Welcome to Learn Oil Analysis’ Lube Analysis certification Program LOA 22.4, where we’re breaking down barriers in professional education. Our world increasingly relies on machinery, and the reliability of this machinery isn’t just a matter of efficiency; it’s a crucial factor in operational cost-savings and sustainability. This is particularly true in regions with limited resources; every pound, dollar, euro, or rupee counts.

In many countries, professional certifications can be prohibitively expensive. Consider this: the cost of a standard certification in some regions could cover a year’s worth of essential supplies for a small business or a family’s living expenses for several months. This stark reality limits opportunities for many talented individuals and hinders the growth of businesses operating on a shoestring budget.

Our Commitment: Free Training and Certification for Eligible Candidates

At Oil Analysis Laboratories, we’re committed to changing this narrative. We believe that knowledge should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. That’s why we’re offering our comprehensive certification program completely free for individuals who are unemployed or working for companies with an annual turnover of less than $2 million.

For those in larger companies, we still want to make learning accessible. We’re offering our certification at a nominal administrative fee, guaranteed to be 75% less expensive than any similar program in the market. As little as $25 per discipline. Our goal? To ensure that cost is never a barrier to excellence in oil analysis.

LOA Certificate: Rigorous and Relevant To Industry needs

Above is an example of the certification badge you may use following successful completion of a scope of training.

Our certification isn’t just affordable; it’s rigorous and industry-relevant. The LOA 22.4 certificate program overlaps with the ISO18436 syllabus, ensuring you receive training covering the core parts of the syllabus of global standards. Since we are not a university or school and everything we do is free we can’t provide ISO17024 university / college certifications or post graduate diplomas. However, firstly some of the traditionally most popular certification programmes are not ISO17024 either. Many certification organisations are about paid recertification fees and getting as many numbers on their list of qualified candidates rather than on generating useful lube technicians and analysts that businesses really need. Much of the their subject matter involves attempting to cross train individuals in multiple disciplines to create superficial knowledge in many subject areas and many certificate fees, rather than becoming a master at one.

You will be surprised to find out most training worldwide is performed by individuals who have never worked in a lube analysis lab or with real world knowledge of what is practical for lab analysis targets and limits. For instance 18/16/13 for a gearbox ISO code is totally unrealistic but often stated in ISO18436 training as the alarm limit for gearbox cleanliness.

Also the way knowledge is tested in traditional training is not really relevant in modern 21st century learning. For instance, part of modern learning is more research skills, knowing where to access trusted information rather than rote learning. Do you really need to memorise all the limits of the SAE viscosity grades when pretty much everyone looks them up? That is why our exam is open book, but the pass mark and time set is challenging enough you can’t spend ages looking up each answer and the majority of the information has to come from your head but you can use relevant lookup charts etc to aid you as you would in a real life situation.

Does that mean your exam is easier? No, Since our only target is identifying highly capable individuals and training to this standard and not to get as many multiple recertification numbers on our books we make our content more rigorous and it is actually harder to pass our exams than many others. But if you put in the hard work it costs you absolutely nothing in the process.

Upon completion, you’ll be awarded an exclusive LOA certification number. This number, along with your name, will be your key to verification which can be confirmed online here – a testament to your expertise, accessible to anyone, anywhere.

What’s different about the syllabus?

With our certification the principle is all about specialisation with a set of core competencies to cover the basics but really specialising in different disciplines of fluid analysis. For instance if you work with diesel engines you are unlikely to need to know about RPVOT. Likewise if you work on steam turbines initial pH and TBN are unlikely to be relevant either. Rather than spreading your knowledge wide and superficial we focus on getting deep into specific disciplines. You can always take multiple disciplines – for instance hydraulic and turbines have a lot of overlap.

What is the of 22.4 syllabus?

