When we say that we are the International Council for Machinery Lubrication, we really mean international. ICML's certification program and its credentials, such as the Machine Lubrication Technician and Machine Lubricant Analyst designations, are synonyms with knowledgeable, skilled, pioneering lubrication and analysis professionals worldwide. In fact, more than 4,700 such professionals from over 1,000 companies in over 50 countries on every major continent have obtained ICML credentials. It is very common for lubrication program champions worldwide to be involved with and certified by ICML. And a great majority of these professionals have been certified by ICML through testing in their native languages.
ICML and Shikoku Electric
These ICML-certified lubrication and analysis professionals are employed by visionary companies worldwide and are in charge of bringing positive change to their country's maintenance and reliability industry. Such companies know the value of education and certification for key lubrication personnel and look to ICML for independent, third-party assurance of their lubrication and analysis professionals' skills via the council's career path. One such company is Shikoku Electric Power Company, more specifically its Ikata nuclear power plant, which is featured in this issue of Machinery Lubrication magazine.
ICML is honored to have been entrusted with the certification of Ikata's diagnostic oil analyst and predictive maintenance project leader - Yutaka Yano and Itsuo Hirose, respectively. Takefumi Taguchi, also ICML certified, is currently the chief engineer for vibration analysis at Ikata.
ICML offered its first exam in the Japanese language in Tokyo in January 2006. In that same year, Mr. Yano attained ICML certification both as an MLT Level I and MLA Level I, and last year received certification as an MLA Level II. Mr. Hirose also became MLT I certified in 2006, and in 2007 certified as an MLA I. Mr. Taguchi achieved his MLA I certification in 2006.
Making a Difference in Asia
To date, ICML has issued almost 200 certificates to professionals from almost 50 companies in Japan in examination sessions offered in Tokyo and Nagoya.
Japan is one of several Asian countries in which ICML exams take place and one of three Asian languages currently offered (exams in Korean and Chinese are also available). In total, exams are currently available in eight languages, with locations offered worldwide on a regular basis. ICML will whenever possible make exams available in a practitioner's country of choice.
ICML would like to say a very special thanks to Ms. Midori Teruyama, who has been a volunteer liaison for ICML in Japan and was not only instrumental in introducing ICML exams in Japan, but a great champion of ICML certification still today. We can certainly say that if it weren't for Midori's altruistic and tireless dedication to ICML's cause, we could not have offered these Japanese professionals the chance to prove their skills to be on par with their ICML-certified counterparts all over the world. "Arigato gozaimasu", Midori-san!
