ZF AS Tronic Celebrates 10 Years Development of Automatic Transmissions for Commercial Vehicles

Working in cooperation with Iveco, ZF developed the first automatic transmission for heavy-duty commercial vehicles 10 years ago. Ever since, the ZF AS Tronic has been taking the work out of shifting gears for truck drivers all over the world. Today, ZF supplies a full range of automatic transmission systems for a wide variety of commercial vehicle applications.

"Automatic transmission systems have become a mainstay in the world of heavy commercial vehicles," says Rolf Lutz, in charge of the ZF Commercial Vehicle Driveline Technology unit. "The development of the ZF AS Tronic represents a milestone in driveline engineering for trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles." Working in cooperation with Iveco, ZF launched the first automatic transmission designed for commercial vehicles in June 1997. Based on a manual commercial vehicle transmission with a dry clutch, the AS Tronic automatic significantly enhances operating efficiency compared to other automatic transmissions. The AS Tronic is the first transmission to efficiently transfer the extremely high input torque levels required for heavy-duty vehicles.

Continuously advanced over the years, AS Tronic transmissions are now installed in 230,000 vehicles worldwide. Along with ZF engineering partner Iveco, a number of major commercial vehicle manufacturers including MAN and DAF rely on the AS Tronic automatic transmission system.

Economy in fleet operations is the key to success for the AS Tronic. In addition to a high level of operating efficiency, the automatic transmission's electronic control system offers fuel-saving advantages by keeping the engine speed within an optimum range. This ensures efficient power transfer to the drive axles and significantly improves fuel economy. The intelligent electronics also save fuel by compensating for operator errors. Safe and economical operation is guaranteed, even with inexperienced drivers behind the wheel. By eliminating manual shifting and clutch operations, the AS Tronic eliminates clutch release shock, safeguards the payload, and reduces wear and tear on the vehicle driveline.

Shortly after it was introduced in the commercial vehicle market, the AS Tronic proved effective in other segments. In addition to light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles, some 12,000 ZF AS Tronic transmissions are currently installed in travel coaches. Another 3,000 are used in mobile crane vehicles. Based on the AS Tronic, the ZF-AS Rail transmission is designed for use in rail vehicles. This solution is more efficient and less expensive than the hydrodynamic transmissions commonly used in this vehicle segment.

In 2005, ZF launched series production of a full line of AS Tronic automatic transmissions designed for light- and medium-duty delivery vehicles. ZF engineered the AS Tronic mid and AS Tronic lite commercial vehicle transmissions to cover torque requirements ranging from 600 to 2,700 Nm. For heavy-duty applications exceeding this torque range, i.e. for mobile cranes and construction vehicles, ZF produces the TC Tronic automatic transmission system equipped with a torque converter. ZF also supplies the eTronic automatic transmission system for vans. The ZF product portfolio thus offers the advantages of automatic shifting for virtually all commercial vehicle models.

The ZF AS Tronic is ready for the future of hybrid drivelines for commercial vehicles. For example, a ZF concept that combines the AS Tronic lite with a hybrid module further improves fuel economy – especially in stop & go traffic – and offers additional driver advantages thanks to the inching-speed function and simplified operation for parking maneuvers.

Source: ZF

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