Abstract: With the development of science and technology, all industrial sectors are making endeavors to advance intelligent construction. Intelligentization is an even more advanced technology stemming on the basis of the information collection and automation technologies. Along with the advance of network technology and improvement of performance of equipment, the coal preparation industry is made possible to satisfy the conditions of introducing intelligent operation. An introduction is made in the paper of the various automation and information subsystems, their respective development stage, and the requisite for introduction of intelligent operation in coal preparation plants. It is pointed out that introduction of intelligent system can lead to improvement of economic result, enhancement of core competitiveness, and further optimization of structure of operation system. Realization of intelligent operation is the developing trend of coal preparation industry.