ZF is a global leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology, combining all relevant technologies for the megatrends of efficiency, safety and automated driving under a single roof. Its supply chain is an important foundation of ZF’s success – a fact that the company acknowledges each year with its Supplier Awards. Romana Moares reports.
As a global leader in driveline and chassis as well as active and passive safety technology, ZF operates in particular in the passenger car and commercial vehicle industry. Alongside transmission systems, units and components, its products in the automotive sector also include chassis systems and components, safety technology, electronics and sensors.
The company has a global workforce of 146,000 with approximately 230 locations in some 40 countries, and with sales of €36.4 billion in 2017 it is one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide. More than six per cent of its turnover is spent on research and development annually – in particular in the development of efficient and electric drivelines and also in striving for a world without accidents. With its broad portfolio, ZF is advancing mobility and services for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and industrial technology applications.
Image source: ZF Friedrichshafen
Strong through partnerships
The company’s suppliers are an integral part of its expanding operation, each being a trustworthy and valued business partner. Each year, ZF honours outstanding suppliers in the ZF Supplier Awards. The 2018 awards were handed out during the ZF Global Supplier Summit, this time dedicated to digitalisation. Seven companies were honoured for their outstanding services in four categories: digitalisation, innovation, production material and non-production material.
During the event, ZF top management gives its strategic suppliers from around the world a look not only at the corporate strategy and new technologies and solutions, but also at the new purchasing and logistics requirements that will emerge from them.
“We are right in the middle of a major transformation in mobility and digital products and services, more than anything else, are accelerating this change,” says ZF Board member Wilhelm Rehm, who, in this function, is also responsible for the company’s materials management. “To realise our vision of a future mobility with zero accidents and zero emissions, we need suppliers by our side as development and innovation partners more than ever.”
In addition to outstanding quality, ZF expects characteristics like internationality, flexibility and reliability from its suppliers.
Image source: ZF Friedrichshafen
Outstanding suppliers
This was the second year that ZF presented a supplier award for the ‘Digitalisation’ category. In 2018 it went to a company in Silicon Valley, Excelfore, which combines the expertise of 75 software engineers with the spirit of a start-up company. The middleware solutions it develops will make the next generation of networked cars possible. ZF is working with Excelfore on the cloud platform eSync, which provides a standardised solution for over-the-air software updates in vehicles and is used in error diagnosis. The expertise of Excelfore has also helped ZF reinforce its market position in the area of occupant safety systems.
The winner of the ‘Innovation’ category is the plastics specialist Oechsler, which supplies ZF worldwide with actuators for electronic parking brakes, and has invested significantly in 3D printing technology in the last few years. Oechsler’s ground-breaking approaches have supported ZF in its efforts to shorten the development times of complex transmissions and housings.
Three suppliers tied as winners in the ‘Production Materials’ category. Iron Force Industrial not only has the expertise to cover ZF’s demand for steel and specific tubes – the Asian company stands out thanks to its flexibility and the rapidity with which it responds to requests. VOIT Automotive GmbH specialises in aluminum die-casting and other forming technologies, and has significantly helped to strengthen ZF’s global production footprint. Last but not least, Shell Deutschland Schmierstoff GmbH, the third winner in this category, is ZF’s main supplier of transmission oil. ZF’s long-term partnership with Shell Deutschland stood out this year particularly due to its competitive prices, cooperation with logistics and close collaboration in developing oil for the fourth 8HP automatic transmission generation.
Image source: ZF Friedrichshafen
Meeting the challenge
The awards for the ‘Non-Production Material’ went to companies based in Tübingen and Atlanta. Paul Horn GmbH has been a reliable partner for cutting tools and tool retrofitting. When optimising life cycles, remanufacturing tools and developing new concepts, the company has always proven its innovativeness and reliability. JAS Worldwide was the ZF Group’s largest sea freight forwarder in 2018 and also an important logistics service provider for air freight, setting standards industry-wide, especially in terms of supply chain transparency.
The continual development of new technology is of crucial importance to ZF. Manufacturers expect innovative products to set their vehicles apart from the competition. Functionalities for better driving dynamics, comfort and safety – as well as fewer individual components and assemblies – are increasingly in demand. ZF’s research and development team is set to meet these challenges with its extensive expertise and clear understanding of the dynamic relationships in the whole vehicle.
Back to Homepage
Back to Transportation
Back to Technology & Innovation