| 27-11-2007
ZF,
a Germany-based component supplier, expects to build more production centers to
cement its presence in China. Well-known in the auto industry for its wide range
of components, ZF supplies transmissions, steering gears and suspension parts
to BMW, Audi, VW, Mercedes Benz, Lamborghini, Porsche and other famous European
vehicle manufacturers. ZF's
entry into China dates back to the early 1980s when several thousand Mercedes
Benz trucks were exported to the oil fields in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region. From 1984 to 1987, ZF started license activities for know-how
transfer of its truck and bus transmissions and steering system, as well as coach
axles to China. They were widely applied in the licensed Steyr and Mercedes trucks
and Norinco's Neoplan coaches. ZF
Drivetech (Suzhou) supplies complete driveline system including steering, transmission,
front and rear axles including suspension system. It is one of the major qualified
system suppliers for super-low floor city buses in China's Nanjing, Shanghai and
Hangzhou. Furthermore, ZF's transmissions and axles are widely used in high-performance
long-distance coaches throughout China. On the construction front, Liuzhou ZF
joint venture supplies key wheel loader manufacturers with power shift transmissions
and axles. In
other applications, ZF components enjoy dominant market shares in China for marine
transmissions especially for passenger ferries and customs patrol crafts, concrete
mixer drives and elevator drives. Similarly, ZF Sachs companies in Shanghai supply
the shock absorbers, clutches and torque convectors for automatic transmissions.
One of the few neutral suppliers to the automotive industry worldwide, ZF keeps
its leading position in the industry by updating technology, not only in product
design but also in materials, electronics and production techniques.
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