As much as I hated to leave the Padua factory, the
day had come to an end. My final stops on the shop
floor involved the review of a series of transmissions
destined for large workboats, behemoths that ranged
from man-high to those that required a ladder for
viewing, as well as a partially assembled, controllable
pitch propeller. It had been a full day, but an
enlightening one to be sure.
Hosted by Dr. Jaffke, Martin and I spent the evening
strolling around Padua, ultimately dining at a restaurant
not far from the well-known Palazzo della Ragione (it
vaguely resembles the form of a capsized ship’s hull,
which makes sense from a structural point of view, it’s
a monocoque and is claimed to have Europe’s most
expansive roof unsupported by columns). The city
boasts, among other things, one of Europe’s oldest
universities, the University of Padua. How old is it?
Let’s just say one of its most renowned lecturers was
Galileo Galilei. When I mentioned to Dr. Jaffke that I
live in an old house, he asked me, “How old is it? I then
sheepishly replied, “ 120 years,” and he just chuckled. In
spite of his repeated claims to the contrary—because
he is not a native Italian, he’s German—Dr. Jaffke was
a superior tour guide who seemed to know something
about Padua at every turn. His comments were often
followed by the phrase: “But if you want to know more
you’ll need a guidebook.”
ZF ARCO
ZF’s research and development facility is located in
the town of Arco, which is perched at the northern tip
of Lake Garda. The town is a 1.5-hour, 100km drive
northeast of Padua. It would be an understatement to
describe the drive as anything other than picturesque,
but that’s common for many regions in Italy. However,
it got better. As one enters the town, the vistas of
the lake and the sheer limestone cliffs that flank
its northeast side, all of which are surrounded by
snowcapped peaks, are simply breathtaking. I found it
difficult to stop scanning the landscape. Typical of high
altitudes, an ethereal thin haze hung over the lake. It
was simply enchanting. Not a bad place for sea trials.
At the facility we were met by Giulia Polli, account
manager for Group Marine Propulsion Systems and Dr.
Vittorio Rasera, executive vice president and general
manager of Business Segment for Pleasure Craft. We
chatted over strong coffee served in diminutive china
cups, an Italian pastime, and then toured the shop floor,
which included a bench model of the hybrid drive
system. Being given the opportunity to discuss this
system with one of its designers, Dr. Rasera was a treat,
indeed. He’s clearly proud of the work being carried out
by the folks at ZF Arco. Among other things, I asked
about electromagnetic interference and lightning issues,
and his responses were thorough and forthcoming.
