Lubrication School

Level 1

Provides the foundational skillset for applying best lubrication practices and product knowledge. You’ll learn proven industry methods for selecting, storing, filtering and testing lubricants to boost reliability and generate lasting results in machine efficiency/maintenance, plus a better understanding of oil analysis.

Course Outline

2.5 Days

20 Core Modules

How Lubrication Affects Machine Reliability

Financial benefits from achieving lubrication excellence
Four equipment maintenance strategies and when each applies

Lubrication Fundamentals

Six important functions of lubricating oils
How oils and greases are formulated and why it is important
How friction is generated in lubricated machinery
The importance of oil film thickness and critical clearances

Understanding Additives, Base Oils And Grease Thickeners

How lubricant properties irreparably change
Seven important physical properties of a base oil
The importance of API’s five base oil categories
What causes grease to dry out and 18 ways to prevent it
How to detect the root causes of lubricant oxidation
When to select one of the six most used synthetic base oils
How to use temperature to determine the right base oil for your machine
How to select grease thickeners for your application

Lubricant Performance Properties

Key additives that enhance lubricant performance
Viscosity grades, measurement and reporting
Why viscosity index is important
Oil viscosity changes and how to set monitoring limits
Lubricant performance tests and reporting
How water contamination generates other contaminants
How to control and eliminate aeration problems

Lubricating Grease Application Methods

How to protect against incompatible grease mixtures
Advantages/disadvantages of centralized lubrication systems
Best practices for greasing motor bearings
How to control pressure when greasing bearings
The unique problems caused by over greasing
3 critical instructions to give your electric motor rebuild shop
Comparing single- and multi-point lubrication options
How to calculate greasing intervals/quantity
Best practices for ultrasonic/ sonic-based greasing

Lubricating Oil Application Methods

Overview of oil lubrication methods/devices
How to use oil mist and other automatic lubrication methods
Using pressure spray methods for gearboxes
Best practices for the maintenance of grease guns and fittings
Protect against problems caused by constant-level oilers
Overview of single-point direct lubrication systems

Journal Bearing Lubricants

The eight most common journal bearing lubrication problems
How to select journal bearing viscosity based on speed

Rolling-Element Bearing Lubricants

Nine factors affecting rolling-element bearing lubricant selection
How to convert required operating temperature viscosity to ISO viscosity

Gear Lubricants

Five key requirements for gear oil
How to select the best viscosity for a gear lubricant
Best practice guidelines for storing spare gearboxes
10 conditions that may require synthetic gear lubricants
Lubrication best practices for enclosed gears – a 12-point checklist
Mastering the challenges of open gear lubrication

Automotive And Mobile Equipment Drive-Line Lubricants

How to read a motor oil label: what matters
The six critical objectives a motor oil must accomplish
Understanding API service classifications for engine and gear oils
Service classifications for automotive greases – how to select
Extending engine life – surprising engine oil filter study results

Compressor Lubricants

Steps you can take right now to combat compressor lubricant failure
The most common compressor lubricant stressors
When to use synthetic compressor lubricants and why

Steam And Gas Turbine Lubricants

Why turbine/generator lubricants are the No. 1 contributor to forced outages
Comparing steam and gas turbine oils – how they differ
Checklist for best-practice steam turbine lubrication

Hydraulic Fluids

How to select the ideal hydraulic fluid viscosity for gear, vane and piston pumps
Nine key hydraulic fluid requirements and why they matter
Specific conditions that may require a synthetic hydraulic fluid
Fire-resistant hydraulic fluids
Hydraulic system maintenance best practices

Contamination Control

Strategies for building reliability through contamination control
The seven most destructive contaminants and how to control them
Specific steps for managing a proactive lubricant maintenance program
The ISO solid contaminant code – understand it, track it
10 ways to get more mileage out of portable filter carts
How dirt, metal particles and soot mechanically destroy machine surfaces
Guidelines for controlling machine surface fatigue and extending machine life
The No. 1 cause of machine wear and how to manage it
How to set realistic cleanliness levels for lubricants
Effective lubricant contamination control strategies for extending machine life
4 ways water contamination attacks lubricant additives
How to set limits for watering-oil contamination
Managing the root causes of foam and aeration
Best practices for excluding and removing contaminants
The right way to control contamination in tanks and sumps
How oil filters are rated
Best practices for removing water contamination from oil
The unique problems created by varnish

Oil Drains, Flushing And Reservoir Management

How to optimize and extend oil change intervals
Interval vs. condition-based oil changes – pros and cons
Metrics for monitoring lubricant consumption
Best practices for oil changes
Know how and when to perform a flush
The best procedures for oil draining and refilling
How and when to use the bleed-and-feed strategy for extending oil drains
Selecting the right cleaning and flushing procedures

