ZF Lemforder was founded in 1915 and established in Australia in 2005. They have a turnover of €12.5 billion world-wide and AUD$200 million for it’s Australian division. With 61,000 employees around the world with 110 in Adelaide; and 125 sites in 26 countries, you get the impression that this company is big.

With ZF’s main priority being to meet it’s customers’ needs by using leading technology, quality and service - they researched thoroughly before deciding to purchase their KUKA robots for their Australian operation. Shaun Bennetts, Engineering Manager said when ZF purchased two KUKA KR240-2, one KUKA KR240L180-2 and one KUKA KR180-2 for Australia, the choice between competitor machines came down to “suitability to overall requirements, KUKA’s performance, reliability and cost was what got them over the line” Bennetts says.

ZF service the automotive industry and their customers are mainly original equipment car manufacturers (OEM). Globally, they include; BMW, Audi, VW and locally, General Motors Holden and Ford. Their customers world-wide purchase the power train components (gearboxes, diffs), shock absorbers, steering columns, bushes and chassis systems. In Adelaide they produce the chassis systems front and rear suspension units for Holden and the front knuckle assembly for Ford. The Holden chassis systems are built and shipped in a just-in-time environment, “there is only a two-hour window to build and ship the axle assemblies in sequence to the customer, which is 800 metres away, if ZF gets the sequence incorrect or our robots stop, so does General Motors Holden, so reliability of our plant equipment is of the utmost importance” Bennetts says.

“Throughout the production chain the KUKA robots allow us to reduce labour and decrease the total throughput time. Specifically the task each robot performs is relative to its design and programming; the KUKA KR240L180-2, lifts and manipulates the vehicle’s rear subframe, while the KUKA KR180-2 performs a torque fastening task and the other two KR240-2s load the finished axle assemblies into outgoing shipping racks.
“Overall the KUKA robots have enabled us to meet the strict quality requirements of the OEMs, reduce the labour required and overall improve the entire production life of our business – we wouldn’t be able to keep up with demand, quality consistency and timeframes without them”, Bennetts says.

For more information on how KUKA robots can enhance your business, contact Headland Machinery today on 03 9244 3500 or visit www.headland.com.au/kuka