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ZF sets up industrial gearbox business
Published:  09 June, 2016

The German engineering giant, ZF, best-known as an automotive supplier, has set up an industrial drives business based on the large gearbox operation of Bosch Rexroth which is acquired last December. The ZF Industrieantriebe business, which employs 900 people in Germany and China, made its public debut at the recent Hannover Fair. The business will supply modular drive, winch and swing gearboxes for industrial applications and mobile machines.

At the fair, ZF was also highlighting its “intelligent” gearbox technology for wind turbines rated up to 8MW. The gearboxes use advanced sensors and data processing to extend their lives and to plan their maintenance more precisely. For example, they use dynamic load monitoring to detect actual drivetrain loads and thus to identify potential load-reduction opportunities to extend component lifetimes. Active torque control helps to optimise turbine operation in less stressful operating modes.

ZF's “smart” gearboxes are intended to cut wind turbine maintenance costs and to extend component lives