ZF Steering Gear: PTC Creo Inside India’s Automobiles

By GEOFF HEDGES | Published: NOV 26, 2013

ZF Steering Technically Supported by Adroitec Engineering Solutions Pvt Ltd on PTC's Solutions

If you’re familiar with hydraulics, you might already know about vane pumps. Patented in 1874, a vane pump mechanically spins a rotor (2), which moves vanes (or pushrods) that slide in and out of the rotor (3) in a body (1) as it turns. That motion creates a vacuum so that fluid is drawn into the empty spaces in the body. In the same motion, the rotor and vanes move the fluid to the outlet.

Engineers choose this type of pump when they want to ensure that fluid flows out in a steady stream, no matter how the pressure on the incoming liquid varies.

You find vane pumps in everything from coffee machines to aircraft flight instruments. But they’re most commonly found in automobiles and commercial vehicles, especially in the power steering. Vane pumps are driven off the car’s engine to create the pressure that allows a hydraulic cylinder to turn a vehicle’s road wheels.

As such, vane pumps are an important product for ZF Steering Gear (India), a company that calls itself “a pioneer in manufacture and supply of integral hydraulic power steering system.”

According to ZF Steering Gear’s website, a hydraulic steering system does more than make it easy to turn the wheels. It contributes to your safety and comfort as well. For example, a steering system can smooth out a drive over rough terrain and give you more control on the road. 

ZF Steering Gear uses PTC Creo to create its lightweight, compact pumps that are easy to adapt and mount. The company’s pumps must consume as little power as possible, work with variable intake pressure, and always supply a near constant oil flow, no matter the engine speed. Using vane pumps as part of a hydraulic system can also help save fuel, typically between 20% to 40%.

To make engineering more challenging, all those requirements may change from OEM to OEM. You’ll find ZF Steering Gear in dozens of the most popular commercial vehicles and car models in India, including names like:

• Ashok Leyland Ltd.
• Daimler India Ltd
• MAN-Force Trucks Pvt Ltd.
• Tata Motors Ltd.
• TAFE (Eicher Tractors Ltd.)
• Volvo India Pvt. Ltd.

You’ll also find them in Nepal, the Middle East, South Africa, and Bangladesh, in SUVs, off-road vehicles, heavy commercial vehicles, and numerous other applications.

PTC Creo ensures that ZF Steering Gear meets all these challenges with  state-of-the-art productivity tools that promote best practices in design while ensuring compliance within its industry and company standards.

To find out more about how PTC and PTC Creo is participating in India’s fast-growing economy, click here. To learn more about ZF Steering Gear India, and its commitment to innovating the future of automobiles in that country, check out this news report.

REF - See more at: http://creo.ptc.com/2013/11/26/zf-steering-gear-ptc-creo-inside-indias-automobiles/#sthash.b8lDnwcO.dpuf
ZF Steering Technically Supported by Adroitec Engineering Solutions Pvt Ltd on PTC's Solutions