High-level visit Mitutoyo underscores strategic metrology partnership with Sariki

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A major Mitutoyo delegation visited Sariki Precision Center, reinforcing the strategic bond behind one of Europe’s most important industrial metrology alliances.

Metrology company Mitutoyo Japan has reaffirmed its commitment to the European market by selecting Sariki as one of its key strategic partners and sending a high-level delegation to Spain. Around 65 visitors from Japan — including the senior management of Mitutoyo Corporation — visited the Sariki Precision Center in Elgoibar (Guipúzcoa), underscoring the strategic relevance of Grupo Unceta for the global metrology leader.

Sariki Precision Center plays a dual role that makes it unique in Europe’s precision measurement landscape. It operates as an outsourcing facility for dimensional metrology across a wide spectrum of industries, while also serving as a live showroom where customers can validate Mitutoyo solutions on their own components before investing in equipment.

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Since 1985, Sariki and Mitutoyo have built one of the most influential alliances in Spanish industrial metrology. As part of Grupo Unceta — and with over four decades of experience — Sariki identified a growing market need: the demand for high-precision measurement services in sectors where dimensional tolerances determine product viability, including automotive, aeronautics, energy and precision component manufacturing.

This vision culminated in the inauguration of the Sariki Precision Center in 2018. What began as a 60 m² area was transformed into a 400 m² facility equipped with Mitutoyo and complementary technologies. The 2–3 million euro investment included advanced climate-control systems essential for industries such as aerospace and healthcare.

Continuous reinvestment has kept the centre at the forefront of technology. The most recent upgrade, completed in July 2024, was the installation of the Mitutoyo Strato Apex 7106 — a three-dimensional machine capable of probing errors below one micron per metre.

Demonstrating the state of the art

The centre showcases the full breadth of Mitutoyo’s measurement technologies, from 3D coordinate measuring systems to vision, shape, roughness and roundness solutions. Borja Garate, General Manager of Sariki, highlights two flagship systems: “We have a very large machine to focus on parts up to three metres in length and a high-precision machine with a working volume of less than a micron.”

He refers to the Mitutoyo Crysta Apex V 20.30.16 and the Mitutoyo Strato Apex 7106. Both ENAC-certified systems are supported by lifting equipment capable of handling parts up to five tonnes, enabling safe measurement of large or heavy components.

The lab’s broad technological portfolio allows it to process everything from micrometric components to multi-metre assemblies — always with maximum precision and repeatability.

Sariki Precision Center addresses a spectrum of market needs. As Garate explains: “There are customers out there who do not have three-dimensional means for quality control. So they outsource to us and don’t have to make a heavy investment. Others have their own machine working full out and may need to outsource to handle a complaint or new project.”

This model helps customers avoid capital investment, absorb production peaks and secure third-party inspection. It also delivers something increasingly essential: evidence.

“You can no longer simply sell through a catalogue; you have to provide proof of what you say. Different companies come together and collaborate on a common goal: the end customer. In addition, our methodology and quality control enables us to hybridise our technology with other partners’ solutions.”

Serving demanding industries

The centre works across diverse sectors, unified by one requirement: extreme precision. As Garate notes: “We are a very cross-cutting company. In the end, we have a common denominator: precision. Clients come to us with very demanding quality control requirements in different fields: machine tools, the motor industry, aeronautics or health.”

Automotive accounts for 60–70 percent of activity, but aeronautics and healthcare continue to grow. The centre’s EN9100 accreditation also positions it strongly in aerospace: “The centre is accredited under the EN9100 standard to provide measurement and inspection services for aerospace parts.”

The centre manages two clear workflows: outsourcing services and demonstration projects. For outsourcing, Garate explains: “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.”

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

Looking ahead, Garate summarises the company’s ethos: “We are a non-conformist company. We are a company that wants to tackle the challenges of the future. Clearly, we are very open to receiving project proposals from customers so we can study them carefully and carry them out.”

This mindset is what has kept the Mitutoyo–Sariki partnership thriving for more than six decades. Mitutoyo chose its partner well in 1963, and Sariki continues to prove it right — year after year.

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