LOA 22.4 - Comprehensive Lubrication and Fluid Analysis Certification

Syllabus Overview

The LOA 22.4 Certification is a comprehensive and flexible program designed to equip professionals with the critical skills and knowledge required for lubrication and fluid analysis. The program is structured around Core Competencies that form the foundational knowledge base, combined with Specialized Training Scopes that allow candidates to focus on the areas most relevant to their work. This scope-based approach provides flexibility and ensures that professionals gain the expertise they need without unnecessary overlap.

Core Competencies (for All Scopes)

The Core Competencies cover the essential principles that all candidates must master, regardless of their specialized area. These competencies provide a strong foundation in lubrication and fluid analysis, preparing professionals to excel in their chosen Scopes.

  1. Tribology and Lubrication Regimes
    • Understand principles of why machines fail (e.g., end of life, contamination) and explain the bathtub curve of failures and the P-F interval.
    • Compare and contrast maintenance strategies, including condition-based, predictive, proactive, scheduled, and run-to-failure approaches.
    • Identify and explain the functions of a lubricant.
    • Understand the impact of poor maintenance on business profits.
    • Master the principles of hydrodynamic, hydrostatic, and elastohydrodynamic lubrication.
    • Grasp the fundamentals of lubrication, including hydrodynamic, elasto-hydrodynamic, and boundary lubrication regimes.
    • Understand the key wear mechanisms, such as sliding adhesive wear, cutting abrasive wear, surface fatigue, cavitation, and corrosive wear.
  2. Lubricant Fundamentals
    • Gain an in-depth understanding of base oils (Groups I-V) and additives (antioxidants, anti-wear agents, dispersants, detergents, etc.).
    • Learn key chemical and physical property tests, including viscosity, viscosity index, and density/specific gravity.
    • Understand viscosity and consistency classifications, including ISO/SAE viscosity standards and NLGI grease consistency classifications.
    • Apply lubricant selection criteria to choose the appropriate lubricant for the application.
    • Master proper lubricant application techniques.
    • Ensure best practices in lubricant receiving and storage.
  3. Contamination Control
    • Identify and control contaminants, including particles, water, wear metals, and industry-specific contaminants (e.g., fuel and glycol).
    • Explain filtration concepts such as beta ratio, and convert units (e.g., ppm to percent, microns to millimetres).
    • Diagnose contamination using basic measurement techniques, including water content analysis and wear metals analysis (e.g., ICP and acid digestion alternatives).
    • Understand the effects of mixing lubricants.
  4. Routine Oil Testing
    • Explain the purpose of regular tests to monitor lubricant health (e.g., viscosity, viscosity index, acid number, water content).
    • Describe the process for taking a representative sample, including sampling from pressurised and non-pressurised systems.
    • Understand lubricant degradation mechanisms (e.g., oxidative degradation, thermal degradation, additive depletion, hydrolysis).
  5. Lubricant Storage and Handling
    • Implement best practices for proper storage, labeling, and inventory management of lubricants and scope-relevant fluids.
    • Prevent contamination during storage and ensure the cleanliness and integrity of stored fluids.
  6. Basic Health and Safety Protocols
    • Ensure safe handling and disposal of lubricants, focusing on risk management for fluid injection, exposure to hazardous materials, and lubricant management.
  7. Program Management and Continuous Improvement
    • Develop and manage lubrication analysis programs effectively, with a focus on data reporting and analysis, and responding to abnormal data with corrective actions.
    • Track key performance indicators (KPIs) for program effectiveness, including cleanliness compliance, mean time between failures (MTBF), and lubricant consumption tracking.

Scope TURB: Turbine Oils and Turbine Systems

  • Target Audience: Professionals working with steam, gas, or hydro turbines.
  • Specialized Competencies:
    • Understand turbine oil stability testing, including:
      • Turbine Oil Stability Test (TOST)
      • Rotating Pressure Vessel Oxidation Test (RPVOT)
    • Varnish and deposit management using:
      • Membrane Patch Colorimetry (MPC)
      • Ultracentrifuge testing
      • Other systems (e.g., SAIL)
    • Control high-temperature degradation and contaminant ingress (e.g., water, particles, acids).
    • Master oil filtration and contamination removal techniques.
    • Diagnose specialized routine tests for turbine oils:
      • Foam Testing
      • Air Release Testing
      • Water Separability
      • Demulsibility Testing

