Clever and Efficiently to your Destination

Within our industrial business we have to face more and more the new trend towards an increasing digitalization and connectivity, involving all sectors. People and goods want and need to be transported ever “smarter” and more efficiently, thus putting our companies in the situation to face ever more demanding challenges. In ZF, we talk about “Internet of things” to mention a network of devices, transmissions and also vehicles able to collect and exchange data, that is to say to communicate. We are experiencing a revolution involving not only the products but also the way we develop and produce them. The path we want to follow is clear for us and we summarize it in the claim “See – Think – Act”. Our future is getting more and more digital and connected and we cannot ignore this trend; on the contrary we have to take the opportunities which it is offering. In our complex reality it gains more and more importance to see what is happening around us by capturing the situation thanks to cameras, sensors, radar and ultrasound, think at the best possible answer or reaction by means of artificial intelligences and control units which are able to recognize any potential danger to consequently act thanks to our products.
This is the way to develop Intelligent Mechanical Systems and ZF Padova, the company I am Managing Director of, is applying them also to the marine pleasure craft. This is a branch maybe less under the reflector lights than the Automotive Core Business of our German Headquarters, but nevertheless not less demanding. For instance devices allowing you to dock your sail boat as easy as parking your car thanks to joystick maneuvering or to keep your boat in a certain direction despite stream and wind while fishing are making their way. Keeping this in mind we are developing more and more the cooperation between our plant in Padua, whose core business is the Mechanics and our plant in Arco which is growing to a reference center for Mechatronics. The possibility to share our experiences and know-how within the Association definitely represents for all Member companies a huge opportunity to work out best practices to be shared aiming at a “Made in Italy” Excellence to be also exported abroad. I’m pleased to give the floor to Nanni Vitali from Timken for the next issue, so that we will “read” the point of view of a US multinational company.