ZF produces one millionth retarder

[kscarbel2]

Transport Engineer  /  May 4, 2016

ZF has now produced one million of its celebrated commercial vehicle retarders [intarder in ZF speak], originally launched in 1992 to reduce wear on service brakes and ensure safe, fade-free braking.

The system, which integrates with the transmission, was designed to take on up to 90% of all braking duty, without involving the service brake, by making 4,000Nm of braking torque available within one second of activation.

ZF also estimates that its million intarders have to date prevented the emission of around 60,000 tons of brake dust.

“The ZF intarder fulfils several requirements simultaneously: it increases comfort and safety, lowers maintenance costs and improves environmental compatibility,” says Winfried Gründler, head of the truck & van driveline technology business unit in ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Technology division.

The system was originally designed to rapidly decelerate a 38-tonne vehicle by delivering 816bhp of retardation downhill, with cruise control automatically taking over downhill drive and intarder activation

“Thanks to high demand, ZF has been able to almost double production capacity in the last eight years,” continues Gründler.

“After the start of volume production, it took 16 years to reach half a million Intarders in 2008. Just eight years later, we have been able to make the jump to one million.”