ZF Commercial / Fast Craft

We are dedicated to the Commercial Marine industry in North America.

Decades of experience in the design and development of marine propulsion systems for commercial and fast craft enable ZF to supply world’s leading propulsion technology.

ZF is supplier of compact, high-performance transmissions, surface drives, azimuth and tunnel thrusters, propellers and control systems. Numerous transmission ratios are available that perfectly match today’s medium- and high-speed diesel engines.

ZF marine propulsion technology is optimally adapted to the requirements of our customers for commercial and fast shipping. Focusing high quality, intelligent design concepts and individual service to ensure minimum downtime and low life cycle costs.

ZF offers robust transmissions with a power range up to 14,000 kW for a variety of commercial applications, such as freighters, tugs, workboats and tankers.

Numerous ratios are available that perfectly match today’s medium-speed diesel engines.

ZF Marine offers a number of transmission mounted PTOs for commercial applications so that additional propulsion power can be transferred to other units, such as fire pumps. Additional drives, such as electric motors, can be integrated with the aid of various Power Take In’s (PTI).

Special features:

Extremely resistant to torsional stresses and robust design of the gear housings. Optimum transmission of driving force.

Propulsion systems for large yachts, fast ferries and vessels for naval, customs and coastguard duties require compact, high-performance transmissions specially configured to meet designer’s requirements.

ZF supplies high-performance transmissions with lightweight, torsion-resistant aluminum alloy housings. Propulsion control systems for the engines and transmissions can be supplied as well.

For the development of transmissions for fast craft, compliance with stringent environmental and technical specifications is ensured in order to meet the requirements of safety, availability and reliability.

Special features:

Designed for extreme operating conditions and Optimum power-to-weight ratio.

With its hybrid transmission portfolio, ZF Marine offers propulsion solutions for a clean and sustainable future through the reduction of emissions, fuel consumption, and costs.

ZF technologies support manufacturers and operators, by helping them to comply with increasingly stringent regulations at sea and at ports.

The electric drive ZF CeTrax enables shipbuilders to pursue a hybrid platform strategy for the driveline with the transmission and electric motor coming from one source. CeTrax is already proven in other applications on land and has been adapted for maritime use in conjunction with powerful hybrid transmissions. The combination of these two innovative technologies in one propulsion system guarantees perfect interaction and optimum power delivery.

Special features:

New and highly flexible transmission series ZF 8000

ZF Marine offers a comprehensive range of azimuth and tunnel thruster solutions for commercial and fast vessels. A power range from 100 kW to 2,000 kW can be matched with either diesel, electric or hydraulic prime movers.

The modular design of the rudder propellers enables a high degree of adaptability to customer requirements. For example, the thrusters can be equipped with an open propeller, counter rotating propellers or with a nozzle.

Each thruster is typically equipped with a control system that enables both steering and propulsion control of the ship

The product portfolio includes:

Transverse thrusters with fixed pitch and controllable pitch propellers. Thruster for shallow waters.