Focus on increasing buses’ uptime: ZF Health Check for EcoLife transmission launched  

ZF has just launched ZF Health Check, adapted to ZF EcoLife automatic transmission. It marks ZF’s entry into remote diagnostics for bus fleets. Based on live read data from the driving operations, an individualized maintenance plan can be created that is tailored to the actual condition of the transmission. It has been unveiled at UITP Summit 2023.

Fault diagnostics are possible via digital remote access, so that unnecessary workshop visits can be avoided and operating times increased.

In a few words, the Health Check platform provides the fleet manager with a continuous insight into the operating data of the ZF EcoLife transmission. Thanks to the remote reading of the transmission data and the automated monitoring report, workshop visits and service intervals can be better scheduled, ZF strengthens.

ZF Health Check launched

ZF Health Check is available immediately to users of the ZF Bus Connect fleet telematics solution. The group is currently planning the integration of additional components into Health Check. In addition to Health Check, ZF Bus Connect offers numerous functions for operational optimization of bus fleets, such as a live view of the entire vehicle fleet, insight into optimization potential with regard to fuel/energy consumption, driver behavior, or wear and tear of technical components (e.g. brakes).

Launched in 2021, fleet management system ZF Bus Connect has expanded to Australia, Hungary, and the UK. In Hungary, it optimizes electric buses’ operations for a bus manufacturer. In the UK, it aids a battery-electric vehicle drivetrain manufacturer with remote diagnostics and battery health checks. The platform provides real-time tracking, fuel analysis, and condition monitoring, boosting operational performance and reducing costs.

The ZF health Check is a new digital service concept from ZF Aftermarket 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 individualized service-relevant insights are determined, the group explains. In turn, those insights result in meaningful recommendations for action for the bus operator, or for his service company.

Even if the bus has to go to the workshop, downtime is minimized 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.

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.”