KSPG Pens Five-Year ZF Friedrichshafen Agreement

In a move to deepen its collaboration with ZF Friedrichshafen, KSPG, a member of the Rheinmetall Technology Group, has recently penned a five-year agreement with a lifetime value of around EUR66m (US$74m).

Included in the products to be supplied are thrust washers and bushes utilized in brakes, transmissions, shock absorbers, damped flywheels and chassis systems.

Through this move, KSPG-subsidiary, KS Gleitlager, becomes a 100%-global supplier of bearings for ZF’s 6-, 8- and 9-speed automatic transmissions. The contract, which extends for a number of years, gives bearing manufacturer KSPG a solid position for follow-up projects. The agreement covers metallic as well as plastic/metal composite bearings using the brand name Permaglide.

The most critical criteria are the degree of wear reduction and friction along with the sturdiness of the bearings. These properties fully contribute to the reduction in fuel consumption; hence, emissions when driving.

The components will reportedly be manufactured at the main facility in Germany, St. Leon-Rot and at the facility in Celaya, Mexico.