Premiere at the spoga+gafa: Birchmeier is now the twelfth partner of the factory-wide battery system CAS

The dozen is full: Birchmeier of Switzerland, a specialist in spraying technology, has converted its cordless machines to the Cordless Alliance System (CAS), opting for the battery technology of Metabo, Nürtingen-based power tool manufacturer.

Whether spraying, foaming, atomizing, disinfecting or scattering: when it comes to the precise application of liquids or granules, many customers in the areas of horticulture, industry, hygiene, facility management, cleaning, construction and industry, agriculture and forestry or the automotive industry choose the machines of Birchmeier Sprühtechnik AG, based in Stetten, Switzerland. In battery-powered machines, the company founded in 1876 is now striking out in a whole new direction: at the international horticultural trade fair spoga+gafa in Cologne from Sept. 1 to 3, Birchmeier is presenting itself as the twelfth partner of the Cordless Alliance System (CAS), a cross-factory battery system initiated by Metabo, Nürtingen-based power tool manufacturer. CAS started in summer 2018 with nine power tool and machine manufacturers from different industries. Currently, the manufacturers Metabo, Rothenberger, Mafell, Eisenblätter, Collomix, Haaga, Electrostar (Starmix), Eibenstock, Steinel, Rokamat, Elried/Edding and Birchmeier are part of CAS. Within this battery system, which is unique in the industry, all machines from the CAS partners with a battery are fully interchangeable and can therefore be combined with each other. On the basis of the powerful Metabo LiHD battery technology, CAS combines the various trades under one roof and thus offers professional users the freedom to work with standard and special products from different manufacturers, even without a power outlet. Mobile and flexible.

The proprietary battery system will be replaced by CAS

"Until now, we have used our own battery-powered system for our machines," says Jürg Zwahlen, main shareholder and chairman of the board of Birchmeier. "But once we became more familiar with CAS, we quickly saw the advantages it had over our own system: it is much simpler and more powerful. Moreover, our customers can now work with 140 machines of currently 12 brands with one battery. This is a great advantage, because of course customers do not always choose our products for their work, but also often choose power tools from other manufacturers. And finally, the commitment and passion with which the Metabo CEO Horst W. Garbrecht as initiator of CAS and his employees have driven this technological cooperation have convinced us all the way. So three good reasons to bid farewell to our own system and join CAS."

All variants of the RE series battery backhoe sprayers are now powered by the CAS battery system. In total, Birchmeier presented eight battery-powered machines based on CAS at the spo-ga+gafa in Cologne.

Power and capacity reserves for new battery machines

Birchmeier is presenting eight battery-powered machines at the trade fair: a two-wheeled sprayer, a wheelbarrow sprayer, a pump station and back-carryable machines in various designs. "We have rapidly converted our complete battery program in recent months and with strong support from Metabo," says Jörg Lembachner, managing director of Birchmeier. The remaining range, which is either manual or compressed air-powered, will remain as before. "But with a capacity of up to 8.0 amp-hours, a performance of up to 1,600 watts with an 18-volt battery and the possibility of combining two batteries together to form a 36-volt, 3,200-watt system, we can think about whether we don't want to market a whole range of other products as battery variants. Because CAS offers us so much more power and longer runtime, that even battery-powered applications are possible," Lembachner says enthusiastically.

CAS is open to new partners

The new partner is also particularly welcomed at CAS, assures Horst W. Garbrecht, CEO of Metabo. "A cross-factory technological cooperation is especially useful if it is open to more partners - and this is absolutely the case with CAS." Birchmeier is a prime example of CAS's versatility in this regard. "Although the alliance originated for power tools, it is of course not limited to this industry alone. Precisely the boundaries between garden tools and power tools are disappearing more and more, because today there are more and more suppliers expanding from one segment to the other." This is also why Birchmeier fits our picture so well.

Moving forward together

Garbrecht is also impressed by the diligence with which Birchmeier made the switch: "The decision to give up its own battery system and join a technology cooperative is certainly not an easy one. But the responsible people at Birchmeier have done it very consistently. They have tested CAS intensively, compared it with their own technology without bias, made a quick decision and applied it at lightning speed. In my view, that deserves absolute respect and is an additional reason why Birchmeier is a perfect reinforcement within our alliance," Garbrecht said. And the CAS family continues to grow: currently, in addition to Birchmeier, five more partners have joined CAS, who will present their CAS products over the next 12 months. These are generally renowned names with their own target groups and highly profiled brands. Garbrecht: "With that, CAS grows to 17 members, with all batteries and chargers being fully compatible and all machines can be operated with one battery. There are even more companies that have shown their interest and are currently thinking about a battery strategy with CAS. So it is already clear that it will not stop at just 17 CAS partners, but more will follow."