CONTENTS
News.............................................. 1-3
Africa Regional Group.................... 4-6
Asia-Pacific Regional Group...............7
European Regional Group..................8
Pan-American Regional Group..... 9-11
Calendar of Events............................12

The World Organisation for NDTVolume 8 Issue No 5

December 2010
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Meetings result in exciting developments

A

fter my summer holidays, which I spent with my wife Kay in the Western Isles off the NorthWest coast of Scotland, the autumn is proving to be a busy time for my ICNDT activities,
involving three overseas trips and some exciting developments, mostly but not wholly
relating to personnel certification. I attended three meetings in Vienna, a conference in Berlin andwill soon head for the ASNT Fall Conference and an ICNDT PGP meeting in Houston, Texas.
Firstly, there was a meeting of our ICNDT Working Group 1 on Qualification and Certification
of NDT personnel, with attendees from all around the world (Germany, Brazil, Spain, Austria,
Singapore, Japan, Russia, France, Australia, Canada and the UK). WG1 is working out the detailsof two new potential ICNDT activities and seeking approval for implementation of its plans fromthe ICNDT Policy and General Purposes Committee:
1. Develop a global Multilateral Recognition Agreement between Third-Party Certification
Bodies. This will supercede the existing MRAs in Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. Alreadyin Europe, through the European (EFNDT) Mutual Recognition Agreement, signed October
1994, 29 countries’ NDT societies recognise 18 third-party certification schemes.
The objective is to ensure that NDT certificates gained under any one of the recognised certification schemes recognised by
ICNDT will be accepted in all of the countries which are signatories to the Agreement.
2. Develop an ICNDT Approval Scheme for certification bodies to complement accreditation.
The group has worked very hard to prepare these programmes and I was much impressed by the detailed work being carriedforward.
Secondly, a group of ICNDT Executive Committee members met with four senior representatives of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna. The IAEA has a long association with ICNDT and for many years has supported the development
of NDT in the less developed regions and countries. Many national NDT societies and training and certification schemes have been
established with the assistance of the IAEA, which is continuing to work on projects in Africa, South America and Asia. The Agency
officers are reviewing how to handle their NDT activities in the future and were very interested to discuss how they can work with
ICNDT. We were pleased to have the chance to thank the IAEA for their support in the past and to offer ICNDT’s cooperation in the
future.
Thirdly, also in Vienna, I represented ICNDT at the Joint Working Group of ISO TC135 and CEN TC138, which is looking to theharmonisation of EN 473 and ISO 9712 into a single global standard. ICNDT held a seminar at the world conference in Shanghai
to promote this harmonisation and the Joint Working Group was announced there by the two chairs, Dr Hatano and Mr Patrick
Fallouey. Both meetings of the group, in Madrid and Vienna, have been very successful. We congratulate the co-chairs and memberson their dedication and progress and can be increasingly confident that a single standard will be the result.
In Berlin, I attended the 8th International Conference on NDE in Relation to Structural Integrity for Nuclear and Pressurised
Components, 29 September - 1 October 2010, organised by the DGZfP (German NDT Society), with support from the EU, UK, Japanand USA. The conference was very well organised. I presented a paper entitled ‘NDT Personnel Certification – Recommendationsof ICNDT and EFNDT and their Relevance to the Nuclear Industry’.
Next stop is Houston, Texas. I’m looking forward to telling people that I live in the original Houston, a village in Renfrewshire,
Scotland, which was the birthplace of the forebears of Sam Houston, after whom the Texas metropolis is named.

