Liuzhou ZF Machinery to Produce a Brand-New Transmission for Wheel Loaders

Recently, it has transpired that Liuzhou ZF Machinery Co., Ltd. (LZZF), a joint enterprise between China’s Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co. and ZF Friedrichshafen AG, announced an agreement for the production of the brand-new off-highway gearbox, the model BP230. Thanks to this deal, LZZF will be allowed to produce a top-quality gearbox.

Signing of an agreement

The new gearbox solution will find application in wheel-mounted loaders and road graders such as 856H, 862H, 870H models produced by LiuGong. It is planned that 4- and 5-speed automatic gearbox modifications will be offered to would-be customers. The BP230 gearbox is an improved model of the WG200 and a worthy alternative to currently used gearbox.

LiuGong’s road grader 856H in action

In comparison with previous versions, the new gearbox is distinguished by smaller dimensions and higher operation capacities. It will help cars to move faster while using identical amount of power. The compact size ensures better gearbox adjustment to the torque converter. In addition, the BP230 will help to improve fuel economy. The gearbox mechanism is controlled by spiral gears, guaranteeing comfortable driving experience and reduced noise level. The process of gear changing also became more convenient thanks to a new proportional pressure valve, which is generally applied in cars. Thanks to highly-integrated structure of the gearbox, the control unit can keep track of the gearbox operation state by means of GPS, remotely perform the diagnostics and contribute to more efficient maintenance services.

The process of the BP230 development was launched 2 years ago at the production facilities of LZZF. More than a dozen of gearbox preproduction models were designed for testing. The gearbox will be released any time soon, while the high-volume manufacturing will start in the fall of 2018.