What’s the secret of Microlan’s success? We met CEO and founder Javier Etxeberria and he revealed the crucial role of partnerships rooted in both deep technical understanding and genuine human empathy.
Can you tell us about the origins of Microlan and how the company has evolved over the years?
Javier Etxeberria: “Microlan is a company that after 20 years of experience in another industrial project, in 2004 we dedicated ourselves to what others did not want to do and, above all, to a sector that did not exist in our region, such as the aeronautical sector. Microlan is more a partner than a supplier for our customers. And through these 20 years of history, despite going through many crises, we have never stopped believing in our goal of growing until we achieved a very competitive and technologically very advanced company. That is what puts us in the pole position compared to our competitors.”
When and how did your relationship with Makino begin?
J.E.: “I remember, it was in 2014; we went to Germany for some aeronautical sector days and was there where we saw the excellence of the brand and had contacts with other people from other companies who were already users of Makino – everything was born there.”
Ricardo del Villar, Makino's Country Manager Spain & Portugal (left) and Javier Etxeberria, CEO and founder, Microlan Aerospace (right).
What motivated your company to invest in the new a800Z machine, and how will it impact your capabilities and market opportunities?
J.E.: “Our goal is to grow and up to 2024, we rejected all offers for five-axis parts over 700 millimetres because we did not have the right machine. In 2024 we set ourselves the important challenge of acquiring that machine size and thus we have implemented the a800Z. With this new machine, we are able to tackle the machining of parts around 1,000 mm in diameter and around 1,000 mm in height as well, which I already consider a piece size that opens new markets for us in the aeronautical sector, in the railway sector and in higher value-added parts.”
What has the transition been like working with the new machine and handling larger parts?
J.E.: “Working with this machine has meant starting to work with larger tools, larger fixtures, longer machining cycles. Very, very different from what we had before. But again, we have had very good technical support, and it is relatively easy for us to adapt to this new dimension of parts.”
How can a supplier like Makino support you in realising your vision?
J.E.: “For us, a very remarkable thing with Makino is that they have not only tried to sell us machines, they have helped us, understood our challenges and advised us, sometimes even taking a machine out of our heads because it was not the right one. We have found not only very good machines but an excellent human team that has helped us at all times and with whom we have felt very identified. Microlan means “Micro” precision and “Lan”, in Basque, work. Our philosophy day by day is the Passion for Precision. If we find that in Makino the philosophy is Quality First, it creates the perfect binomial to work as a team.”
For an insight into the Microlan factory and production hall, please watch the video.
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