Whether it is a Ross, a Gemmer, an electric or active steering system; whether Servotronic or Servocomtronic: For decades, steering system engineers

have been focusing on driving dynamics, increased comfort and safety, as well as reduced fuel consumption as primary development goals.
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The Joy of Steering a Car

5 7 1 New ZF active steering system in the BMW 3, 5, and 6 Series. 2 ZF active steering system. 3 ZF-Servotronic, erste geschwindigkeitsabhngige Hydrolenkung 3 ZF-Servotronic, first speed-dependent hydraulic steering system. 4 Wanderer W 11 with ZF-Ross steering system, 1932. 5 Since 1932: Steering systems manufactured by ZF. 6 The steering worm is a component of the ZF-Ross and the ZF-Gemmer steering systems. 7 Audi is one of the first customers buying ZF steering systems; Audi Front UW 1933 with ZF-Ross steering system.

The ZF Active Steering System is the latest highlight from the development departments of ZF Lenksysteme GmbH. The special feature of this system is that its superimposed transmission is controlled by software and sensors. Via an electric motor, it can act on the steering system as required by the situation given and independent of the driver. As a result, the effective steering angle on the wheels is greater or smaller than if
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speed. Realization of this actually simple idea is based on consistent utilization of modern electronics and decades of experience with hydraulic steering or rack-and-pinion power steering. Over the years, a system has been developed which to date has been built more than 3.6 million times and has been sold to numerous automobile manufacturers. Already in the early days of automobile making, the attention of engineers is particularly attracted by steering issues. It is true that the transition from the carriage or coach to the motorcar does in some areas permit evolution. However, changing direction using a pole and a pivoted bogie proves to be not only tiring but also unstable. Only when recourse is taken to the knuckle-pin steering system invented by the carriage builder Georg Lankensberger in Munich in 1816 does this result in a lasting design principle according to which not the entire front axle but each front wheel is separately swiveled.

set on the steering wheel by the driver. The new system not only ensures more safety in emergency cases but also increased driving dynamics and comfort. Automobile journalists are impressed by precisely this combination of features. Attributes used to describe the ZF Active Steering System are: intelligent, safe, dynamic, and well thought-out. In the mid-80s, an auto magazine refers to a ZF steering system as a high-tech product: The Servotronic is the nucleus of a revolutionary steering system. To this very day, the Servotronic has been offering precisely what the driver wants: Servo-assisted steering which not only permits effortless parking but also safe driving at high speeds because the steering force is continuously increased as the vehicle gathers

steering systems, the active steering system is but the latest example from a multitude of innovations. In hydraulic power steer8

motor of an electric power steering system generates the additional power, which is transferred as torque via for example a worm gear to the steering column or a pinion. This technology greatly facilitates design and assembly and also permits an even higher level of integration of the steering system into the vehicle information and control network. First-time volume production installation of the electric steering systems by ZF Lenksysteme, installed in the VW Touran and the Audi A3 since 2003, not only help the driver save money but also ensure effortless steering. Reason: Steering assistance is only active as long as power is required.

ing systems, the hydraulic installation changes the oil pressure in the steering cylinder in relation to the steering torque and thus assists the muscular effort of the driver. The steering cylinder transforms the oil pressure into auxiliary forces which act on the steering rack. The main difference between electrohydraulic power steering systems and purely hydraulic systems is due to the fact that the mechanically driven steering pump is replaced by a hydraulic pump powered by an electric motor. Thanks to this power pack, steering assistance can be adapted to the vehicle. In contrast to a hydraulic power steering system, the electric

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8 Borgward Isabella assembly line in 1953, installation of the ZFGemmer steering system.

9 ZF hydraulic steering production since 1953.

10 Installed ZF-Gemmer steering system, 1963.

11 The legendary NSU Ro 80, equipped with a hydraulic power steering assistance by ZF.

12 As of 1973: Manufacture of ZF rack-and-pinion steering and rack-and-pinion power steering systems.

13 ZF-Servolectric an electric power steering system.

14 The new models from the Golf platform of the VW Group (VW Golf, Audi A3,

VW Touran, etc.), equipped with the ZF-Servolectric.

