Mitutoyo delegation visits leading European strategic partner, Sariki

Mitutoyo Japan’s headquarters and its main distribution partners visited Sariki (part of Grupo Unceta) in Spain recently to celebrate their long-standing strategic alliance in Europe. Around 65 visitors from Japan, including the senior management of Mitutoyo Corporation, descended on Sariki in Elgoibar, Guipúzcoa, as part of a high-level event that demonstrated the strategic importance of Grupo Unceta for Mitutoyo.

Mitutoyo says Sariki’s state-of-the-art solution centre is unique in terms of its two-fold strategic role. The facility operates as a dimensional metrology outsourcing centre for companies in many different sectors. And at the same time it is a showroom, where customers can validate Mitutoyo’s solutions on their own parts before committing to investing in equipment.

Sariki and Mitutoyo: A strategic alliance in precision metrology
Since 1985, Sariki and Mitutoyo have engaged in one of the most important alliances in the Spanish industrial metrology sector. As part of Grupo Unceta and with more than 40 years of experience in the Spanish market, Sariki pinpointed a growth opportunity: demand for high-precision measurement services in sectors where dimensional tolerances are critical, such as automotive, aerospace and energy component manufacturing.

The collaboration reached its zenith with the opening of the Sariki Precision Centre in 2018: a 400 m² facility equipped with Mitutoyo and other technologies. The investment was valued at up to €3 million.

Sariki’s commitment to continuous improvement can be seen in its constant investments in cutting-edge technology. The most recent was in July 2024, with the addition of the Mitutoyo Strato Apex 7106 co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM), a model that brings probing error below 1 micron per metre of length.

Available solutions
Mitutoyo technology in-situ at the Sariki Precision Centre spans all product families. Borja Garate, General Manager of Sariki, highlights two of the most representative machines: “We have a very large machine to focus on parts up to 3 m in length and a high-precision machine with a working volume of less than 1 micron.”

He’s referring to the Mitutoyo Crysta Apex V 20.30.16 and the Mitutoyo Strato Apex 7106. Both are ENAC-certified and assisted by an overhead crane and forklift that can hold up to 5 tonnes, enabling the safe handling of large, heavy parts.

The laboratory also has shape, roughness, roundness, vision and measurement equipment for workshops. This capability makes it extremely versatile: it can handle both micrometric components and multi-metre structures, guaranteeing precision and repeatability.

Benefits of outsourcing
The Sariki Precision Centre model meets multiple needs in the industrial market. Borja explains the main situations: “Some customers do not have 3D solutions for quality control, so they outsource to us and negate the need to make a heavy investment. Others have their own machine working flat out, and may need to outsource to accommodate demand. The centre also provides verifiable proof of concept.”

Sectors: from the motor industry to space
The facility works across many different industries. Says Borja: “Although we’re a diverse, cross-sector company, we have a common denominator: precision. Clients come to us with very demanding quality control requirements in different fields: machine tools, automotive, aerospace and medical.”

As a share of business, automotive accounts for 60-70%, but the other sectors are growing considerably. One differentiating asset for the centre is its certification. The centre is accredited under the EN9100 standard to provide measurement and inspection services for aerospace parts.

Process and customer experience
The centre has developed two different workflows depending on the type of service. Borja explains how it works: “We carry out a study to assess whether the part can be measured with the equipment available, as well as to provide an estimate of how long it will take and how much it will cost. The customer is kept informed at all times about when the part will be shipped to the centre, who will measure it [with which machine], the equipment’s quality certificate, and when the work is expected to be completed.”

For demonstration projects
“First there is shipment of parts, plans and ad-hoc preparation. Then the customer is given a demonstration: they can directly observe how the part will be measured. If all goes well and the customer is satisfied, it could become a confirmed project.”

Looking to the future
In conclusion, Borja summarises the philosophy that drives Sariki: “We’re a non-conformist company; a company that wants to tackle future challenges. Clearly, we’re very open to receiving project proposals from customers so we can study them carefully and carry them out.”

It’s this non-conformism that keeps the 62-year-old alliance going. Mitutoyo made the right choice in 1963, as Sariki continues to prove year after year.