Major OEM joins the Open-S Alliance for construction tool attachments

Leila Steed Editor, Demolition & Recycling International

11 April 2024

Another major OEM has joined the Open-S Alliance. German equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson, a leader in compact construction machinery, has signed up as supporting member of alliance - an independent organisation that is working to establish a global standard that will make quick couplers, tiltrotators and work tool attachments completely interchangeable.

Official Open-S Alliance new member image

(IMAGE: Open-S Alliance)

This will enable construction machinery owners and operators can use any brand of hydraulic attachment with any brand of Open-S compliant automatic quick coupler, without negatively affecting equipment warranties and servicing agreements.

Alexander Greschner, Chief Sales Officer of the Wacker Neuson Group, said: “In the interest of our customers, we are focusing more and more on interface standards.

“Standards help to reduce the complexity on the construction site and make sure that our customers have the greatest possible flexibility to use their machines. Becoming a member of the Open-S Alliance thus is a logical step for us.”

Open-S explained

Wacker Neuson’s decision to join the Open-S Alliance comes less than a year after the company announced the founding of a new aftermarket division dedicated to attachments.

Reinhold Baisch, Managing Director of the division, said: “We are seeing exciting developments in the attachments area, with digital assistance systems and standardized interfaces playing an increasingly important role.

“We believe that being a member of the Open-S Alliance as well as our work in the Machines in Construction MiC 4.0 working group will benefit the customers, simplifying the handling of attachments.”

Indeed, the OEM’s newest wheeled excavator, the EW110-2 model, is already available with an Open-S compliant automatic quick coupler.

Commenting on Wacker Neuson’s status as a supporting member of the alliance, Stefan Stockhaus, Chairman of the Board of Open-S Alliance, said: “We are delighted to welcome Wacker Neuson as a member of the Open-S Alliance.

“With their drive for innovation and technology development Wacker Neuson will bring additional strength to the work we are doing together to create a standard for automatic couplers within our industry”.

Other construction equipment manufacturers that have already joined the Alliance include Volvo, Kinshofer, KH-Maskin, Rotar, SMP Parts and Agri Manutention, as well as Steelwrist and Rototilt, the alliance’s co-founding members.