ZIEGLER and BUSSE Design+Engineering collaborated on exterior and interior design as well as platform development to send the next generation of airfield firefighting vehicles to the runways of this world.
The moment everyone has been waiting for has finally arrived: ZIEGLER presents the new king class of airfield fire fighting vehicles and thus enters a new era. The new Z-Class features unprecedented acceleration values, the most powerful traction engine on the market, an extremely spacious cabin (Z-Cab AiR) and much more. The equipment naturally also includes the new Z-Control as well as the new ZIEGLER throwers.
From 1969 until today, 115 Z8, 110 Z6 and 10 Z4 vehicles have been produced and delivered in the well-known design. Then as now, customers rely on the proven ZIEGLER extinguishing technology to be prepared for the special operational requirements of airports. The norms and standards relevant for these vehicle types are all met and even exceeded with the Z-Class. Examples include ICAO, NFPA, EASA, CCCF, ADV and many more.
The Z-Class has always combined power in the field with familiar design. ZIEGLER relies on the cooperation with experienced chassis manufacturers. This allows each partner to concentrate on its core competence and thus achieve the best values in terms of driving performance and firefighting technology for the Z-Class. The modular design ensures a balanced weight distribution, taking into account the optimal arrangement of the individual components. In addition, the spacious cab with 1.80 m headroom of the Z-Class offers a lot of comfort and is very clearly arranged.
If the product is so good - why is there still room for improvement?
One of ZIEGLER's promises is the consistent further development and improvement of its products. This requires that even successful products and systems are constantly scrutinized and continuously improved. In doing so, it is very important for the company to meet or even exceed the current and future needs and requirements of its customers worldwide. ZIEGLER has not even stopped at the proven Z series in this regard. Nowadays, topics such as occupant protection, effectiveness as well as user and operator friendliness play a major role in development. The development team of the ZIEGLER Group, together with BUSSE Design+Engineering, has taken the Z-Class to the next level, taking into account practical experience, customer feedback and incorporating the latest trends and technologies. To achieve optimal results, it was necessary to rethink from the ground up. The approach was a consistent platform thinking. Here, the company's claim is to enable all common standard requirements with all necessary optional vehicle equipment through a well thought-out, modular design.
With the design now presented to the public, a new era of vehicles is revealed, whose lines, proportions and design language embody an aggressive stature that spares no effort. The vehicle's aesthetics combine an immense power package, great endurance, a comprehensive protective character, maximum all-round visibility as well as first-class operator ergonomics in driving and firefighting scenarios.
The top 10 reasons for the new Z-Class are:
Most powerful traction motor on the market (Z4 and Z6: 770 hp; Z8: 1,540 hp)
Drive concept precisely matched to the high output (enabling full power transmission of the traction motors)
Innovative continuously variable transmission with unrivaled acceleration values (0 - 80 km/h: < 28 s for Z6; < 20 s for Z4)
Pump & Roll possible at any driving condition and any speed
Body concept, weight distribution and low center of gravity enable maximum possible extinguishing agent quantities of up to 19,000 l of water or foam agent
Certified driver's crew compartment designed to meet the highest ergonomic and user-friendliness requirements (Z-Cab AiR), e.g. also ECE R29-3 certified
Extremely spacious driver's cab with a headroom of > 1.80 m
Cab with the best all-round visibility due to the largest possible glazing
Most user-friendly operating concept (intuitive user guidance) in airfield firefighting vehicles thanks to latest-generation Z-Control
Consistent, functional vehicle design, all main components of the extinguishing system (pump, foam proportioning system, launcher, etc.) from a single source