Dr J M Farley
Chairman, ICNDTThe Official Journal of the International Committee for Non-Destructive TestingICNDT Journal
Publisher: 				

Editor:		

The International Committee for Non-Destructive Testing (ICNDT)Secretariat: The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT),
Newton Building, St George’s Avenue, Northampton NN2 6JB, UK.
Tel: +44 (0)1604 89 3811; Fax: +44 (0)1604 89 3861; Email: info@bindt.org
Douglas J Marshall, The Canadian Institute for NDE (CINDE), 135 Fennell
Avenue, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3T2, Canada. Tel: +1 (905) 387-1655; Fax:
+1 (905) 574-6080; Email: d.marshall@cinde.ca

Production Editors: David Gilbert, The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT).
Tel: +44 (0)1604 89 3811; Fax: +44 (0)1604 89 3861; Email: david.gilbert@
bindt.org
				

Sharon Bond, CINDE
Email: s.bond@cinde.ca

Production:				Corinne Mackle, BINDT
Zoe White, BINDTYour new ICNDTJournal is available
for downloading fromwww.icndt.org

Published three times per year.
Editorial contributions are welcomed.
Articles should be sent to Sharon Bond, CINDE. Email: s.bond@cinde.ca
Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the International Committee for
Non-Destructive Testing. No liability is accepted whatsoever for errors or omissions.
ICNDT Member Societies are authorised to distribute this newsletter and/or its contents, however
permission should be obtained for reproduction of individual articles and extracts.

The next ICNDT Journal will be published in March 2011Material should be sent to Sharon Bond, email: s.bond@cinde.ca by 31 January 2011

Future ICNDTCommittee Meetings
Executive
Fri 3 Dec 2010: Teleconference
Fri 28 Jan 2011: Glasgow
Fri 4 Mar 2011: TeleconferenceApr 2012: at WCNDT, Durban,
South Africa

General Assembly
Fri 28 Jan 2011: TeleconferenceApr 2012: at WCNDT, Durban,
South Africa

PGP
Sat 1 Oct 2011: Cancún
Apr 2012: at WCNDT, Durban,
South Africa

Working Group 1
Sun 2 Oct 2011: Cancún
Apr 2012: at WCNDT, Durban,
South Africa

Harmonisation of EN 473/ISO 9712: successful meeting in ViennaO

n 14 September, a joint meeting of
ISO/TC135/WG3 and CEN/TC138
AHG9 took place at the AustrianStandards Institute in Vienna.
The aim of the meeting was to take ahuge step forward in the harmonisationof European standard EN 473 with theinternational standard ISO 9712. In fact,
it is proposed to use the Vienna agreement
to replace these two standards with one
because both standards, being identicalin scope, differ only in detail. For many
years it has not been possible to achievea unique standard, despite the urgent
need of industries to have such, and now
there is a strong feeling that this must
happen.
Now, as a result of the intensive
preparation undertaken by both working
groups, and especially the detailed proposal
prepared by Patrick Fallouey (Chairman,
CEN TC138), it became apparent thatpractically all problems could be solved.
At the end of the meeting a draft of an
identical ISO 9712/EN 473 was ready forsubmission to ISO Central Secretariat (CS).
There was a clear consensus between bothTechnical Committees and a powerful senseof mutual cooperation. This represents agreat success for the work many committee
members have put in over a long periodof time, and a huge advance for all parties
involved in NDT personnel qualificationand certification.

2

At the end of the meeting it wasagreed to speed up the work by goingdirectly to the draft international standard(DIS) stage, but despite this clear wish of
the meeting the ISO Central Secretariat
has insisted in sticking dogmatically toprocedure and going the long way throughall of the formal stages in the revision of astandard.
Despite the fact that there was some
disappointment over ISO’s insistence toadhere to the formal procedures and thetime that this will take, all engaged parties
were extremely satisfied with the positive
outcome.
Ralf Holstein
German Society for NDT

Several meetings took place in Vienna,
revolving around the ISO/CEN discussions,among them a get together of ICNDTWorking Group 1, the members of which
are shown assembled outside the offices ofTÜV Austria, headquarters of the AustrianSociety for NDE, which kindly organised theactivities Photo courtesy Gerhard Aufricht

