ZF Health Check by ZF Aftermarket increases the uptime of buses on the road

Date: Monday 12 June 2023

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With its ZF Health Check, ZF makes the "Next Generation Aftermarket" accessible to users of its automatic transmission for buses. Based on live read data from the driving operations, an individualised maintenance plan can be created that is tailored to the actual condition of the transmission. Fault diagnostics are possible via digital remote access, so that unnecessary workshop visits can be avoided and operating times increased.

Public transport plays a key part in the sustainable transformation of the transport sector. To maximise their positive impact, as well as to ensure the best service quality for passengers, buses must spend as much time as possible on the road and as little as necessary in the workshop.

A new digital service concept from ZF Aftermarket helps with these challenges: the ZF Health Check is specially adapted to the ZF EcoLife automatic transmission, which is used by transport operators worldwide in city buses and regular-service buses. The solution uses numerous types of sensor data registered in the transmission system during vehicle operations – for example, engine speed, gear step, oil temperature, oil pressure, etc. These data are frequently transferred over-the-air to a dedicated advanced analytics service operating in the ZF Cloud, where individualised service-relevant insights are determined. In turn, those insights result in meaningful recommendations for action for the bus operator, or for his service company.

For example, the operator can make the best possible use of the service life of transmission oil, because the oil is not changed at a predefined mileage which could be too early. The bus thus stays on the road longer, and availability (uptime) increases. Even if the bus has to go to the workshop, downtime is minimised because spare parts or materials can be provided in advance thanks to the available vehicle data. The necessary working time can also be better planned. And if the company's own workshop cannot find the fault, the fleet operator can call in external service experts and give them access to the Health Check portal.

Another advantage is that bus fleet operators receive early warnings of impending breakdowns. This is because damage does not usually occur suddenly, but rather can be anticipated – for example, by deviations in oil pressure or temperature. If the operator then takes the vehicle in question to the workshop, not only is the repair often less expensive because no consequential damage has yet occurred, but the problems associated with a breakdown are also eliminated –such as further transport of the passengers, use of a replacement bus, or taking the broken-down vehicle to the workshop. No less important than the concrete technical advantages is the confidence and security that the ZF Health Check gives operators.

Philippe Colpron, Head of ZF Aftermarket comments:

“With ZF EcoLife we already enable hundreds of bus operators around the globe to perform more efficiently. With our ZF Health Check offering, leveraging remote vehicle data access and predictive analytics, we can now accompany our fleet customers even one step further towards zero downtime and paving the way for a sustainable aftermarket.”

ZF Health Check is available immediately to users of the ZF Bus Connect Premium fleet telematics solution. ZF is currently planning the integration of additional components into Health Check. In addition to Health Check, ZF Bus Connect offers numerous functions for operational optimisation of bus fleets such as a live view of the entire vehicle fleet, insight into optimisation potential with regard to fuel/energy consumption, driver behaviour, or wear and tear of technical components (e.g. brakes). It generates reports on compliance or as a basis for tax-related proofs in public transport.

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