ZF Aftermarket has commissioned a dedicated brake particle emissions dynamometer, branded ZF dustIN, at its Friction Competence Centre in Spain to validate TRW-brand brake pads and discs against Euro 7 brake dust limits taking effect in November 2026. The new facility brings ZF’s total to 31 dynamometers dedicated to friction development and validation. The investment was announced by ZF on 13 May. The dustIN platform was engineered in-house with particle-measurement technology from partner AIP and is being prepared for UN GTR No. 24 certification with regulatory authorities.
Highlights
- Euro 7 sets brake particle emission limits of 3 mg/km for fully electric vehicles and 7 mg/km for conventional and hybrid vehicles, applying to new vehicles from November 2026.
- The Spain facility is being prepared for UN GTR No. 24 certification, the global technical regulation governing brake particle measurement methodology.
- ZF Aftermarket now operates 31 dynamometers dedicated to friction development, with dustIN built around the company’s own test-bench engineering combined with AIP particle-measurement technology.
- Inter-laboratory studies in Europe and China have validated dustIN’s measurement repeatability, according to the company.
OE Infrastructure Moves Into the Aftermarket Channel
Euro 7’s brake particle limits apply initially to new vehicles, but ZF Aftermarket is positioning the test bench to serve replacement parts ahead of expected regulatory extension to the independent aftermarket. The company has stated that workshops will need replacement pads and discs validated under Euro 7-relevant conditions, and that the European Union is already assessing pathways to extend non-exhaust emission limits across the vehicle lifecycle.
The new bench supplements an already substantial friction-testing footprint at the Spain center. ZF reports that internalizing the test capability gives the company control over testing speed, data integrity, and confidentiality during the validation phase, while shortening development cycles for next-generation pad and disc formulations sold through the TRW aftermarket channel.
The Spain site already produces TRW Electric Blue brake pads, the brand’s EV-focused friction line, which uses 100% copper-free formulations and operates on wind and solar power, according to prior company disclosures.
How dustIN Compares to Peer Investments
The ZF announcement lands amid a broader supplier race to qualify Euro 7 friction couples. Bosch commissioned a comparable brake particle test rig at the end of 2022, designed to measure PM10, PM2.5, and ultra-fine PM1 particles, with the company citing an investment of more than €1 million in that system. TMD Friction has been participating in the Particle Measurement Programme since 2016 and characterizes Euro 7 PM10 limits at 3–11 mg/km depending on vehicle class and powertrain, with transitional periods of 30–60 months by sales channel.
ZF did not disclose the capital cost of the dustIN platform or a target date for commercial availability of Euro 7-validated TRW friction parts in the aftermarket channel.
ZF is represented on the Particle Measurement Programme and at CLEPA, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers, contributing to harmonized measurement methodology under UN GTR No. 24.
TRW Position in European Brake Aftermarket
ZF Aftermarket’s TRW braking portfolio carries roughly 18,000 SKUs across discs, pads, calipers, and actuation components, with pad coverage at 98% of the European passenger-vehicle parc and 100% coverage of the top 20 EV models, according to the company’s distributor portal.
ZF reported sales of €38.8 billion in fiscal 2025 across roughly 153,000 employees and 162 production sites in 29 countries. The company will showcase its aftermarket portfolio at Automechanika Frankfurt opening 8 September.
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