The steering gear, which drives the steering trapeze and simultaneously limits the steering forces, is one of the most important components of the knuckle-pin steering systems still commonly used today. In the early 20th century, three steering gear types prevail as standard designs in the automobile industry: Screw-and-nut steering, worm-segment steering and, last but not least, rack-and-pinion steering. The rack-and-pinion steering system transfers the steering-wheel motion via the steering spindle and a pinion directly to the steering rack, which together with the tie rod connects the two front wheels. A turn of the drive pinion causes a lateral motion of the steering rack. This motion is transferred
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tages for the manufacturer: Good steering behavior and significantly reduced space requirements. Over the years, numerous special designs evolve from the basic designs. Some of them have in the meantime fallen into oblivion. Already in 1932, ZF relies on a production license for a 1-pin steering system from Ross Gear and Tool Inc., an American company. This Ross steering system features a fixed later also roller-bearing-supported steering finger which meshes with the thread of the steering worm and causes the lateral motion of the steering knuckle. The ZF-produced Ross steering system is widely accepted, which is reflected by the list of customers of the 30s, which includes illustrious names such as Wanderer, Horch,

Audi, Maybach, and Daimler-Benz. Also on the list are makes less known today, such as Austro Fiat, Vomag, or Stwer. Another stage of development in the history of steering also ensues from a US license acquired by ZF. An agreement signed with the Gemmer Manufacturing Comp., Detroit, in 1953 results in an exchange of experience gained with worm-and-roller steering systems and for the first time also with hydraulic power steering systems, the forerunners of the power steering systems, which have since then been continuously further developed by ZF. In the history of steering systems, which progressed from purely mechanical steering through hydraulically assisted steering to electrohydraulic and electric power
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to the steering linkage and causes the swiveling motion of the wheels. Advan-

During straight-ahead driving, the unit is inactive and no energy is consumed. Compared to permanently active hydraulic systems, this unit helps to save as much as 0.25 l of fuel per 100 km. Apart from saving fuel, the Servolectric offers a number of additional advantages. Except for the power-steering unit, there are no other assemblies. Steering valve, steering pump, oil reservoir, and high pressure hoses are not needed. This saves weight and facilitates installation. Steering torque and speed are registered by sensors as soon as the driver performs a steering motion. The values registered are transmitted as an electric signal to the control unit. The control unit calculates the steering assistance required and controls the servomotor. The motor transmits the torque pro-

duced to the mechanical rack-and-pinion steering via a worm gear or a ball-and-nut steering gear. Especially professional drivers and truckers appreciate the ease associated with precisely working steering assistance. For this reason, the innovative focus at ZF Lenksysteme is on steering systems for commercial vehicles as well as passenger cars. Numerous reciprocal development impulses are generated in this innovative process, in spite of the differences in size. Steering systems developed for buses and trucks have a stimulating effect on systems developed for construction machinery or special vehicles as a glance back shows.
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15 N 912 Auwrter airfield shuttle bus with ZF 8065 ball-and-nut power steering system.

16 ZF ball-and-nut power steering system for commercial vehicles.

17 ZF-Servocom, the compact CV steering system.

18 Liebherr mobile telescopic crane with ZF 7212 semi-integral power steering gear.

19 Logo ZF Lenksysteme GmbH, since 1999 a joint venture in which each company, the

Robert Bosch GmbH and ZF Friedrichshafen AG, holds 50 % of the shares.

20 Height-adjustable and tiltable steering column for commercial vehicles.

21 The MAN TG-A equipped with a ZF steering column.

22 Steering column for Jaguar: Example for a passenger car steering column.

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right position for each driver so that in case of driver change, there is no need for complicated re-adjustment. This technology was originally developed for passenger

its zero play and maintenance and low adjustment forces. A ball telescopic shaft between steering column and steering guarantees zero play and low adjustment forces. Innovations of this kind as well as well thought-out modular systems for particularly efficient production regularly result from close cooperation with customers from the automotive industry. Hightech simulation facilities and a broad knowledge base ensure rapid implementation for the generation of additional driver benefits.

The know-how of ZF relating to independent suspension was acquired in the bus sector and further developed, which
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cars and later adapted by ZF for commercial vehicles. To improve ergonomics in the drivers cab, ZF develops a steeringcolumn system which can be optimally adapted to each drivers posture. This steering-column module permits continuous adjustment of height and tilt of the steering wheel. The positioning system can be unlocked by the drivers left heel via a pneumatically operated switch underneath the drivers seat. Through the use of a constant-velocity joint (double joint) newly developed for this application, nearly effortless adjustment for the entire tilt range is achieved. The system is also known for

resulted in the worldwide first rackand-pinion power steering for trucks and buses. In the design of steering columns, the mediators between the steering wheel and the steering mechanism, the engineers have succeeded in achieving a higher level of comfort for the driver. The adjustable steering column guarantees relaxed and non-fatiguing driving thanks to optimal ergonomics. A memory stores the

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City of Ulm, 1957: Kssbohrer Setra S 10 equipped with ZF-Gemmer steering system and ZF S 5-33 Synchroma transmission.