Mirka automates factory systems deployment

Far from the world's metropolises and large industrial clusters, in the rural parish of Jepua in Ostrobothnia, lies one of the global market leaders in abrasives – Mirka – as well as Mirka's recently completed, entirely new kind of production facility. This is not just any factory expansion, but the world's first circular economy-based abrasive grain factory. The investment enables the utilization of industrial side streams and used abrasive materials into new abrasive grains. Such a technological leap has also required a completely new kind of digital infrastructure, in the construction of which Mallow has played a central role.

A modern and secure cloud architecture as a starting point

Mirka had a clear vision: traditional, local IT infrastructure was no longer sufficient for the requirements of the new factory. There was a need for scalability, security, and manageability, which the Microsoft Azure cloud environment was able to provide.

”Microsoft Azure and a hybrid architecture were chosen for Mirka based on several strategic reasons. Our core business is the manufacturing of abrasives, not server maintenance or backups. We wanted to outsource the management of the basic infrastructure to Microsoft and focus on building things that bring real business value,” describes Mirka’s Chief Architect Mathias Rönnlund.

Mallow’s task was to bring in the top-level expertise and muscle needed to turn this architecture into a secure, cost-effective, and above all, manageable entity.

Infrastructure as Code – The new industry standard

One of the project's most significant steps forward was the transition to the Infrastructure as Code (IaC) -model. This means that the entire infrastructure is described as code, which eliminates manual errors and makes the environment completely reproducible.

”Infrastructure as Code significantly improves factory maintenance by bringing complete traceability to it. When environments are described as code, we see exactly how things were done, who did them, and what original requirement they were based on. This replaces the old 'Clickops' model, where settings were clicked on manually and documentation often remained incomplete,” says Mirka’s Digital Solution Architect Hannu Mäyrä.

Azure DevOps serves as the tool for this management, ensuring that every change is documented and controlled. This is critical in a factory where production continuity is a lifeline.

Cybersecurity at the core: Protection against sabotage and espionage

The manufacturing industry is today an attractive target for cybercriminals. The physical machines in the factory hall and their control systems (OT) set security requirements that are not encountered in traditional office environments. Outdated systems, carelessly shared credentials, and incomplete updates are risks that the new architecture aimed to eliminate. Mallow helped Mirka build an environment that meets tightening requirements, such as the NIS2 directive.

”Security is a key factor in this entirety. We have seen cases around the world where production equipment has been jammed or companies have been targets of industrial espionage. In the new model, we don't just protect ourselves against attacks, but ensure that we can restore production quickly and safely in a potential crisis situation,” Rönnlund says.

A partnership that lasts

A technological leap also requires a cultural change. Cooperation with Mallow has been more than just technical implementation; it has been about knowledge transfer and rooting a new way of working into the factory's everyday life. The utilization of data in production optimization and the role of AI tools in expert work are now part of Mirka’s new reality. The cooperation between Mirka and Mallow demonstrates how the traditional manufacturing industry can take its place at the forefront of digitalization. Viewed from the fields of Jepua, the future looks not only greener but also considerably more manageable.

Mallow’s solution in a nutshell:

• Modern Azure architecture: Transition from local infrastructure to a scalable and secure hybrid cloud.
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Management of the factory's IT environment as code, ensuring reproducibility and complete documentation.
• Azure DevOps: Automated and controlled change process (deployment), which minimizes human errors.
• Maximizing security: NIS2 compliance, traceability, and protection against cyber threats and industrial espionage.