Scope DGA: Insulating Oils and Electrical Equipment

  • Target Audience: Professionals working with transformers, circuit breakers, and other electrical equipment.
  • Specialized Competencies:
    • Evaluate dielectric properties of insulating oils, including:
      • Dielectric Breakdown Voltage
      • Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA)
      • PCB (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) Detection
    • Diagnose moisture content and interfacial tension testing.
    • Monitor furanic compounds for paper insulation degradation.
    • Relevant Diagnostics: DGA, Furan Analysis, Interfacial Tension.

Scope HYD: Hydraulics and Compressors

  • Target Audience: Professionals working with hydraulic systems, compressors, and other pressurised systems.
  • Specialized Competencies:
    • Analyze hydraulic fluid properties, focusing on:
      • Particle Counting
      • Foam Testing
    • Perform compressor oil analysis, including:
      • Oxidation Stability
      • Viscosity Testing
    • Control contamination from water, air ingress, and particles.
    • Ensure oil viscosity stability under pressure and temperature.
    • Understand filter ratings, including beta ratios.
    • Relevant Diagnostics: Shear Stability, Foam Testing, Acid Number, Viscosity, Particle Count.

Scope AUTO: Automotive Fluids (Engines, Fuel, Coolant, AdBlue)

  • Target Audience: Professionals working with automotive lubricants and fluids, including both mono and multigrade SAEs, gas engines, and construction industry fluids.
  • Specialized Competencies:
    • Perform fuel quality and contamination analysis, focusing on:
      • Water Content
      • Microbial Growth Detection
    • Conduct coolant testing, including:
      • Glycol Concentration
      • pH Level
      • Corrosion Inhibitors
    • Test AdBlue (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) for quality and contamination, focusing on urea concentration and contamination detection.
    • Analyze TBN (Total Base Number) in engine oils to assess engine lubricant condition.
    • Understand and diagnose glycol contamination effects.
    • Recognize soot contamination and its effects.
    • Relevant Diagnostics: Fuel Oxidation Stability, Coolant Condition Analysis, TBN Testing.

Scope HEAT: Thermal Oils and Heat Transfer Systems

  • Target Audience: Professionals managing heat transfer systems using thermal oils.
  • Specialized Competencies:
    • Evaluate thermal conductivity and heat transfer efficiency in thermal oils.
    • Control high-temperature stability and oxidation in thermal oils.
    • Ensure safety with flash point and fire point testing.
    • Relevant Diagnostics: Thermal Conductivity, Flash Point, Fire Point, Oxidation Stability.

What is the official content of knowledge that the examinations are based on?

90% of all content in the examination may be found on LearnOilAnalysis for free in the books, videos and articles. However approximately 10% of the exam does assume some knowledge from having worked in the discipline area for 1 year or more in terms of terminology used.

Why LOA 22.4 Certification Matters

  1. Global Standards, Local Impact: Our curriculum embraces the key parts of other ISO certifications tailored to make a real difference in your work, regardless of where you are.
  2. Empowerment Through Education: We’re passionate about empowering individuals and businesses. This certification opens doors to new opportunities, and the potential for significant operational improvements.
  3. Community and Support: Join a growing community of certified professionals. Benefit from ongoing support, resources, and networking opportunities.
  4. Sustainability and Growth: With our focus on reliability and efficiency, this certification isn’t just about your growth. It’s about contributing to a more sustainable world.

Who Should Certify?

