Fixed Pitch

Propellers
Marine Propulsion Systems
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ZF is a leader in the marine market supplying

propulsion systems and components for all types
of vessels – motor yachts, defense craft, high-speed
ferries, workboats and commercial vessels, in a
power range from 10 to 14,000 kW – to customers
including major shipyards and engine manufacturers
worldwide.

The product portfolio includes a comprehensive

range of transmissions (reversing, non-reversing
and hybrid), propellers, POD-drive systems, steering
systems and CANbus-compatible, electronic control
systems, azimuth thrusters, tunnel thrusters and
sail drives.

For over 25 years ZF has produced propellers for the

Commercial & Fast Craft and Pleasure Craft markets.
Our close association with some of the leading
schools of hydrodynamic design has helped shape
our propeller families to be some of the industry’s
best in efficiency and design.

ZF Marine has in-house naval architects ready

to assist customers with the most challenging of
applications and hull designs. Our manufacturing
facility can produce propellers in a multitude of
configurations, in a range of diameters from
50 centimeters (20”) to 2 meters (79”) or greater.
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The right propeller

for your application

ZF Marine offers both standard and unique to a single application is

custom designed propellers utilizing what sets ZF apart. Our in-house
CAD-CAM design technology. From naval architects can work side by
yachts to ferries, cruisers to fishing side with your project team to
vessels, whether it’s a pleasure or analyze your hull design and help
commercial application, ZF Marine maximize the performance and
ZF Propellers can provide “off the shelf” products, efficiency of the vessel’s propulsion
or can custom design propellers to system. ZF offers complete flexibility
meet specific performance criteria. in the diameter, number of blades,
blade area ratio, section shape,
skew, rake, and cupping. Our
Custom designed for propellers can be designed to
individual applications meet your exact specifications.

Our flexibility in being able to partner

with naval architects, engineers,
and end customers to design and
manufacture propellers that are
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Design and
manufacturing
ZF propellers are manufactured to ISO 484/2
tolerance standards and can be ordered to
meet any classification society requirements.

Design Machining
ZF Marine’s team of design engineers offer close Numerical Control machining centers are linked to
customer support throughout the lifecycle of a project. the designer’s 3D CAD geometry files to machine the
Once input from the customer about application and propeller to a high tolerance. ZF Marine propellers can
performance specification has been established, our be machined to meet the highest geometrical tolerances
design team runs simulations through our in-house required by the ISO 484/2 Class S standard.
software to complete an optimal propeller design.
The design is presented to the customer and must
be approved for manufacturing to commence. Dynamic Balance
Every propeller is dynamically balanced to ensure
Casting smooth operation. Dynamic balancing considerably
reduces noise and vibration.
High quality alloys are chosen with the exact
composition to meet both ZF`s quality standards and
any classification society requirements. The chemical Inspection
composition and physical properties of the materials
are precisely controlled and tested for each cast. The propellers are scanned by industry leading
measurement devices to verify every aspect of the
geometry and ensure design compliance.

All of our series and custom designed pro-

pellers are serialized for easy tracking. In the
event that a propeller is damaged beyond
repair, a replacement can be manufactured
to the original specification.
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Pleasure Craft
Propellers
Pleasure Craft propellers from ZF are designed for maximum comfort
and efficiency for various pleasure craft applications. Whether a sailboat,
sportfish, or mega yacht, ZF has a product for the application. In addition
to “standard” sized propellers ZF can create custom solutions for unique
applications.

