Central control and the site?
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Our company does not distinguish between control room operators and field operators; they are all referred to as process personnel. They need to learn both control room operations and field work, with everyone taking turns working in the control room, including the team leaders. This system has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that everyone can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing process, allowing for more informed operations; the downside is that it’s very exhausting, and if someone with poor operational skills is assigned to oversee the control panel, things will go terribly wrong on site. So, let’s hear from everyone – what is the structure of your factory like? What are the pros and cons?
In our company, there is a clear distinction between control room operators and field operators. Control room operators must be skilled workers who also go through a probation period; usually, after three months and successful completion of training assessments, they can take on their roles. Otherwise, they can only work as field operators, and even then, they must operate under the supervision of a team leader. As you said, those with poor operating skills who operate the center console are prone to danger.
Reply to 2# Yili: Most factories do this in this way; even the factories we visited before operated in this manner. Huiseng is a bit better – it’s possible to go to the control room on site to check the parameters. In Hengsheng, however, the control room is located far away from the site, and unless there’s a work-related need, those in the control room hardly ever come into contact with those on site. I just want to know if there are companies like ours? :P
Such a system is highly challenging and conducive to a rapid improvement in technical skills. However, the biggest drawback is what LZ mentioned: those with poor skills can be very frustrating. In fact, for controlling the system, it’s better to find someone with good skills or someone who is highly motivated to learn; operation relies mainly on a sense of responsibility.
Our company is also structured separately: the person in charge of control is female, while those on site are male. However, our on-site staff require that those in charge of control learn how to perform these tasks as well, so as to enable effective coordination
Everyone should make use of their strengths: those with good technical skills should be assigned to handle the control panel, while those with strong physical strength and who can’t stay still should be placed on the field.
Ah, it seems that business structures like ours are really rare~
Only by mastering both the control room and the field can one gain a comprehensive understanding of the operation of the equipment. Performance varies, with those who perform well being promoted while those at the bottom performing poorly being eliminated. Only by mastering everything comprehensively can one be promoted to team leader and achieve even greater advancement.
In our workshop, originally, women were in charge of the control panel while men worked on the field. Moreover, the central control role remains that of central control, and the on-site role stays that of on-site work; there is no swapping between the two positions. The team leader needs to be a jack of all trades, knowing at least how to operate everything in the workshop.
Reply to 9# nglcx2003cn: The scoring for today has been completed; I will give you a score tomorrow. Actually, another major advantage of not having separate control rooms on site is that it allows for a significant reduction in the number of operators needed. Our current scope of responsibilities includes the central control and on-site operations for ammonia synthesis, ammonia refrigeration, compressor units, methanol synthesis, methanol distillation, water systems, fire wastewater tanks, and liquid ammonia storage tanks; each shift consists of 4–6 people. You might not believe it when I say this, hehe~
Reply to 10# chenziang12: In our workshop, all the DCS systems are integrated together; there is only one person on duty in the control room, who is responsible for managing the automation systems of all the different sections in the workshop.