CORPORATE STRUCTURE

Corporate Structure

ZF LIFETEC is part of the ZF Group. The company is a global leader in Passive Safety Solutions for the enhanced protection of vehicle occupants. Following the concluded carve-out, ZF LIFETEC now operates as an independent business entity under the new ZF LIFETEC brand.

Organizational and management structure

The administration of the company consists of the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board comprising three members each. The Executive Board of ZF LIFETEC consists of three Board members, CEO, CFO and COO, that manage the company. They are actively supported by a skilled international team of three divisional heads and several functional heads. Together, they form a strong management team dedicated to sustainable growth. The Supervisory Board also is composed of three members whose main function is to advise, control and supervise the Executive Board.

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ZF LIFETEC Products

Our technologies for seat belts, inflatable restraint systems, steering wheels and their integration as a system are the key to greater safety and comfort for everyone.

Lifesaver on Board

If an accident is unavoidable, ZF LIFETEC’s products help to keep the consequences of the accident for the occupants and other road users as low as possible and, ideally, completely avoid personal injury. Today, seat belts, airbags and steering wheels act as a coordinated system in modern vehicles: the belts help to keep the occupants in the correct sitting position while the airbag acts as a life-saving cushion, for example between the driver and the steering wheel. Steering wheel systems add integrated solutions to combine airbag technology with the usability of modern cars.

Seat Belt Systems

ZF LIFETEC seat belts are designed to protect occupants from serious injury in an accident and to move them to the airbag in a targeted, secure manner. They are used as a fundamental element of the passive safety system in modern cars. The primary function of a seat belt is to keep occupants securely in their seats while driving and to prevent uncontrolled movement in the event of a sudden impact. Properly wearing the seat belt keeps the occupants securely attached to the vehicle so that they are not ejected from the vehicle in the event of sudden braking, a collision, or a rollover. The seat belt consists of a webbing that goes across the occupant's hips and shoulders. In the event of an accident, the belt acts as a restraint system, evenly distributing the forces acting on the body, significantly reducing the risk of injury.

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Inflatable restraint systems

The main function of inflatable restraint systems, such as airbags, is to absorb impact energy in the event of a sudden impact and protect the occupant from hard impacts against the dashboard, steering wheel or side panels of the vehicle. Due to the rapid deployment, the airbag can position itself between the occupant and the vehicle and dissipate the occupant's energy through targeted bleeding, thereby reducing the load values. In the event of an accident, sensors in the vehicle are activated to determine whether the impact has been sufficiently severe.

When this occurs, the airbags inflate at lightning speed, creating a protective barrier between the occupants and the vehicle's hard surfaces.

ZF LIFETEC manufactures different types of inflatable restraint systems that can be placed in different areas of the vehicle. The most common are front airbags, located in the steering wheel and on the passenger side. In addition, there are side airbags that offer side protection and curtain airbags that protect the head in the event of a side impact. The range of inflatable restraint systems used is constantly expanding and ZF LIFETEC is a driving force that brings innovations to the market through the development of new concepts such as the dual contour bag, a driver airbag solution designed to protect the driver in normal driving or in comfort seating position.

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Steering Wheel Systems

In modern vehicles, steering wheels are increasingly becoming a functional element that goes beyond the conventional steering function. They are increasingly used as Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), i.e., as an interface between the driver and the various functions of the vehicle. Today, steering wheels are equipped with a variety of controls that allow the driver to control various functions of the vehicle without having to take the hands off the wheel.

With its steering wheels, ZF LIFETEC offers all the options that the market demands to integrate additional safety, comfort and infotainment functions. They offer space for buttons, switches or even touchscreens that are integrated into the steering wheel. They enable the various functions to be operated quickly and easily without the driver having to look for other controls in the vehicle. In addition, steering wheels can also be equipped with sensors that can, for example, recognize the position of the hand or touch to make operation even more convenient and the vehicle even safer.

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Global Powerhouse with Strong R&D Footprint

ZF LIFETEC employs around 36,000 people at a total of 51 locations across 22 countries in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Asia. The company has a multitude of global manufacturing and R&D locations, driving standardization across the regions and allowing for geographical proximity to European, North American and Asian OEMs. The company’s purpose to save lives with tech is featured by the major R&D center in Alfdorf, Germany, driving core research and development initiatives and advancing the latest global technological trends. The R&D centers in Washington, USA and Anting, China, the Global Competence Center in Hyderabad, India focus on the regions and provide for efficient local testing processes. In addition, 33 engineering and R&D facilities in the local markets close to the customer complement the global set-up.

In this way, ZF LIFETEC is able to provide best-in-class R&D expertise and testing platforms locally, while delivering products on a global scale, guaranteeing supply security and reducing transportation requirements as well as logistics costs.

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North America includes Mexico, Asia comprises the Asia-Pacific region (Share in total sales)

CORPORATE STRUCTURE