SailMaster CruiseMaster FishMaster

Application Sailing Cruisers/ Sportfish Boats

Vessels Trawlers (> 30 knots)

Number of blades 3 4, 5 4, 5

DAR range* 0.5-0.55 0.55-0.80 0.8-1.20

YachtMaster SpeedMaster TorqueMaster SurfMaster

Application Displacement Planing Hulls Planing Hulls Surface

Yachts (> 25 knots) (< 25 knots) Drives

Number of blades 4, 5 4, 5 4 5,6

DAR range* 0.55-1.20 0.8-1.20 0.6-0.9 0.8-1.20

Progressive Constant
Pitch Pitch
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Commercial & Fast Craft

Propellers
Commercial & Fast Craft propellers from ZF are designed to meet the rigours
of medium and continuous duty work applications. ZF offers a wide range
of options, whether in commercial or government applications, or in nickel
aluminium bronze, manganese bronze or stainless steel material -- it’s all
about getting the work done. In addition to standard and commercial thickness
options, ZF offers DuraEdge, which increases prop thickness at the tip of the
blade. DuraEdge also offers increased durability and longevity for continuous
duty applications.

CrewMaster TowMaster WorkMaster

Application Crew Boats Tugs/Push General

Boats Workboat

Number of blades 4 3, 4, 5 4

DAR range* 0.8-0.85 0.55-0.75 0.7

Kaplan

SurfMaster SpeedMaster TorqueMaster

Application Surface Planing Hulls Planing Hulls

Drives (> 25 knots) (< 25 knots)

Number of blades 5, 6 4, 5 4

DAR range* 0.8-1.20 0.8-1.20 0.6-0.9

Progressive Constant
Pitch Pitch

*Other DARs are available upon customer request.

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Shafting Design
& Manufacture
ZF design strategy is a holistic approach to the propulsion system. We don’t only make propellers,
we analyse entire propulsion system of each boat starting from hull resistance prediction and hull
propulsive factors. We select most efficient gear ratio, recommend changes if needed and analyse
flow in every point under the hull using the most advanced CFD tools developed specifically to our
requirements. This approach gives us the widest picture of possibilities we can use to run your boat
more efficiently, quietly and fast or to any other specific, most demanding requirements

Propulsion Shafting Design

In order to extract the full power of the engines, ZF is All these parts are machined and matched perfectly
able to offer a large variety of essential parts starting in our ZF FPS factory in Kaohsiung to offer the highest
from the gearbox all the way to the custom designed quality standards adhering to any IACS societies rules.
propellers. Being able to provide shafting designs by Additionally propellers blade thickness and stress level
using the required shafting calculations means that can be checked using our purpose built software taking
ZF is able to suit each customer’s different needs of into consideration non-uniform loading over the blade.
performance, price and purpose. All our proposals offer This method is approved by most IACS societies and can
the full ZF package from gearbox, couplings, seals, be used as an alternative to the rules to make propeller
bearings, sterntubes, shafts, brackets to the propellers. blade thinner and more efficient.

Bracket Strut Shaft

FPP
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Current Range
of Products
Custom Design Propeller
• Nickel Aluminium Bronze (NiAlBr)
• Manganese Bronze (MnBr)
• Stainless Steel (SS)

Shafting Packages – Parts

• Shaft – Forged Steel, SS316L, Duplex 2205, SS630 • Sterntube – Custom design and manufacture Sterntube
(SS17/4PH), Aqualoy Steel, etc. with taper machined system including pipes, bearing houses, stuffing box,
at both ends including keys (or keyless), nuts and Water and Oil Lubricated bearings, seals, etc.
coupling c/w connection bolts and nuts.
• Additional products and services - Intermediate shaft
• Bracket – Custom design and manufacture “V” and “I” with coupling and integral flange, nozzle, rudder stock,
Bracket boss with or without struts by fabrication or shaft earthing device, plummer block, shaft stopper,
casting. shaft brake, temperature sensor, etc.

Coupling

Seal

Sterntube
References
1. 27 m Aluminum Catamaran Windfarm 3. 15 m Aluminum Hybrid Launch Boat
supply vessel “WEM3 ” “Penguin Tenaga”
Main Engines
Main Engine Cummins QSC 8.3, 2 x 368 kw @ 2600 rpm
Caterpillar C32, Gear Box Ratio
2 x 1081 kw @ 2300 rpm ZF 325-1A, 2.037 : 1
Gear Box Ratio E-Motor Power
ZF 3050 V, 2.75 : 1 2 x 38kw
Propeller Vessel speed
TorqueMaster, Diameter 1050mm x 5 Blades
7 knots @ Electric mode
Vessel Speed 24 knots @ Engine mode
26.3 knots @ 100% MCR
Propeller
TorqueMaster, Diameter 711.2mm x 4 Blades

