2. Classification of automation problems according to process requirements

Beyond its concepts, automatic control is a science that has developed a variety of tools depending on the situations in which it is applied. In order to apply the right tools and to treat problems with the right methods, it is essential to have a good understanding of the typology of these problems. As far as processes are concerned, two dimensions intersect. Table 1 presents these two dimensions and proposes a classification of unit operations used in the food industry according to the nature of the product flows on the one hand, and the information predominantly present on the other. This approach is necessary from the outset of an automation problem.