“Together in Every Water”: At SMM 2026, ZF strengthens position as partner for the maritime industry

Across all segments, marine operators and shipbuilders are facing the same challenges: larger vessels, tighter schedules, increasing regulatory requirements and rising pressure to improve operational efficiency and availability. At this year’s SMM, ZF demonstrates technologies designed to support mastering these challenges. At the world’s leading maritime industry convention, the company highlights its integrated propulsion systems, broad application coverage and a reliable global service network.

With a strong portfolio engineered to fit a wide array of specific vessel concepts, ZF helps reduce operational complexity and ensure reliable performance over the entire lifecycle of ships and fleets.

“Shipping is evolving fast – vessels are becoming larger, more complex and, due to new regulations, increasingly hybridized. Our role is to support customers with scalable propulsion solutions for intelligent system integration across all vessel classes,” says Markus Gross, who will take on responsibility for Product Line Commercial & Fast Craft as of October, alongside his leadership of Product Line Rail Drive Systems at ZF.

Against this backdrop, ZF continues to expand and refine its product portfolio to support future vessel generations – and to underline that the company is “Together in Every Water” with its customers.

ZF 9200 A/V PTI and ZF AT 110: Scaling up for future vessel sizes

With the ZF 9200 A/V PTI transmission and ZF AT 110 thruster, ZF is extending its driveline portfolio into higher power classes.

The ZF 9200 A/V PTI is the latest variant of the company’s established ZF 9000 transmission series. The transmission can be installed in both V and A (down angle) positions, which grants shipbuilders additional design freedom. It accommodates a maximum main drive power of up to 3,903 kW, while the integrated power take-in (PTI) supports hybrid operation with up to approximately 700 kW. This enables electric locally exhaust emission-free boosts in dynamic situations and low-noise maneuvering, e.g. during nighttime or in harbors.

The ZF 9200 A/V PTI features a modular design and wide ratio spread (main engine: i=2,300 to i=4,241; PTI: i=2,085 to i=16,103), allowing it to be tailored to different vessel types, electric motor sizes and thus, hybrid propulsion concepts. Its lightweight aluminum housing contributes to a compact overall design, while full classification approval ensures integration into a wide range of vessel classes. Optional accessories such as PTO units, an integrated shaft brake and flexible mounting solutions further increase adaptability.

Meanwhile, the ZF AT 110 represents the largest thruster ZF has developed to date. Compatible with engine outputs of up to 2,944 kW, it extends the portfolio into more powerful vessel segments beyond today’s standards, in line with ongoing trends toward more demanding offshore and harbor operations. Designed for applications such as modern tugboats, the unit enables bollard pull values of around 100 tons, meeting current market requirements in this power class and allowing operators to handle increasingly large merchant vessels.

At the same time, the ZF AT 110 is designed with installation efficiency in mind. With center-to-center dimensions of around 3,700 mm (3,825 mm with optional seal monitoring), the thruster features a more compact design compared to many current market alternatives. This allows easier integration into vessel designs where available space is limited and supports more flexible ship layouts.

A revised lubrication concept reduces the overall oil volume by supplying critical components in a targeted manner rather than using fully oil-filled housing. This improves efficiency and reduces operating costs while maintaining reliable performance. Optional features such as a tilted nozzle further enhance propulsion efficiency and allow shipbuilders more flexibility in hull designs.

Find ZF at SMM 2026

Visitors to SMM 2026 can learn more about the full range of ZF’s propulsion systems, as well as its Condition Monitoring system and newest generation of AutoTroll (plus its optional firefighting feature for thruster-propelled vessels), in hall A3, booth 219.