Contamination Control Certificate Program
Contamination control is a key consideration of every maintenance professional. Even the smallest of microscopic particles can result in downtime and lost revenue for a facility. In this program, attendees will learn the best strategies for early identification of common oil contaminants like air entrapment, water, particulates and varnish. Attendees will learn methods to help determine the contamination source as well as tactics for measuring, controlling and removing contamination to ensure a safer, more reliable, more productive facility.
What’s Included
In addition to a full-conference registration and workshop, program participants receive:
- Certificate of Completion
- $125 Noria Bookstore Voucher
- Access to VIP Lounge
- Private Reception
Included Workshop | Monday, April 16th
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Identifying the Causes of Contamination and the Actions That Mitigate Them


Henry Neicamp and Randy Clark, Polaris Laboratories
When faced with oil contamination problems, do you know which maintenance practices fall into the good, better and best categories? Have you identified the equipment critical to your operations and the ones that could be run to failure? What actions can reduce the lifetime maintenance costs of the components? Corrosion and mechanical wear account for 75 to 80 percent of the reasons components fail. This workshop will investigate the causes of contamination, the damage that contaminants generate and the predictive maintenance techniques that can mitigate problems or avoid them entirely.
Included Learning Sessions
Best Ways to Detect Water in Oil
Alejandro Meza – Senior Technical Consultant, Noria Corporation
With water being the second-most destructive contaminant, addressing and preventing water contamination should be high on your list of concerns. Almost all operating environments have water in liquid or gaseous forms. Water can also take different forms in oil. This presentation will reveal how preventing water in oil is much easier and cheaper than removing it. Attendees will learn how to select the best oil analysis tests for detecting the various forms of water in oil based on the system type, use and operating environment.
How to Spot the Clues of Air Entrapment and Foaming in Oil
Paul Sly – Lubrication Specialist, Chevron Lubricants
Air contamination is an often-overlooked root cause of excessive wear, premature oxidation, vibration and “spongy” hydraulic performance. It also is difficult to observe in the field until after damage has occurred. This presentation will outline how to identify and address the root cause of air contamination in various systems. Attendees will find out how to evaluate an oil’s resistance to foaming and air entrapment, how to discover ingression points by closely examining equipment, and which follow-up tests can be used to assess wear patterns.
Pinpointing the Root Causes of Particle Contamination
Scott Howard – Training Director, Hy-Pro Filtration
Particles in circulating fluids are responsible for the majority of damage across all types of equipment. This widespread problem is especially dangerous because of the amount of destruction it can cause and its wide variety of sources. This presentation will reveal how basic oil analysis can determine if particle contamination is present in a system, but why special follow-up testing is often needed. Attendees will discover which tests can help identify where particles are damaging a system, how severe the problem is and the potential root cause of the particle contamination.
Why You Should Be Testing for Varnish
Paul Whiting – Technical Director, Europa Filter
Incredibly small, sticky particles form the film known as varnish. This plating not only affects thermal transfer and gums systems but also poses a threat when it remains suspended in oil. This session will detail the oil analysis tests that can identify varnish and help you lower the lifetime maintenance costs of your machinery. You will learn how to detect varnish in a system, the specialty tests that can evaluate an oil’s ability to protect a system from varnish and when to order follow-up testing.


Why a Certificate Program?
Looking to enhance your career or establish yourself as an industry expert? Reliable Plant’s Certificate Programs provide a clear path to success. Designed to promote topic mastery, certificate programs provide participants with access to the latest skills and conceptual knowledge they need to excel.
- Certificate of Completion
- $125 Noria Bookstore Voucher
- Access to VIP Lounge
- Private Reception