Intarder: for safe braking
A truck’s braking system must be at least as powerful as the engine. The ZF Intarder integrated into the transmission supports the service brakes up to 90%. This reduces environmental pollution and maintenance costs.
Advantages:
- Continuous braking without wear or overheating of the service brakes – Optimal operating range (between 30 and 80 km//h) – Power – handles up to 90% of all braking processes – Significantly increased safety – Integrated oil lines assist cooling and heating processes – transmission oil reaches optimal temperature faster – Integrated brake management – Fast return on investment – Higher average driving speed – Compatible with many ZF transmissions
Perfect control over braking power
With Intarder from ZF, different stages of the braking process are achieved, allowing the driver to reduce speed according to route conditions and traffic. The hydrodynamic brake reduces speed independently of engine RPM and allows continuous braking without any wear on the service brakes. Braking effort is not interrupted even when the clutch pedal is pressed and gears are changed. Unlike retarders from competing manufacturers, Intarder from ZF is integrated into the transmission in a space-saving way. As a result, it can be easily attached to manual and automatic transmissions and be optimally integrated into the truck’s brake management system, including cruise control.Intarder from ZF is available for manual, synchronized transmissions with 9, 12, or 16 gears, as well as for the automated AS Tronic, TC Tronic and TraXon.
Functional description of the Intarder:
When the Intarder is activated, the transmission fluid flows into an additional chamber containing the rotor and stator that make it up. The rotor is driven by the transmission and accelerates the oil, causing it to swirl. As it moves through the chamber, the oil reaches the stationary blades of the stator, which are arranged transversely, thus intensifying the oil flow back towards the rotor. As a result of the circulation of the rotor blades, the oil generates a torque that counteracts the direction of movement of the rotor. This braking torque is transferred back to the transmission via a step-up gear, and thus, as a result of the generated friction, the vehicle slows down. In the process of creating braking force, heat energy is also released and dissipated through the oil heat exchanger, which is connected to the vehicle engine’s cooling circuit. During braking, the oil from which the braking energy is extracted flows between the intarder and the heat exchanger (short distances). When the intarder is deactivated, the hydraulic pump directs the transmission fluid directly through the intarder’s heat exchanger, thus avoiding spikes in oil temperature. The ultimate effect is reduced oil aging, which further extends the service life of the other transmission components.