Swedish tiltrotator manufacturers Steelwrist and Rototilt have launched Open-S, an open standard for fully automatic quick couplers for excavators.
The two companies say the standard they have jointly developed means that machine operators can combine machine couplers, tiltrotators and tools from different manufacturers who are in compliance with the standard and be confident that they will be compatible with each other.
Products that comply with the standard are to be marked “Open-S”, and the partners hope the first products bearing the standard will be on the market by November this year.
“Open standards make everyday life easier, whether it’s plugs for electrical sockets, computer connectors or excavator quick couplers,” said Stefan Stockhaus, CEO for Steelwrist. “Open-S also builds on the independent and established standard that already exists for quick couplers, the S Standard.”
Stockhaus said that the S Standard enabled quick couplers to be used between products from different manufacturers, but did not include the oil connection. The new Open-S standard will encompass the oil connection between different tools.
Steelwrist and Rototilt claim that together they account for around 50% of the global tiltrotator market. The pair say they would like as many other tiltrotator manufacturers as possible to join the Open-S standard, which has a website atopens.org
Anders Jonsson, CEO of Rototilt Group, said: “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 three pillars: Freedom for end-customers 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,” said Jonsson. “It becomes clearer what fits together and which warranty provisions apply.”
Steelwrist and Rototilt say they are both seeing that more customers are adopting this type of solution, and that the Open-S standard makes 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 organisation, Open-S Alliance, which in turn is led by a council of engineers from the member companies, currently Steelwrist and Rototilt. The two companies say they have had expressions of interest from other manufacturers about the initiative.
“Interchangeability is the point,” said Stockhaus. “Any reputable manufacturer who 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.”