The Unseen World of NDTT

he British Institute of Non-Destructive
Testing (BINDT) has launched
its video – ‘The Unseen World of
NDT’, now available on DVD, YouTube, on
the BINDT website and via a link at www.
icndt.org (ICNDT was a co-sponsor of the
project).
Aimed primarily at young people, toencourage them to consider a career in
NDT, the video also fulfils the importantfunctions of raising the awareness of
NDT in the public domain, focusing on
why NDT is carried out and, at the sametime as educating and informing, is also
entertaining.
The video follows the activities of afamily as they prepare to go on holiday.
Their lives are kept safe by NDT at eachstage of their journey.
The main video is supplemented byother shorter films going into 12 different
aspects and applications of the main
theme.
Free copies of the DVD are available
from BINDT on request. Email: cindy.
bailey@bindt.org

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

18th WCNDTCountdown to the 18th WCNDTT

he organisation of the 18th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing (18th WCNDT) is proceeding at a rapid
pace, and all indications are that it is going to be a roaring
success.
The conference will be taking place in Durban, South Africa,
between 16 and 20 April 2012. This is a very pleasant time of theyear weather-wise and delegates can expect a great professionaland sensual treat. The venue for the conference is the International
Convention Centre in Durban, an ultra-modern facility with lecture
theatres and exhibition floor space able to accommodate even thelargest conventions. It is a short walk from the beach, where there
is a variety of hotels and self-catering establishments to suit one’s
pocket.
A professional organisation, The Conference Company, is being
used to handle the administrative details such as registrations,managing the database for abstracts etc, and they will also be able
to make accommodation bookings for delegates at reduced rates
that they are able to negotiate with the hotels.
The general area of the Convention Centre and beach-front
has been considerably upgraded in recent years and has become
an attractive tourist magnet. Durban is a natural gateway to many
tourist attractions, such as game parks, coastal areas and the majestic
Drakensberg. The city itself is a cosmopolitan place, projecting Zulu
pride, western culture and a strong oriental influence.
The present plans for the conference structure call for a midmorning invited talk of one hour on each day and contributed
talks of 20 minutes in parallel sessions, and there will be poster
sessions. A number of invited speakers have confirmed so far. There
will be a website for online registration and abstract submission,
going live in March 2011. The deadline for abstract submission is
15 October 2011 and notification of abstract acceptance by 15
November 2011; the preliminary programme will be available in
January 2012. It is anticipated that there will be a large number of
exhibitors of NDT equipment and services, to be accommodated
in the extensive floor space of the Convention Centre.
The broad theme of the 18th WCNDT is: ‘NDT in the Serviceof Society, in Safety Assurance, Quality Control and Condition
Monitoring’. In specific terms, this translates into the following
subject areas:l General topics such as training and certification, regulationand standardisation.
l NDT applications in transport, civil structures, mining, power
generation and the chemical, steel and wood pulp industries.
l Africa-specific NDT problems and applications. It is the intent
to include a one-day session devoted to the AFRA 5th African
NDT Conference.
l Materials’ characterisation.
l Condition monitoring.
l R&D in electromagnetic, optical, radiographic, thermographic
and ultrasonic NDT techniques.

