History
1960 to 1967 - Both French and international beginnings
1960 (University of Tokyo, Japan)
First meeting of the Standing Committee for International Cooperation within the field of non-destructive testing during the third world conference on NDT.
France was represented by Mr R Rath from EDF at the time, an active member of the Non-Destructive Testing Commission of the Société Française de Métallurgie, the only organisation that was active officially in this field in France.
| 1967 (Montréal - Canada) Official creation of ICNDT by the sixteen founder countries, fourteen manufacturing members of the Standing Committee for International Cooperation within the field of non-destructive testing, including France, and two observers. |
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1967 to 1976 - Initial changes
1967 (Paris - France)
Birth of COFREND (French Committee for Non-destructive Testing Studies), chaired by Professor P. Bastien, which became the French Non-destructive Testing Committee shortly afterwards.
1976 (Cannes, France)
COFREND organised the eighth world conference on NDT, attended by nearly 1500 people for one week.
Following the presentation of the conclusions of the international working group on the certification of non-destructive testing operators (launched in 1973 in Warsaw during the 7th world conference), there was a clear need to define a coherent training, qualification and certification policy in France. |
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1977 to 1988 - Further changes
1977 (Paris - France)
Conversion of COFREND into a non-profit-making federation (chairmanship of Mr H. de Leiris, General Engineer). Initially, it brought together 36 public and private associations, bodies and establishments involved in studying and implementing NDT methods.
As corporate bodies and industrial and commercial companies could not join COFREND, it was decided to create APEND (Professional Association for Non-destructive Testing) under the chairmanship of Mr Dodement. This association was open to NDT operators and executives and ensured a regional presence for NDT.
The first NF A 09.010 personnel certifications were awarded in this year.
1987 (Versailles - France)
Celebration of COFREND’s twentieth anniversary
1988 (Paris, France)
Creation of COFREND, the French Confederation for Non-destructive Testing, from the merger of Cofrend and Apend (respective chairmanship of Messrs R. Genevray and G. Dodemont) chaired by Mr Philippe Berge.
1989 to date - First steps by the Confederation
1989 (Paris - France)
Official beginnings of COFREND, chaired by Mr J.-P. Berge, and creation of a position of Secretary General that would subsequently become a position of Director.
Signing of the first mutual recognition agreement of equivalence of personnel certification systems with SKNDO in the Netherlands.
1990 (Nice - France)
Organisation of the first COFREND seminar in Nice that was highly successfully, with more than 1,000 participants including about a hundred from abroad.
Election of COFREND to the head of ECNDT.
1994 (Nice - France)
Organisation of the sixth European NDT conference in Nice. More than 1,400 people made the journey, including 1,100 delegates from 43 countries.
1996 (Paris - France)
Accreditation of COFREND by COFRAC (French Accreditation Committee) obtained in October (no. 4-007/96 - certification of non-destructive testing operators). Coverage available at www.cofrac.fr
1997 (Nantes - France)
Organisation of the COFREND Days
1998 (Copenhagen - Denmark) |
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1999 (Paris – France)
Accreditation of COFREND by the French Ministry of Industry under the application of the European Directive on Pressure Equipment. As a third party body, the confederation was responsible for approving non-destructive inspectors of permanent assemblies.
2001 (Reims - France)
Organisation of the COFREND Days
2005 (Beaune - France)
Organisation of the COFREND Days
2008 (Toulouse - France)
Organisation of the COFREND Days
2009 (Paris - France) |
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2011 (Dunkirk - France)
Organisation of the COFREND Days
2013
Creation of a fourth hub: Professional organisation, with the task of promoting and enhancing the professions, employment and training in NDT.
2014 (Bordeaux - France) |
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2017 (Strasbourg - France) |
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