Kinshofer GmbH, which continues to encourage technological development, giving priority to the highest safety standards, has been since March 2023 a member of the Open-S Alliance, a joint initiative to create an open standard for automatic couplers for excavators.
It supports the goal of the Open-S standard which is to give operators and contractors the freedom to mix and match quick couplers, tiltrotators and attachments from manufacturers that comply with the standard.
In collaboration with other manufacturers who are also members of the Open-SAlliance, Kinshofer is now working on Open-S compatible automatic quick couplers, being particularly interesting for the Kinshofer NOX tiltrotators.
At the Conexpo trade show in Las Vegas in March 2023, Kinshofer showed the first NOX tiltrotator with an Open-S Steelwrist SQ quick coupler. The Open-S system is currently being promoted primarily abroad and is based on the international S-System used primarily in Scandinavia, but also throughout Europe.
At the Intermat show in Paris in 2024, Kinshofer used the opportunity to bring the possibilities that Open-S offers, closer to the customers. It was the first time Kinshofer showed the Open-S system in action, a combination of a Kinshofer NOX TR19NOX tiltrotator with a Rototilt lower quick coupler and Steelwrist adapters on the attachments.
Kinshofer can provide all common quick coupling systems and adapt the tiltrotators to the customers' needs.
Open-S will make it easier for customers through standardisation to be able to switch between different systems and still always be compatible and safe, which is currently rather difficult given the variety of quick coupling systems available worldwide.
However, you should not forget that these are only fully hydraulic quick couplers and not, for example, mechanical couplers.
Open-S is becoming more and more known and could again be seen at Bauma 2025 in Munich as static display on many stands of Open-S Alliance members, as well as at the Kinshofer booth – statically and again in action – gaining lot of attention from the crowd.
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"Standardization is far overdue", says Guillaume Wiliquet, VP of Product Marketing at SMP Parts, a Swedish manufacturer of tiltrotators, couplers and attachments. "Everything from tractors to skid steers, backhoe loaders and wheel loaders has used standardized coupler systems for many years. This enables owners and operators to confidently purchase machines and attachments from different brands – even from different regions of the world – knowing their investments will be interoperable. Yet, for various reasons, this transition to a single standardized system has not yet occurred with hydraulic excavators."
SMP Parts was one of the first companies to join the alliance in 2021. Their range of Open-S compliant FC couplers currently covers the range of 6t to 30t excavators (FC45-70), with more sizes in development.
"Initiatives like Open-S and MiC4.0, of which SMP is also a member, gain more traction each year and reflect a real need in the market."
"SMP is a strong supporter of standardization.", continues Monika Gutén, CEO of SMP Parts. "As a smaller manufacturer of attachments, standardization allows us to focus on adding value where it truly matters to the customer. We demonstrated this years ago with the comparatively simple s-standard couplers: despite maintaining full compatibility, our Hardlock couplers quickly stood out and gained a strong market position thanks to their robust construction, high quality and foolproof safety and play compensation system. Standardization is not the end of innovation!"
Still, standardization does not happen overnight. “It takes time and effort to meet and exceed the requirements of the standard”, Monika continues, “but we are fully committed to Open-S.”
As a leading supplier of tiltrotators, SMP Parts also delivers tiltrotators to Central and Western Europe, where systems such as Verachtert, Lehnhoff, Arden or OilQuick are predominant. "Half of the tiltrotators leaving our factory today in Ilsbo are equipped with a different coupler system than S or Open-S.” Monika notes. “It adds complexity to the manufacturing process, but we understand and respect the customer's choice. Converting an entire fleet of machines and attachments is no small task and may be difficult to justify in some cases. It's important to remember that these coupler systems dominated their respective markets for very good reasons. That's why we continue to invest resources in improving their integration.”
SMP Parts is a Swedish manufacturer of premium excavator equipment, including tiltrotators, quick couplers, buckets, and attachments. Founded in 1980 and based in Ilsbo, SMP is known for its commitment to safety, durability, and user-focused design. As a member of Open-S and MiC4.0, SMP advocates for greater interoperability and standardization across the industry.
Learn more at www.smpparts.com