ZF Logo PNG
ZF Friedrichshafen AG is an international technology concern specialized in the supply of automobile systems and components seated in the town of Friedrichshafen, Germany. It was founded in September 1915 by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, the legendary inventor of the rigid airship. Today ZF produces a wide range of spare parts for trucks and passenger cars, as well as tractors, trains, and even some aircraft. It unites about 230 production facilities in 40 countries all over the world manufacturing steering systems, gearboxes, differentials, etc. for various types of vehicles, as well as industrial applications. The company’s yearly turnover in 2018 reached the level of 36,9 billion euros.
Meaning and history
ZF Friedrichshafen AG was founded as Zahnradfabrik GmbH (meaning “gear factory”) in 1915 in the town of Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, which at the time was the center of development for the aviation industry, formed around the Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, which produced airships.
It is generally believed that the founder of the company is Ferdinand Adolf August, Count von Zeppelin, who was a popular and highly extravagant figure known for his talent, tenacity, charisma, and considerable wealth. Zeppelin intended the company to design and manufacture transmission components for airships, but his partner, Alfred von Zoden, insisted otherwise, so the company’s initial activity was to design and build transmissions for vehicles and aircraft.
And just a few years after the beginning of the company’s activities, it managed to conclude contracts for the supply of gearboxes with leading automakers such as Wanderer, Benz, Adler, and others.
Today, the ZF Group does not only deal with gearboxes but also with steering systems, suspension parts, axles, steering pumps, and automotive components for trucks and commercial vehicles. ZF owns almost 150 plants in 30 countries. It also has its own network of branches and representative offices in 35 countries. In addition, ZF has almost a thousand service partners all over the world.
ZF is not only a manufacturer of spare parts and components for the aftermarket but also supplies its products to the assembly lines of the most famous companies in the automotive industry. The company ranks third in the ranking of the largest suppliers to the German automotive industry and is among the 15 largest suppliers to the automotive industry in the world.
1915 – Today
The logo is most concise, it consists only of the two block letters “ZF”. They are placed inside a square background made in dark tone of cobalt blue. The letters of the wordmark are written in white and are surrounded by a white circle line. Some early versions had the letters “ZF” inserted in a gear-wheel.
There are also other contemporary versions, with blue letters and circle line on a black or white background. The main meaning of the logo is the brand name “AF”, which is an abbreviation standing for “Zahnrad Fabrik”, meaning a “gear plant” in German.
For the customers of the concern, its logo is associated above all with the leading position of ZF in driveline and chassis technology. The concern’s strategy is aimed at ensuring safe road traffic and achieving zero emissions. It continuously invests in the development of digital systems and automation with the aim to enable vehicles “to see, think and act”.
