OilDoc FAQ
Oil analysis or lubrication, basic knowledge or certificate course, in-person or online training – we have the right further education for you!
The practice-oriented events of the OilDoc Academy are right on trend. Thanks to the increasing number of participants, we constantly receive valuable suggestions for additional focal points. Moreover, we are being challenged by many oil companies, as they are increasingly reducing their offerings of in-house training events for their customers and employees.
Which event from the OilDoc Academy is right for me?
First, please define which of our two major thematic focuses interests you the most.
Afterwards, proceed step by step.
Choose your thematic focus: Lubrication or Oil Analysis?
Lubrication: Your knowledge level – Beginner or experienced expert?
For beginners, our certificate course “Lubrication – Basics, Applications & Practice” is just right.
For experts, such as experienced maintenance professionals or lubricant salespersons, we recommend the
certificate course “Expert Knowledge for Lubricant Professionals”. Solid fundamentals are essential for this course. It goes well beyond the scope of traditional “lubricant seminars” and is also the optimal preparation for the subsequent, optional certification exam for the Certified Lubrication Specialist (CLS).
Oil Analysis: General basics or a specific subject area?
The four-day course “Machine Monitoring through Oil Analysis” provides a comprehensive overview of the subject, covering technical applications, lubricants, lubrication technology, monitoring, and oil care. After completing the course, you can take the certification exam for “Certified Oil Analysis Specialist – MLA Level II”.
Do you want to delve deeply into a specific subject area regarding oil analysis?
Then you have a wide range of options! We offer seminars on almost all systems or their components. However, within each theme, you can also take advantage of training offers that are tailored to your specific needs. In the basic seminars, you build a solid foundation for yourself. In the subsequent workshop, you deepen your knowledge. Here, you practice how to independently evaluate laboratory results and use oil analysis to investigate problems or cases of damage. To stay up-to-date, you can also attend the annually offered intensive days on individual subject areas. Here, you will learn about the latest developments and explore exciting practical examples.
In that case, my prior knowledge is not very extensive. Can I still participate in a basic seminar despite having limited prior knowledge?
But of course! In each basic seminar, we briefly review the key fundamentals at the beginning.
However, the course “Expert Knowledge for Lubricant Professionals” and the described “Intensive Days” are worthwhile only if you already have a strong knowledge foundation.
I would like to take the certification exam for CLS, the Certified Lubrication Specialist. But is this certification really highly regarded?
“CLS certification required” or “CLS certification preferred” – you will find such or similar requirements in many job advertisements of international companies. And in Germany as well, the CLS certification is gaining increasing importance, partly due to the ongoing process of internationalization. On this website, under “Certificate Courses”, all individuals who have completed their CLS at the OilDoc Academy are listed.
This list speaks for itself, and even more so do the names of the approximately 1,200 Certified Lubrication Specialists worldwide, which are available on the STLE website.
CLS, MLA II, or Professional Lubricant Consultant – what are the key differences?
At the OilDoc Academy, you can currently take three different certification exams and undergo intensive preparation in the respective courses.
The MLA II, Machinery Lubricant Specialist, is a Certified Oil Analysis Specialist. While he also possesses fundamental knowledge about lubrication, he is the expert when it comes to oil and grease analysis for machine and plant monitoring, as well as quality control.
The CLS and the Professional Lubricant Consultant also have knowledge of oil analysis, but their main focus is definitely lubrication. The Professional Lubricant Consultant has solid knowledge in terms of lubrication and lubricants. He has the best prerequisites to become an expert and in the future also take the certification exam for CLS. The CLS, Certified Lubrication Specialist, holds the most highly regarded certification in the industry by far.
Other associations and companies also offer training events on lubricants. How does the OilDoc Academy differ from these?
There are three significant differences: we are independent, work absolutely practice-oriented, and are professional knowledge conveyors!
The OilDoc Academy is an education institution certified according to the international standard DIN ISO 29990.
Our certified trainers know how to convey knowledge sustainably. This is also repeatedly confirmed by feedback from participants in our events, such as: “A professionally confident and very personable instructor, in a relaxed working atmosphere, he has always managed to get all seminar participants actively involved with his energy and dynamism.”
When is an individual corporate seminar advisable?
From a financial perspective, an individual seminar makes sense with a minimum of five to six participants. After all, this way, only travel costs for the OilDoc instructor are incurred, rather than for an entire group. Furthermore, the content is precisely tailored to the participants and their facilities. And within the internal framework, we can also address any specific individual issues intensively.
The OilDoc Academy is located in beautiful Upper Bavaria, but the journey is quite far. Are there no other locations for your events?
We are already meeting our participants halfway to an increasing extent. We also regularly conduct seminars in Hannover, Hamburg, or other major German cities.
In addition, we offer an extensive program of online training, and many seminars are also broadcast live via video, allowing you to participate directly in the seminar through chat and headset. This is ideal when the effort for travel is too high in certain cases.
Let us advise you, the team of the OilDoc Academy is here for you!