Open-S Alliance welcomes Kubota and Kanasugi Construction and expands the standard with OS®40 coupler size
NEWS FROM OPEN-S ALLIANCE – PRESS RELEASE
The Open-S Alliance continues to strengthen its global presence with two significant new members and an expansion of the Open-S standard. Kubota joins the independent organization as a leading global excavator manufacturer, while Kanasugi Construction becomes the first contractor to join Open-S. At the same time, the standard is expanded with the OS®40 coupler size, bringing the benefits of open compatibility for fully automatic quick couplers to compact excavators between 2 and 7 tonnes.
Launched six years ago, Open-S is the open industry standard for fully automatic quick couplers for excavators. Its purpose is to enable interchangeability between quick couplers, tiltrotators and work tools from different manufacturers, giving machine owners and contractors greater freedom of choice when selecting equipment. The Open-S standard builds on the well-established Symmetrical Quick Coupler standard for excavators, commonly known as the S-Standard, which was originally defined in 2006 by the Swedish Trade Association for Suppliers of Mobile Machines.
As the use of quick couplers with integrated hydraulic couplings and electrical connectors continues to grow globally, the need for an open standard for fully automatic quick couplers has become increasingly important. Open-S provides a common interface that enables compatible products from different manufacturers to be combined without locking machine owners into one proprietary system.
Kubota joins the Open-S Alliance
Kubota, the world’s leading manufacturer of mini excavators, recognises that improving productivity, operational efficiency and ease of use is key to the future of the construction industry. Across Europe, excavators are increasingly used with a wide range of couplers, attachments and work tools. Greater interoperability between these components gives customers more flexibility, improves machine utilisation and helps create more efficient jobsites.
Open-S promotes interoperability by standardising the interfaces of fully automatic quick couplers, enabling excavators, couplers and attachments from different manufacturers to work together seamlessly. Kubota supports this initiative in Europe as part of its commitment to providing customers with greater choice while helping to improve safety and efficiency on the jobsite. Kubota joins the Open-S Alliance as a Supporting member.
«At Kubota, we believe that greater interoperability is key to improving productivity and operational efficiency on today’s jobsites. By supporting Open-S in Europe, we want to give our customers more choice when combining machines, couplers and attachments from different manufacturers, helping them maximise the value of their equipment investments,» says Keigo Okamoto, President, Business Unit CE Europe, Kubota.
Kanasugi Construction becomes the first contractor to join the Open-S Alliance
Founded in 1950 and based in eastern Saitama Prefecture, Kanasugi Construction is a Japanese general contractor active in public infrastructure projects including river works, roads, bridges, water and sewerage systems, and seismic reinforcement. The company has also been an early adopter of digital construction technology and has integrated advanced 3D technology into its daily operations. By joining Open-S, Kanasugi brings an important end-user perspective to the organization and demonstrates growing interest among contractors in open and interoperable equipment solutions.
Kanasugi Construction joins the Open-S Alliance as a Supporting member and becomes the first contractor to join the organization.
“The future of construction should be open. Contractors need the freedom to combine excavators and hydraulic attachments from different brands through a common, fully automatic coupling system. That is why Kanasugi joined Open-S. By putting this standard to work on our own sites, we hope to demonstrate its value and encourage more general contractors in Japan to move toward a shared, open standard”, says Yusuke Yoshikawa, President and Representative Director, Kanasugi Construction.
Open-S expands into the compact excavator segment with OS®40
The Open-S standard has also been expanded with the addition of the OS®40 coupler size. OS®40 was officially presented in June during an Open-S Alliance press conference at CSPI-EXPO in Japan.
With OS®40, the Open-S standard now covers excavators from 2 to 75 tonnes. The new size extends the standard into the important compact excavator segment between 2 and 7 tonnes, making the benefits of fully automatic work tool changes and open compatibility available to an even broader range of machines. The compact excavator segment is particularly important in Japan, as well as in many other markets around the world, making OS®40 an important step in the continued development and global adoption of the Open-S standard.
“We are very pleased to welcome both Kubota and Kanasugi to the Open-S Alliance. Their membership represents two important developments for Open-S: continued support from major machine manufacturers and, with Kanasugi, the first contractor joining the organization. Bringing the end-user perspective into Open-S is an important step as the standard continues to develop. At the same time, the addition of OS®40 extends Open-S into one of the most important compact excavator segments globally, and particularly in Japan. Together, these developments show that Open-S is gaining relevance across manufacturers, contractors and markets, with a common goal of giving machine owners greater freedom of choice without compromising safety or compatibility,” says Anders Jonsson, Chairman of the Board, Open-S Alliance.
For more information contact:
Stefan Stockhaus, Chairman of the Board of Open-S Alliance AB
[email protected], +46 70 998 13 21
Anders Jonsson, Board member of Open-S Alliance AB
[email protected], +46 70 590 09 49
About Open-S
Open-S – the open industry standard for automatic quick couplers for excavators. The purpose of Open-S is to provide global interchangeability between quick couplers, tiltrotators and work tools from different manufacturers. Open-S Alliance is an independent organization with the sole purpose of developing and promoting the Open-S standard. Read more at www.opens.org
