ZF TotalCommand marine propulsion system was launched recently at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show.
TotalCommand delivers improved responsiveness and optimised control with elegant Italian styling to suit any installation.TotalCommand is the latest marine propulsion controls family from ZF, continuing sixty years of innovation in the field.
A reliable and customisable solution for both leisure and commercial vessels, TotalCommand features a series of functionalities that fully utilise ZF’s industry-leading transmission technology, including unmatchable clutch responsiveness, optimised control of proportional valves, and adaptive gear engagement.
The system also provides detailed telematics data for temperature, pressure, and output speed, giving a vessel’s captain a complete overview of the total propulsion system’s health.
Providing unprecedented control and precision, TotalCommand allows for smooth shifting and seamless transitions between operating modes. Combining function with style, ZF collaborated with famed Italian styling housing Giorgetto and Fabrizio on the control levers and joystick design, allowing the units to integrate into any vessel elegantly.
The system is future-proofed by being wifi ready, complete with electronic manuals, diagnostics and maintenance data available via smartphone, with Smart Transmission predictive maintenance also enabled.
From a user standpoint, the system offers many advantages, including that all parameters can be configurable from the bridge. Synchronisation is at the heart of the design, with the option to automatically maintain the same speeds on multiple engines, improving operating efficiency, fuel economy, noise and vibration, with all engines and transmissions coming under the control of one lever.
TotalCommand also features emergency reversal protection, allowing for the safe response to emergencies, protecting engines and transmissions from shifting between full ahead to full astern in one motion. Trolling, AutoTroll, Easidock, and Warm-Up functions also add to the user experience.
Easidock mode allows the user to balance clutch engagement and engine RPM to obtain the optimum propeller speed for safe docking and precise manoeuvring in confined areas. At the same time, AutoTroll is an intelligent solution for sport fishing and navigating inside channels with stringent speed limits.
TotalCommand’s market-leading CAN-bus communication control system automatically synchronises engines in all modes, without the need for dedicated buttons or switches.
The TotalCommand system can be further enhanced with the fitting of ZF’s \ Joystick Maneuvering System (JMS), which in traditional shaft-line vessels automatically assists in the control of the engines’ functions, transmission and thrusters.
TotalCommand reduces the complexity at installation with a plug and play architecture that features fewer harnesses and the option for a transmission-mounted processor for boat builders and designers.
