ZF surpasses production of 50 million automotive cameras

ZF, the world’s leading supplier of automotive cameras, has announced that it has produced its 50 millionth automotive camera and has surpassed the 10 million-mark annually for automotive smart camera production, an industry first.

ZF manufactures cameras around the globe at its plants in Marshall, Illinois in the United States, Anting, China, Peterlee in the United Kingdom and Czestochowa, Poland in Eastern Europe, where the plant was recently expanded, and most recently has launched production at its new plant in Monterrey, Mexico.

“We utilise the most advanced manufacturing and testing techniques at all ZF locations to help ensure the quality and reliability of our cameras and salute our dedicated teams around the globe for their dedication to excellence,” said Jana Rosenmann, Head of the Electronics and ADAS Division for the ZF Group. “We have been producing automotive cameras since 2008 and have become a global leader though continuous innovation and attention to detail in the design and manufacturing processes.”

ZF and its long-time partner Mobileye design, develop and deliver camera systems based on Mobileye’s EyeQ processors for advanced object recognition technology. ZF incorporates this technology in its innovative Smart camera family, which also includes an industry-first premium three lens Tri-Camera 4 version to support advanced semi-automated driving functions, adding a telephoto lens for improved long-distance sensing capabilities and a fish-eye lens for improved short-range sensing with a wider field of view.

"This milestone reflects the work we've undertaken together to enhance safety for drivers worldwide through ADAS technology," said Nimrod Nehushtan, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy at Mobileye. "As our systems evolve to take on more driving responsibility and become even more intelligent through cloud-based services and additional sensors, we know this collaboration will continue to provide technology that vehicle owners will appreciate in the years ahead."

For single-lens cameras ZF is in its fourth generation and today offers the Smart Camera 4.8 family, among the first ever cameras to offer the capability of a 100-degree horizontal field of view. This represents another important step forward in meeting future Euro NCAP 5-Star Safety Ratings and IIHS Top Safety Pick+ requirements as well as General Safety Regulations that require increasingly stringent test protocols for safety critical systems.

ZF supplies more than a dozen vehicle manufacturers globally with advanced ADAS sensor technologies including front-facing cameras, advanced imaging and satellite radar systems. The ZF sensor portfolio is enabling vehicle manufacturers to help enhance vehicle safety and to make semi-automated driving convenience functions like Highway Driving and Traffic Jam Assist, across the full spectrum of light vehicles and ZF is a leader in automated driving technologies from Level2/2+ systems to fully automated vehicles.