2. 18 m GRP Pleasure Boat 4. Ocean Alexander Yacht

“Good Newz” OA120 Series
Main Engine Main Engines
Scania, DI16 093M, 2 x 2600HP
2 x 882 kw @ 2300 rpm Gear Box Ratio
Gear Box Ratio ZF5000A, 2.962:1
ZF 2000 A, 2.467 : 1 Design speed
Vessel Speed 20 knots
32.6 knots @ 90% MCR Propeller
Propeller YachtMaster, diameter 1320mm x 5 blades
TorqueMaster, Diameter 914.4mm x 5 Blades

1. 3.

2. 4.
Data Sheet for propeller and shafting design 11

Shipyard

Boat’s name or project no.

Contact

Phone

Fax Project no.: FPS

E-mail Date

The propeller suggestion can only be as accurate as the information that you provide.

Boat information

Type of analysis Powerboat Sailboat Re-power Year New Old Years

Boat use Work/commercial Towing Pleasure Hull type Displacement Semi-Disp. Planing

Bottom design Open Tunnel Pocket Appendage Skeg Wedge Stabilizer Rope cutter

Hull material Fiberglass Wood Aluminum Classification and

notation

1. Hull data

Light load displacement Half load displacement Full load displacement

Length overall Length waterline Bpx (max. chine beam)

LCG from transom Deadrise angle at midship °, at transom °

Draught at full load Draught at midship Shaft angle

Max. diameter Clearance Distance between hull and center of prop. shaft

Shaft diameter SAE Metric Size Sterntube lub Water Oil

Shaft Material Bracket V P

2. Existing or new engine data

Number of engines Single Twin Triple Other Manufacturer _________________ Model______________

Maximum engine rating ___________ HP KW Cv @ __________ rpm

Make and type of gearbox ________________________________ Reduction ratio ________ : 1

Demand speed, or not Yes ___________knots @ _____________ tons No if no, suggested by ZF-FPS

If re-power, fill in the above with NEW engine data and try your best to fill in the item 3 for existing propeller data and item 4 for repower data.

3. Existing propeller data

Manufacturer __________________________________ Model/series ______________ Material MnBr NiAlBr Stainless Steel

Propeller Size Diameter ___________ x Pitch ___________ x Blade ___________ x Area Ratio ___________

Existing performance Full throttle ship speed _______________ mph knots @___________tons (sea trial disp.)

Full throttle engine rpm ______________ rpm @ engine load ______________%

4. Re-power data (old engine information)

Number of engines Single Twin Triple Other Manufacturer _________________ Model______________

Maximum engine rating ___________ HP KW Cv @ __________ rpm

Make and type of gearbox ________________________________ Reduction ratio ________ : 1

Existing performance Full throttle ship speed _______________ mph knots @___________tons (sea trial disp.)

Full throttle engine rpm ______________ rpm @ engine load ______________%

ZF Group

ZF Faster Propulsion System Co. Ltd.

Sales of Fixed Pitch Propellers
17, Dayou 1st Street
Dafa Industrial District, Daliao District,
83163 Kaohsiung City
Taiwan, R.O.C.
Phone +886 7 7871831
[email protected]

ZF Friedrichshafen AG
Marine & Special Driveline Technology
Ehlersstr. 50
88046 Friedrichshafen
Germany
Phone +49 7541 77-2207
[email protected]

ZF Marine Krimpen B.V.

Zaag 27, P.O. Box 2020
2930 AA Krimpen aan de Lek
The Netherlands
Phone +31 180 331000
[email protected]

ZF Padova s.r.l.
Via Penghe, 48
35030 Caselle di Selvazzano (PD)
Italy
Phone +39 049 8299 311
[email protected]

www.zf.com/marine
© ZF- Fixed Pitch Propellers – 2022

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