Rapid Prototyping

Mitigate design risk through rapid iteration and prototyping in production materials without sacrificing development speed.

Supply Chain Flexibility

Get on-demand support for line-down emergencies, part recalls, or other supply chain disturbances in your production plants by using automated quoting, rapid tooling, and low-volume production parts.

Quality Inspections

Validate part geometry with several quality documentation options. Digital inspection, PPAP, and FAI reporting are available.

Mass Customization

Implement low-volume manufacturing to enable more diverse and customized automotive features that are tailored to modern drivers.

Tooling and Fixtures

Improve manufacturing processes to create greater automation and streamlined component assembly with custom fixturing.

The renderings show top and bottom views of ZF’s intricate clock spring assembly.

A Front Seat on Driving Innovation with ZF

Steering column control modules now integrate an expanding variety of functions into the steering wheel, offering drivers a host of functions for both safety and convenience. Providing connectivity between all of those helpful buttons and switches and the functions they control—from the turn signals and wipers to cruise control and even heating the steering wheel itself—is the job of the clock spring, a plastic disc about the size of a hockey puck that sits hidden under the steering wheel within the steering column control module. See how digital manufacturing helped reduce product development time for global tech companies Kaito Mould.

Thermoplastics. Choose from hundreds of thermoplastics including PEEK, acetal, or supply your own material. Maintain branding with custom colorants for qualified projects.

Nylons. 3D print functional prototypes in several nylon materials available through selective laser sintering and Multi Jet Fusion. Mineral- and glass-filled nylons improve mechanical properties when needed.

Liquid Silicone Rubber. Silicone rubber materials such as fuel-resistant fluorosilicone can be used for gaskets, seals, and tubing. An optical clarity silicone rubber is also available for lens and lighting applications.

Aluminum. This all-purpose metal used for light-weighting provides excellent strength-to-weight ratio and can be machined or 3D printed.