ZF, TRW Make Powerhouse Technology Team
In the year since ZF acquired TRW, the two automotive suppliers have combined to flex their complementary technology muscle across a wide range of chassis, safety and driver-assistance systems.
LOCKE TOWNSHIP, MI – If you need evidence of synergies developing between well-known German chassis and transmission supplier ZF Friedrichshafen and TRW, the Michigan-based automotive supplier it acquired in 2015, look no further than the Cadillac CT6 sedan.
At a media event here at a former TRW test track, the combined entity known as the ZF Active and Passive Safety Technology Div. showed off a wide portfolio of products aimed at safety, driver assistance and autonomous driving. The offerings are based on combinations of ZF driveline and chassis systems and TRW braking; body control and steering systems; and safety and driver-assistance electronics.
“With a truly extensive product offering and range of expertise, ZF is uniquely positioned to address the three main pillars of today’s industry focus: efficiency, safety and automated driving,” says Peter Lake, ZF Board of Management member and marketing chief for the ZF Group.
The production CT6 combines TRW’s electrically powered belt-drive steering on the front wheels with ZF’s Active Kinematics Control on the rear wheels to provide seamless all-wheel steering that aids in highway agility and stability as well as low-speed parking and turning radius. The rear wheels turn up to 3.5 degrees, in phase with the front wheels at speeds above 25 mph (40 km/h) and opposite the fronts at lower speeds.
Engineers have since enhanced the production CT6 with a developmental system that links the rear steering and antilock brakes to increase stability on low-traction and mixed-traction surfaces.
On test runs in the CT6, the car consistently shows superior ability to maintain its lane and keep a straight line under braking, despite slippery track conditions. Christoph Elbers, director-chassis technology, says the system cuts stopping distance on mixed-traction surfaces by 23 ft. (7 m).
Taken to the next level in a Ford F-150 development vehicle, the combined steering and braking system works equally well. In addition, the rear wheels articulate up to 12 degrees on the F-150, reducing the turning radius of the 145-in. (3,683-mm) crew cab, short-bed pickup from 48 ft. (14.6 m) to 38.5 ft. (11.7 m), roughly equivalent to the turning radius of the considerably shorter Ford Escape.
Here’s a roundup of some of the latest innovations from ZF TRW:
An improvement on ZF TRW’s pedestrian detection and automatic braking system already available in General Motors vehicles adds bicyclist detection. The camera-based system can detect, identify and anticipate the location of a bicyclist coming into the vehicle’s path and can apply brakes to avoid a collision. The system functions at speeds up to 50 mph (80 km/h). Cyclist detection and automatic braking is necessary to meet 2018 EuroNCAP standards.
An automated emergency steering control that uses radar to detect an obstacle and can automatically steer the vehicle to avoid a collision. Engineers say cameras could be added to allow identification of the obstacle to help the system determine whether to swerve around it, apply brakes or take no action.
Autonomous Driving Developments
An Opel Insignia demonstrating the evolution of adaptive cruise control, dubbed Semi-Autonomous Highway Assist, which adds the ability to automatically change lanes. The driver merely flicks the turn signal stalk to request the action and the vehicle’s cameras and six radars determine distances and handle the steering and speed control necessary to make a safe lane change. The system is capable of reading speed limit signs and adjusting speed accordingly and will feature the ability to read exit signs and stop signs in the future, says Bill Baibak, vehicle validation manager-driver assistance systems. Another intriguing feature on the development vehicle was the ability to adjust the car’s lane-keeping assistance to move from the center of the lane to the lane edge, allowing the car to hug the lane marker when passing a wide vehicle, for instance.
Due in a ’19 model-year pickup truck program is 4-corner Continuous Damping Control, says Joe Lagodzinski, engineering manager. The system uses electronically controlled variable valves in the truck’s dampers to independently manage suspension travel and ride based on road conditions and load.
ZF purchased TRW in 2015 for $12.4 billion and recently acquired a 40% stake in Germany-based LiDAR developer Ibeo Automotive Systems to increase ZF’s capability in autonomous driving, object recognition and accident prevention.
Braking system maker Haldex is the next acquisition on ZF’s horizon. The Swedish company this week accepted a $647 million bid from ZF, pending shareholder approval. Through Haldex’s expertise in brakes for trailers, ZF plans to develop integrated autonomous driving and braking for Class 8 commercial vehicles.
[email protected] @bobgritzinger
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