailer Solutions & Mobility Services at BPW said: “Every trailer needs a chassis, suspension and braking technology that can be trusted. With our axles for 7.5t trucks and the generator axles for reefers, we already have a lot of experience regarding the integration of electric drives. It therefore makes perfect sense that ZF, with expertise in drivelines, cooperates with BPW to offer a robust and highly engineered running gear solution with the AxTrax 2 axle for recuperation and traction support for semitrailers that can be easily assembled by trailer builders and is fully trusted by the fleets.”

İffet Türken, Kässbohrer Board Member said: “Together to the next 125 years”, we highlight the importance of a wide ecosystem of innovation and partnerships to advance the trailer industry towards sustainability. We support our industry with longer and heavier vehicles, our award winning intermodal product range and our already tested electrified reefers. We are committed to invest our proven innovation capability, engineering competence to advance the technical integration challenges of the new system safely and efficiently. We look forward to our cooperation with ZF and all our partners furthering electrification application to include all sectors of transport business.”

Dr. Stefan Binnewies, Board Member of the Krone Group, said: “ZF and Krone share similar attributes like commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovative technology. Very early on, Krone investigated and invested in possible options for trailers to provide electrified traction support as a way towards meeting decarbonization targets of road transport. We are happy to see that well-established partners of the industry like ZF and BPW team up to support the transformation to more sustainable logistics by offering innovative solutions that we as trailer OEMs can integrate into our Trailer Systems. At Krone we are convinced that we can only meet the challenges of the future together – generating the best solutions for our customers.”

With this announcement, customers will be able to draw on ZF’s leading expertise in combining brake control and electrification systems with innovative technologies, such as the AxTrax 2 electrified axle system which enables recuperation and traction support to deliver up to 210 kW continuous power and 26,000 Nm of peak output of seamless torque.

The ZF system has been designed as a highly integrated solution enabling manufacturers to combine electrified technologies into their own trailer platforms more easily. The system takes advantage of braking energy recuperation to recharge the batteries to generate 16% fuel and CO2 savings, while the Plug-in Hybrid version can achieve 40% when combined with an ICE-powered truck.
ZF’s electrified trailer solution is designed to meet future standards and comply with national and regional regulations. The first electric trailers are expected to be operating on EU roads, once regularity classification has been received.

Fleet Connectivity for Commercial Vehicles

Posted on by David Priestman

To advance next generation fleet connectivity for commercial vehicles ZF, today. announced that it has acquired intellic Germany GmbH, a Berlin-based advanced tachograph technology company with 20 employees. The acquisition further consolidates ZF’s unique capability to supply innovative solutions across the entire commercial vehicle transport value chain, reinforcing its innovation leadership in road transportation, orchestration and infrastructure optimization. Building on ZF’s ‘Next Generation Mobility’ strategy, the move represents a significant step towards realizing its ambitions to enable Transportation as a Service (TaaS).

“Incorporating Intellic’s smart tachograph technology within our telematics portfolio further advances ZF’s leading position as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for commercial vehicle manufacturers, fleets and industry partners,” said Hjalmar Van Raemdonck, Head of Digital Systems Solutions in ZF’s division Commercial Vehicle Solutions. “As a uniquely regulated and trusted data center, smart tachographs will have an increasingly important role to play in the road transportation ecosystem.”

“Leveraging the data integrity of smart tachographs will open opportunities in logistics, infrastructure optimization and build on ZF’s recent launch of its SCALAR digital fleet orchestration platform,” added Van Raemdonck. As the “black box” of the vehicle, verified data will include the entry of local times, precise real-time clocking, secure Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and an Intelligent Traffic System interface (ITS).

Enabling a “Connectivity Hub,” it is envisioned that a single, certified box will be able to reliably and accurately collect and relay data from a wide range of vehicle sensors and data sources including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and EBS signals.

With the potential to deliver significant added value to fleet customers, ZF is well positioned to become a full digital service provider by providing a complete system with clear, measurable, verified data. This includes displaying remaining drive time limits to ensure regulatory compliance. Offering all the digital software and hardware solutions that fleets need from a single source, ZF will integrate future-proof capabilities with software updates over-the-air, in the same way as updates for the tachograph such as driving and resting times. Adding value for manufacturers, ZF’s tachograph capabilities offer a simple solution to integrate speed, driving and resting time data to their vehicle dashboards.

The integration of trusted smart tachograph data with ZF’s recently launched SCALAR fleet orchestration platform will enable more efficient routing, dispatching and driver scheduling to help significantly enhance fleet efficiency. From 2023, the smart tachograph will become the central trusted device in the commercial vehicle sector in Europe. By third quarter 2023, manufacturers in Europe will be required to install next generation smart tachographs in new vehicles and, by the end of 2024, they will replace analogue tachographs altogether.

ZF is a global technology company supplying systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology, enabling the next generation of mobility. ZF allows vehicles to see, think and act. In the four technology domains of Vehicle Motion Control, Integrated Safety, Automated Driving, and Electric Mobility, ZF offers comprehensive product and software solutions for established vehicle manufacturers and newly emerging transport and mobility service providers. ZF electrifies a wide range of vehicle types. With its products, the company contributes to reducing emissions, protecting the climate and enhancing safe mobility.

With some 157,500 employees worldwide, ZF reported sales of €38.3 billion in fiscal 2021. The company operates 188 production locations in 31 countries.

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