Storing, Handling And Managing Lubricants

How to set up a world-class lube room
How to know when to reject a new oil delivery
Implement a lubricant consolidation program and select suppliers
Used lubricant storage, handling and disposal best practices
Bulk lubricant storage do’s and don’ts
Guidelines for storing and handling drums
Lubricant dispensing options and what you must avoid
Lubricant coding and identification systems – what works and what doesn’t
Portable oil transfer and filter carts selection advice
How and where to store oil transfer and filter carts
Understanding and managing lubricant storage life
Keeping grease fresh – best practices for storage

Design And Inspect For Lube Excellence

Accessorizing equipment for lubrication excellence
Seven critical accessories for lubricant inspection and sampling
The right machine accessories for effective contamination control

Lubricant Failure

Know the factors that contribute to lubricant failure
Thermal and oxidation processes and their effects on lubricants and additives
Common wear mechanisms caused by debris
Recognize what causes lubricant degradation
Recognizing the by-products of lubricant failure and wear debris
Distinguishing the specific test that measures the forms of lubricant degradation and wear debris monitoring
Interpret data to set alarms and limits based upon test results

Used Oil Sampling And Analysis Fundamentals

Types and categories of oil analysis
Applications for oil analysis
Overview of oil analysis tests
Elements of a successful oil analysis program
How clean should oil sample bottles be?
How to find the best sampling locations
Oil sampling valve and hardware recommendations
A quick method for optimizing sampling intervals
An oil sampling technique that ruins trending
The importance of primary and secondary sampling points
Advice for sampling hard-to-reach machines
How to properly sample circulating systems
Safe, effective high-pressure sampling from hydraulic systems

Essential Field Inspections

12 questions your oil filter will answer about your machine
Visual inspections you can get big results from right now
Quick tips for using scent, sound and touch to inspect lubricants

Overview

Certification

Snapshot

How Lubrication Affects Machine Reliability

Lubrication Fundamentals

Understanding Additives, Base Oils And Grease Thickeners

Lubricant Performance Properties

Lubricating Grease Application Methods

Lubricating Oil Application Methods

Journal Bearing Lubricants

Rolling-Element Bearing Lubricants

Gear Lubricants

Automotive And Mobile Equipment Drive-Line Lubricants

Compressor Lubricants

Steam And Gas Turbine Lubricants

Hydraulic Fluids

Contamination Control

Oil Drains, Flushing And Reservoir Management

Storing, Handling And Managing Lubricants

Design And Inspect For Lube Excellence

Lubricant Failure

Used Oil Sampling And Analysis Fundamentals

Essential Field Inspections

Your Instructors

Shane Scriven

Practical Lubrication Specialist, Data Scientist, Reliability Engineer, AI/ML

Asset Management Consultant

With 20 years of practical, hands-on experience, Shane combines his knowledge of lubrication with cutting edge technology and holistic asset management approaches to deliver well-rounded solutions.

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Michael Hooper

Tutor, Analyst and Technical Author

Noria Corporation

40 years lubrication & oil analysis expert across multiple continents. Noria Services Training Consultant. Managed labs & LIMS development. Author & presenter on lubrication & analysis.

View Profile

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Enquiries &

Booking

Lubrication School Level 1

Melbourne VIC

Instructor-led, classroom learning

2025-06-02

Jun 2

–

4 Jun

2025

2695

$2695 +GST

Enquire Book Now

Perth WA

Instructor-led, classroom learning

2025-07-23

Jul 23

–

25 Jul

2025

2695

$2695 +GST

Enquire Book Now

Brisbane QLD

Instructor-led, classroom learning

2025-10-15

Oct 15

–

17 Oct

2025

2695

$2695 +GST

Enquire Book Now

Online

22 Hours, Self-paced

365 Days Access

$1695 +GST

Enquire Book Now

Private Courses

Whether you have 15 or 1500 people to train, our schools can be offered at a time and location most convenient for your company.

Find out more

Your Learning

Pathway

Asset Schools training courses can be completed individually at any time, but have you considered planning a Learning Pathway? For example:

Lubrication Awareness

Lubrication Fundamentals

Lubrication School

Level 1

Lubrication School

Level 2

Still unsure about something?

Our Clients

The training provided by Asset Schools was exceptional, offering a highly educational experience that enabled us to learn a wealth of new knowledge and skills.

Ali Sahin

Senior Engineer, Reliability

Rio Tinto

Asset Schools give peace of mind that the investment in our Maintenance and Reliability professionals will provide a great return to both them and the business.

Gwyn Garland

Senior Manager

Asset Health Newmont

Courses

Asset Management Masterclass

This short course describes how an effective asset management system allows an organisation to best utilise its physical asset portfolio to achieve its business objectives.

1 Days, 5 Modules
Public, Onsite

Find out more

Supervisor School

This course helps Supervisors ensure that their teams deliver safe, on-time, high-quality work, while also providing timely feedback on equipment risks that may cause downtime.