Automatic control and manual control
Thread Content
Mature, large-scale production makes more use of automatic control. It is experimental; small-scale production is more commonly used for manual purposes. Is it believed that manual control is more flexible and easier to operate than automatic control?
Comparison is needed from the following perspectives: 1. Significant differences in measurement: There are basically no issues with measuring parameters of industrial installations, such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, and liquid level； In the case of small devices, due to the low flow rate of the substances being converted, it is often impossible to maintain a stable liquid level, making accurate measurement difficult, let alone achieving automatic control. 2. Significant differences at the operational level: Industrial plants are designed primarily for industrial production; stable output is necessary to achieve high yields, and automatic control is an effective means to achieve this ； Small devices, during the stages of process exploration and improvement, place more emphasis on operability, flexibility, and modifiability; stability is not given much importance – these aspects require human intervention for adjustment. 3: There is a significant difference between continuous and intermittent operation: Industrial facilities require continuous operation, as production on a 24/7 basis is necessary to generate revenue ； Many of these small devices operate in an intermittent manner; thus, it’s only possible to ensure that a certain step is continuous, but the steps themselves cannot be fully continuous, which requires manual intervention.
It can’t be said simply, but manual flexibility is definitely better
Large-scale manual production is inefficient and lacks proper control, failing to meet production requirements. For experimental or small-scale applications, cost considerations are a factor; automation, which involves automatic valves, automatic instrumentation systems, and control systems, is costly. Experimental in nature, process variations are also considered
Automation is far superior to manual operation, as it enables continuous monitoring and adjustment of control parameters and keeps operators away from hazardous areas. However, the cost and economic efficiency of automated control are lower than those of manual control; when automatic operation of valves cannot be guaranteed, manual control offers greater flexibility than automation