Birmingham

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About Us:

WELCOME TO THE ISA BIRMINGHAM SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AUTOMATION (ISA)

The Birmingham Section is dedicated to the advancement of the automation industry through education and networking. Our annual short course has provided many young engineers and technicians with the fundamentals they need to succeed in their career.

ISA Birmingham Mission

The ISA Birmingham Section exists to advance automation, instrumentation, and controls technology, promote professional development of members, and create a network of professionals to share and learn.

ISA Birmingham Goals

The aims and objectives of the ISA Birmingham Section are to:

I. Provide opportunities for members to develop their professional and leadership skills through a mentoring and teaching atmosphere.

II. Develop programs and provide training to disseminate technical information to personnel in the automation, instrumentation, and control field of practice.

III. Establish local and international opportunities for networking and information sharing with others in the automation, instrumentation, and control field.

IV. Promote automation, instrumentation, and controls as a valuable and important field of work for engineering students.

V. Create scholarship opportunities for students in the field of automation, instrumentation, and controls.

VI. Encourage automation, instrumentation, and controls professionals to share their experience across industry boundaries and promote innovative thinking.

Announcements

APRIL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

By: Gerald Wilbanks , 18 days ago

April Event (you do not want to miss)

Each year, the ISA Birmingham Section has a plant or facility visit and tour, to allow attendees an opportunity to see control systems in action and working in a process.  This year is no different, but we plan to visit a facility that may be a little out of the normal for some of us.  Let’s go to a local industry facility in Sylacauga, Alabama.

DATE:  WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2025

TIME:  2:00 PM FOR GUIDED TOUR

LOCATION:       PLASTICAL COMPANY

2300 HILL ROAD

SYLACAUGA, AL 35151

PlastiCal is a leading provider of innovative compounding solutions located in Sylacauga, Alabama. welcome to PlastiCal, our state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot mineral/polyolefin compounding plant is strategically situated just one mile from two major quarries. This prime location allows us to utilize locally sourced marble from the rich 35-mile vein, ensuring the highest quality Calcium Carbonate Concentrate and CaCO3 Masterbatch for our customers.

Transportation options and car pool information will be available soon. In the meantime, please mark your calendars and plan to attend this informative visit to an interesting facility and see the operation in service.

PlastiCal has the capacity to produce about 50 million pounds of highly filled mineral/polyolefin masterbatch per month. Our commitment to advanced technology and sustainable practices positions us as a trusted partner for companies seeking eco-friendly products.
ISA Birmingham Section Training Opportunity

By: Gerald Wilbanks , one month ago

ISA-Birmingham Section Annual Training Course

“Fundamentals of Industrial Automation,

Instrumentation and Control”

May 6 – 8, 2025

Course Objective:

Our objective is to teach the following foundational aspects of industrial automation, instrumentation and control:

The course will cover fundamentals of temperature, pressure, flow, and level measurements; process control loops and tuning, with process control exercises. Programmable Logic Controls (PLC), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Fieldbus Technology, and final control elements will be presented and discussed.

Who Should Attend:

The course is directed towards engineers, technicians, I&C team leaders, sales personnel, and other technical/automation professionals who are responsible for instrumentation and control equipment and systems.

Location:

The program will be held at the offices of Revere Control Systems, 5201 Princeton Way, Hoover, AL 35226. Lunch and break refreshments will be provided each day.

Fee:

The cost for this 3-day course is $895 per person for registrations before April 1, 2025. The cost is $995 after April 1. ISA members receive an additional $100 discount from the posted rates. Registration fee includes course materials, refreshments, and lunch each day. Company group discounts are available – please contact Gerald Wilbanks at (205) 566-9801 for details and information.

Lodging:

There are several nice hotels available within a few miles of the course site. A few of these are listed below:

Candlewood Hotel Suites (205) 991-0272                       Amerisuites      (205) 995-9242

Drury Inn & Suites         (205) 967-2450             Holiday Inn Express (205) 991-9977

Hampton Inn (205) 967-0002



Course Instructors:

Geoffrey Johnson, P.E. David Walsh

Rockwell Automation                                                                 PASS Inc.

Chris Sorensen                                                                        David Haynes

Southern Company Services (Retired)                                       W. G. Yates



Professional Development Hours:

This program counts as 21 professional development hours (PDH) and may be used toward the continuing education requirements adopted by the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

For more information and to register, please click on the link below:

Fundamentals of Industrial Automation, Instrumentation, and Control - Training Course

Contact: Gerald Wilbanks, (205) 566-9801, or Email: gwilbankspe@charter.net