Open-S: The Open Standard for Fully Automatic Quick Couplers
Published: 23/11, 2020
Launched on October 1, 2020, Open-S has been developed to be a standard for fully automatic quick couplers for excavators. Machine operators can combine machine couplers, tiltrotators, and tools from different manufacturers that are in compliance with the standard and be confident that they will be compatible with each other. Products that comply with the standard are marked “Open-S.”
“Open standards make everyday life easier, whether it’s plugs for electrical sockets, computer connectors or excavator quick couplers,” says Stefan Stockhaus, CEO of Steelwrist AB which developed the standard jointly with Rototilt Group. “Open-S also builds on the independent and established standard that already exists for quick couplers, the ‘S Standard.’”
Adds Rototilt CEO Anders Jonsson, “We believe in healthy competition, where the industry’s players compete to have the best products. We don’t want to lock customers into a closed interface. When customers buy a tiltrotator from Rototilt, they should feel confident that any hydraulic tool that complies with the Open-S standard will fit the tiltrotator.”
The standard is based on giving freedom for end users to choose the preferred equipment with reliable safety solutions and to benefit from continued technological development.
“Because we have agreed on how to connect the products, customers can freely choose from the product portfolio from the manufacturers that comply with the standard,” says Jonsson. “It becomes clearer what fits together and which warranty provisions apply.”
Both Steelwrist and Rototilt are seeing that more customers are adopting this type of solution, with the Open-S standard making it easier for contractors to take the first step towards a fully automatic quick coupler system. Open-S is owned and managed by an independent organization, Open-S Alliance, which in turn is led by a council of engineers from tiltrotator manufacturers Steelwrist and Rototilt. More members to the Alliance are welcome.
“Interchangeability is the point,” says Stockhaus. “Any reputable manufacturer that believes in the usefulness of a common standard is welcome. We are already in talks with more manufacturers who want to join in the Open-S standard.”