Noria has added the following courses to its Certification Series training offering in response to changes made by the International Council for Machinery Lubrication (ICML). In January 2010, the ICML aligned its Machine Lubricant Analyst certification with the ISO 18436-4 standard.

Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication     
A new three-day training course called “Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication” is offered to help prepare students for both the ICML Level I Machine Lubricant Analyst (MLA) and Level I Machine Lubricant Technician (MLT) certification exams. Because the Body of Knowledge for the ICML Level I MLA and Level I MLT exams are nearly identical, Noria is able to offer this single course for both certification levels.

Advanced Oil Analysis
A new three-day training course called “Advanced Oil Analysis” has been created to help students prepare for the ICML Level III MLA certification exam. If you received ICML Level I MLA certification prior to 2010, your certification is now Level II MLA and you may seek Level III MLA certification if you meet the other certification requirements. If you received ICML Level II MLA certification prior to 2010, your certification is now Level III.

Here’s a snapshot of how Noria’s Certification Series training courses align with ICML certifications:

Job Description		Noria Training		Suggested ICML Certification
In plant machinery lubrication – you're just getting started in your role or you need to learn fundamentals about performing, supervising or managing day-to-day lubrication activities.		Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication		MLT I
In plant oil analysis for lubricant and machine condition monitoring - you have no substantive background in lubrication, oil analysis or reliability, but oil analysis is an integral part of your job.		Fundamentals of Machinery Lubrication		MLA I
In plant oil analysis for lubricant and machine condition monitoring - you have the basics of lubrication and reliability covered but need to learn the fundamentals of oil analysis including sampling and data interpretation.		Practical Oil Analysis		MLA II
Machinery lubrication program management or supervision, including lubricant selection and day-to-day lubrication PM management.		Advanced Machinery Lubrication		MLT II
Oil analysis program management – including test slate selection, setting alarms and limits, diagnostic and prescriptive activities and laboratory/instrument selection and management.		Advanced Oil Analysis		MLA III

ISO Standard Leads to Changes for MLA, MLT Certifications

Starting January 2010, the International Council on Machinery Lubrication’s examinations in oil analysis will follow the now published ISO 18436-4 standard.

The ICML MLA I and MLA II certification program’s subject areas were brought into ISO 18436-4 as category II and III, respectively. To reflect this equivalence with the ISO 18436-4 standard, ICML has chosen to rename its MLA I and MLA II certifications as MLA II and MLA III, since the original MLA I is equivalent to Category II and the original MLA II equivalent to Category III of ISO 18436-4. The MLT I would be the close equivalence to Category I of the ISO standard.

The ICML MLT I was originally created by the council to focus on lubrication, not analysis, and as such did not focus on the subject areas of oil sampling or analysis. However, its body of knowledge was very desirable for a Category I of this ISO standard as it tested machinery and lubricant knowledge at an entry level. Therefore, ICML proposed a Category I body of knowledge for the ISO standard based on the MLT I.

Since the ICML was pioneering the MLT I’s body of knowledge into an analysis standard, it was necessary that some oil health monitoring, basic oil sampling, as well as some basic wear debris monitoring and analysis be added to the body of knowledge.
ICML will continue to offer the MLT I exam (as well as the MLT II) in its original form, independent of ISO, to serve the machinery lubrication professional. In addition, ICML will offer a new exam, adjusted as per our additions to the body of knowledge, as we included on the standard. This new exam will be in accordance with ISO 18436-4 Category I and will be named MLA I (the former MLA I is now called MLA II as explained previously).

The ICML Web site is being updated to reflect these upcoming changes, with the English pages reflecting this already.

A brief summarization of the bodies of knowledge for the new MLA I, MLA II and MLA III certifications follows:

Machine Lubricant Analyst Level I
            I. Maintenance strategies (10 percent)
            II. Lubrication theory/fundamentals (18%)
            III. Lubricant selection (10%)
            IV. Lubricant application (18%)
            V. Lube storage and management (10%)
            VI. Lube condition control (10%)
            VII. Oil sampling (10%)
            VIII. Lubricant health monitoring (10%)
            IX. Wear debris monitoring and analysis (4%)

Machine Lubricant Analyst Level II
            I. Lubricant roles and functions (4%)
            II. Oil analysis maintenance strategies (4%)
            III. Oil sampling (29%)
            IV. Lubricant health monitoring (21%)
            V. Lubricant contamination measurement and control (25%)
            VI. Wear debris monitoring and analysis (17%)

Machine Lubricant Analyst Level III
            I. Lubrication fundamentals (20%)
            II. Fundamentals of machine wear (15%)
            III. Wear debris analysis (21%)
            IV. Analyzing lubricant degradation (25%)
            V. Oil analysis program development and program
                                    management (19%).

For more information, visit www.lubecouncil.org.