Sagola

Heritage: 70 Years from Vitoria-Gasteiz to 80 Countries

Sagola was founded in 1955 by Alejandro Sánchez Larrauri in Vitoria-Gasteiz, in the Basque Country of northern Spain — a region with a deep tradition of precision metalworking and industrial manufacturing. Larrauri started as a subcontractor for industry, but within a few years recognized that the real opportunity was in manufacturing his own product. The product he chose was the spray gun, and his instinct was validated almost immediately: the ALM 401, Sagola's first purpose-built spray gun, became something of a legend in the coatings sector and established the company's identity as a manufacturer that engineered for professionals.

From that foundation, Sagola pursued international expansion with a focused sequence: Latin America first, where the brand became the indisputable market leader; then Arab countries, Asia, and Europe. By the time Sagola reached the United States, it was already operating in more than 80 countries worldwide — a footprint built not through acquisition but through the reputation of the product itself. The company remained 100% family-owned across two generations, a structure its leadership credited with the adaptability that let it respond to market changes faster than larger competitors.

In October 2020, Elcometer Limited — a UK-based manufacturer of inspection and measurement instruments for the coatings industry — acquired Sagola. The combination was logical: Elcometer's paint thickness gauges, gloss meters, and viscosity cups sit at the inspection end of the refinishing process; Sagola's spray guns sit at the application end. Together, they offer a more complete package for the professional bodyshop.

Today's Sagola: Precision Engineering from Body Shop to Production Line

Sagola's product line spans from single spray guns for collision repair technicians to complex CNC coating machines for industrial production lines — but the through-line across all of it is the same engineering philosophy the company has held since the ALM 401: build it from metal, make it interchangeable, and optimize it for the professional who depends on it every day.

Two proprietary technologies define the flagship bodyshop line:

• DFT™ (Dynamic Flow Technology) — Sagola's breakthrough air cap engineering on the 4600 series. Rather than relying solely on the gun's air supply for atomization, DFT harnesses the ambient air surrounding the air cap and draws it into the spray pattern, enabling flawless finishes at lower working pressures with enhanced fan stability, superior atomization, and reduced overspray and bounce-back. The result is a gun that performs more consistently on challenging materials — metallic bases, high-solid clears — than conventional air cap designs.
• M2M™ (Metal to Metal Technology) — a construction philosophy applied throughout the product zone: no gaskets, no air diffusers, no plastic parts in the areas that contact coating material. Metal-to-metal sealing surfaces minimize wear points and reduce maintenance to the needle, nozzle, and air cap — the components that actually determine spray performance. The 3300 GTO takes this further: it ships without gaskets or plastic anywhere in the product area, with every part individually available for replacement.

The bodyshop gun lineup covers every tier of the professional refinish market:

• Sagola 4600 series — the flagship. Available in BASE (bicolor and metallic), HVLP (maximum transfer efficiency), CLEAR (OEM and clearcoat), CLEAR PRO (premium mirror finishes), HEX, and Digital configurations. The 4600 Digital ships with interchangeable caps and needles enabling up to 20 different configurations from a single gun body — making it the professional refinisher's single tool for the complete spray sequence from primer through clear.
• Sagola 3600 XPT — positioned as the workhorse between the 3300 and 4600: the durability and repairability of the 3300 platform combined with the high-end finish capability of the 4600. The 3600 XPT features the RC2 Air Flow Regulator, which provides immediate, accurate pressure feedback at the gun — critical for dialing consistent atomization across different materials and ambient conditions. Suited for automotive refinish, wood finishing, plastics, and general industrial coatings.
• Sagola 3300 GTO — the mid-range gun that punches above its price point. Forged and anodized aluminum body, completely gasket-free and plastic-free in the product zone, smooth trigger action, and 15+ variations possible through air cap and needle/nozzle combinations. The GTO designation reflects its dual listing in both the BodyShop and Industry lines — the gun crosses over into wood finishing and light industrial work as readily as it handles automotive basecoat.
• 3400 Mini Xtreme and 475 XTech — compact spot and panel repair specialists for the technician who needs a lighter, more maneuverable gun for focused repairs rather than full-panel work.

Beyond the bodyshop line, Sagola's industrial program includes automatic spray guns (V-series and Serie 4), pressure feed and suction feed manual guns, air-assisted airless systems, pumps, pressure pots, and advanced air filtration — extending to fully automated CNC coating machines for high-volume production environments.

Why CET for Sagola

CET carries Sagola as part of a finishing portfolio that covers every tool in a professional refinish or industrial coating operation. For the bodyshop or custom paint professional, Sagola's precision European-engineered guns bring a perspective on atomization quality and ergonomic design that complements the industrial spray brands CET has carried for decades. For the industrial finisher, Sagola's pressure and automatic gun lines extend the same build quality into production environments.

• Full gun lineup in stock. CET stocks Sagola spray guns, air caps, needle and nozzle kits, and replacement parts — including the individual components that M2M™ construction makes field-replaceable. Sagola's interchangeable parts design means a technician can reconfigure a single gun body rather than buying a second gun for a different application.
• Application selection guidance. The difference between a 3300 GTO, a 3600 XPT, and a 4600 is not just price — it's the specific finishing task, the coating chemistry, and the production volume each is optimized for. CET's application experience means a recommendation that fits the work, not just the budget.
• One source for the full spray station. A Sagola bodyshop gun performs at its best paired with the right air supply, filtration, and regulation. CET provides the full station alongside the gun — compressor filtration, pressure regulation, hose — and for customers who need a GFS booth as well, CET is the single source from enclosure to air cap.

From the 475 XTech for a spot repair to the 4600 Digital for a full-shop basecoat and clear workflow — CET brings Sagola's 70 years of Spanish precision engineering to the professional finisher, backed by the same parts depth and application expertise that anchors every brand we carry.