Empowering Professionals Across Industries

Our LOA Certification is designed for a diverse range of professionals who are looking to deepen their expertise in oil analysis and machinery lubrication. Whether you are starting your career, seeking to upgrade your skills, or aiming to establish your authority in the field, this certification is for you. Here’s who will benefit most from our program:

  1. Maintenance and Reliability Engineers: For those responsible for the upkeep and optimal functioning of machinery, understanding oil analysis is crucial. Our certification equips you with the knowledge to make informed decisions, extending the life of equipment and reducing downtime.
  2. Lubrication Technicians: If your role involves handling and applying lubricants, our certification provides you with the insights needed to select the right products and apply them correctly, enhancing machine performance and reliability.
  3. Industrial Chemists and Laboratory Personnel: Professionals working in condition monitoring laboratories or dealing with chemical analysis will find our certification enhances their understanding of oil properties and degradation, crucial for accurate analysis and reporting.
  4. Quality Control Managers: If you oversee quality in manufacturing or industrial settings, our program helps you understand how lubrication impacts product quality and machinery lifespan.
  5. Students and Academic Professionals: If you’re a student or educator in fields like mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or industrial maintenance, this certification offers both practical and theoretical knowledge, enhancing academic learning with industry-relevant skills.
  6. Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners: Running a business with machinery means every decision impacts your bottom line. Our certification empowers you with knowledge to maintain your equipment efficiently and reduce costly repairs.

Making Professional Development Accessible

We believe in democratising education and professional growth. Hence, our program particularly benefits individuals and businesses in regions where access to quality training and certification is limited or prohibitively expensive. By offering our certification for free or at a nominal cost to eligible candidates, we aim to nurture talent and skill development across the globe.

Prerequisites for Registering for the LOA Certification

Ensuring a Foundation for Success

Our LOA Certification is designed to provide comprehensive training in oil analysis and machinery lubrication. To ensure that all participants can fully benefit from and contribute to the program, we have set the following prerequisites:

  1. Educational Background:
    • To avoid excluding people who do not have a vast array of academic qualifications, a degree or university education is not essential but can often help with some of the content and concepts used in the course. High school chemistry and engineering basics will be assumed, but no more as we cover everything more in our training materials.
  2. Professional Experience:
    • At least one year of work experience in a relevant field such as maintenance, lubrication, mechanical engineering, or industrial operations.
    • For those seeking a new career or long-term unemployed and requiring reskills training, then the year of work experience can be replaced with demonstration via a short pre-exam of evidence of research into the topic.
  3. Basic Understanding of Machinery and Lubrication:
    • Familiarity with basic mechanical concepts and terminology.
    • Understanding the fundamental principles of lubrication is advantageous but not mandatory for entry-level certification.
  4. Language Proficiency:
    • Proficiency in English, as the course materials and examinations will be conducted in English.
  5. Technical Requirements:
    • Access to a computer with internet connectivity to participate in online training modules and assessments.
    • Basic computer literacy to navigate online learning platforms.
  6. Commitment to Learning:
    • A commitment to complete the course modules and participate actively in any practical or theoretical assessments.
  7. Ethical Standards:
    • We do reserve the right to refuse entry to individuals, companies or nations involved in ethically immoral practices or countries under international sanctions.

Acceptance of other training qualifications for ‘grandfather access’

We do accept evidence of ISO18346 training qualifications you may have gained. However, as there are some glaring errors and omissions in some of the leading training programmes and examination questions in this area you may be subject to a short VIVA exam (where we will do a short teams call with you to check your knowledge and understanding of certain points) to see how many bad practices you may have been taught and would need re-training.

How long does certification last?

5 years and some CPD evidence will be required to demonstrate you have been using oil analysis and it’s data during the 5 years. This can be a simple case study, a copy of a lab analysis report, articles read on learn oil analysis etc.

Your Journey Starts Here

Whether you want to enhance your skills, boost your career, or drive your business forward, the LOA certification is your pathway to success. Enroll today and join a global movement of skilled professionals dedicated to excellence in oil analysis. If you want to find out more about our certifications click the contact us to find out more.

Confirm LOA Certification Status

You can check the certification status of any Lube Analysis professional using our worldwide LOA certification checker. All you need is their last name and their LOA certification number to check its validity. Note Last name is at time of application, so if you need to update your surname e.g. due to marriage, click Contact Us to do so to make finding you easier.

If you don’t know anyone with a certificate try “Bloggs” and “123456” to see an example entry.