Architecture
How is Mantsu built?
Audience: This section is written primarily for IT architects and technical specialists who design, deploy, or assess the Mantsu setup. Non-technical readers, such as plant managers and project stakeholders, can use it to understand the building blocks and compare deployment and licensing options.
Mantsu is a modular MES (Manufacturing Execution System) designed for industrial plant environments, built from macro-services. It is built as an orchestrated, containerized application that is able to run cloud-native and/or on-premises. Containers are grouped into Kubernetes-managed nodes to enable scalable, resilient deployments.
For a functional introduction to the modules, start with the Overview or visit mantsu.io/product.
The architecture is intentionally adaptive: the set of deployed nodes and services is determined by the size, OT complexity, and continuity requirements of the target plant. A small plant may run a minimal configuration with a single lightweight OT edge node; a large plant may operate a fully clustered deployment with agentic data processing and an enterprise data lake integration. You do not need the full suite from day one: select the modules you need, start small, and let the deployment grow with the plant.
Mantsu uses a mixture of low-code (Mendix) and high-code. It offers code templates that are built to specification of the customer. Usage of templates assures that most recurring features are already developed and usable. This allows a fast deployment of a MVP. Further customization to your specifications is done through the low-code platform and AI-assisted high-code development. This allows a fast iteration cycle.
The final build will be owned by you, the customer. This means that you will own the code-base and you will own the data. There is no vendor lock-in.
What are the Guiding Design Principles?
- Service orchestration: each service is made responsible for a functional domain (execution, product quality, master data, etc.); functional objects are exchanged between services but the responsible service keeps the single-source-of-truth.
- Unified Namespace (UNS): all data (from OT machine streams to IT business events) flows is setup with the UNS architecture; making plant data discoverable, contextualized, and available to all authorized consumers without point-to-point connections.
- Event-driven integration: business events flow through a Kafka-compatible streaming broker, decoupling producers from consumers.
- Scalability: nodes can be added, clustered, or omitted based on customer specific requirements without architectural redesign.
- OT-IT separation: the boundary between operational technology and IT networks is included in the architecture; Mantsu respects the required firewall rules and certificates.
- ERP integration: production orders, master data, and confirmations are exchanged with the ERP through flexible REST or OData interfaces, tracked in the Core Manager interface log (see ERP Interfaces).
- Customer ownership & no vendor lock-in: Mantsu delivers the templates; you own the final running system and data infrastructure. There is no vendor lock-in.
Which technologies does Mantsu use?
Component | Technology | License Model |
|---|---|---|
MES Application Services | Mendix | Commercial Enterprise (per app/user) |
Service Databases | PostgreSQL | Open source |
Event Streaming Broker: Kafka broker | Redpanda Community Edition | Open source |
OT Edge | MQTT broker + Low-code | Open source or Commercial enterprise |
Reporting & UNS Historian | Custom high-code app | Template code-base (customer-owned) |
Metric Dashboards | Grafana | Open source |
Metrics Collection | Prometheus + Loki | Open source |
Alerting | Prometheus Alert Manager | Open source |
Container Orchestration | Kubernetes | Open source |
Edge Container Management | Docker / Docker Compose | Open source |
Frequently asked questions
Can Mantsu run on-premises as well as in the cloud? Yes. Mantsu is containerized and runs cloud native, on-premises, or in a hybrid setup; the node topology is chosen per plant.
Do you need the full suite from day one? No. You start with the modules you need and let the deployment grow with the plant.
Who owns the code and the data? You do. Mantsu delivers templates; the final build and all data are owned by the customer.
Summary: Mantsu is a modular MES built from containerized macro-services that run cloud native or on-premises. Mendix based services, a Redpanda event broker, and OT edge nodes are connected through a Unified Namespace. You start from templates, customize fast, grow per module, and own the final build and data.