Negotiations are underway with Drs Baldev Raj andVenkataraman from India regarding the running of a preconference workshop on Advanced Digital Imaging Techniques on
the weekend prior to the conference, and a possible workshop on
NDT for Regulators. We have had a local offer to run a practicalworkshop, which would be aimed at relative newcomers to thefield. Offers from individuals or organisations to run mini-symposia
on specific topics, to be accommodated within the programme of
the conference, will be considered.
Technical tours to a number of industrial and other sites where
NDT is featured are being planned and there will also be a social
programme for delegates and accompanying persons.
Authors will be invited to submit electronic files of theirpapers for inclusion in the Conference Proceedings, which will
be provided to the delegates at the conference on CD and be
made available online. Information on the length and format ofthe papers will be posted on the conference website, and themanuscript submission deadline for inclusion on the CD will be
31 January 2012. An agreement is being signed with NDT.net forthe online publication of the proceedings and production of themaster CD to be replicated for the delegates.
Much effort is at present going into the marketing and promotionof the 18th WCNDT. The President, Manfred Johannes, Chairman,
Hugh Neeson, and Chairman of the Marketing Committee,
Butch Davies, have attended or will be attending a number ofinternational conferences, including the Indian conference NDE2010, and conducting a publicity campaign for the 18th WCNDT.
The Marketing Committee is also energetically approaching a rangeof companies dealing in NDT supplies, NDT service providers andthe users of NDT services for sponsorship and exhibiting. A lotof interest is being expressed and in the coming weeks concrete
offers will materialise. The conference fees will be set in January
2011, by which time the financial position of the conference will
be clearer.
A Section 21 (not-for-profit) company is being registered foradministering the financial affairs of the conference, and a formal
contract is being drawn up between ICNDT and the company,
which is a legal requirement to allow certain foreign exchangetransactions to take place.
Responsibility for running the 18th WCNDT is vested in thefollowing committees:l Local Organising Committee: Manfred Johannes (President),
Hugh Neeson (Chairman), Robin Marshall (Admin Secretary).
l Finance Committee: Johan Gerber (Chairman), Ralph Davies.
l Marketing Committee: Butch Davies (Chairman), Claire Bowie(Admin Secretary), Marco Gonzales, Greg Williams.
l Technical Committee: Arthur Every (Chairman), Madeleinedu Toit, Stephan Heyns, Manfred Johannes, Hugh Neeson,
Philippe Rubbers, Bob Tait, Jasson Gryzagoridis, Dirk Findeis,
Joe Amadi-Echendu.

The ultra-modern International Convention Centre in Durban, venue for the 18th World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 20103

Contact:
M Shafy – shafy@maktoob.com
F Herelli – herelli.f@scncff.com.tn

Regional Report
AFRICAA number of eminent NDT people from around the world arebeing invited to join the International Advisory Committee, andmany have already accepted.
People have many different perceptions of Africa – likethe blind feeling different parts of an elephant and trying
to describe the animal. Some people have the impressionthat Africa is a continent of dysfunctional governments,
famine and warfare. People who follow current economic andpolitical developments more closely will be aware that for years
now Africa has been expanding economically and has comethrough the recent economic downturn relatively unscathed,and is making steady, even dramatic, progress in democracy.
Some people think of Africa as a place of spectacular wildlife
and unspoilt nature, of pristine beaches and lofty mountains.
And football fans think of Africa as the boisterous place
where the recent World Cup was staged with such success.
Come to the 18th WCNDT and you are sure to experience the last
three Africas.
The conference website is http://www.wcndt2012.org.za
The conference is being run under the auspices of the South
African Institute of NDT. Tel: +27 11 719 5717; Email: saint@saint.
org.za; website: http://www.saint.org.za
Management: The Conference Company. Tel: +27 31 303 9852;
email: deidre@confco.co.za
Arthur Everyarthur.every@wits.ac.za

Some people think of Africa as a place of spectacular wildlife andunspoilt nature, of pristine beaches and lofty mountains

Tunisia: Industrial strategy sets objectives to be achieved by 2016

T

unisia has adopted a new industrial strategy which setsmedium-term objectives to be achieved by 2016. The
main aim is to differentiate the ‘Tunisian brand’ from its
competitors, principally by adding hubs and innovation features
to its positioning as a location for ‘back office’ and ‘industrial
nearshore’ activities for its mainly European Union partners.
Additionally, the Tunisian location is being integrated in aregional and global value chain by making improvements inlogistics efficiency. Meanwhile, the promotion of better educationand training aims to help increase value-added production.
These current initiatives are a continuation of the exportoriented economic model that Tunisia has adopted since the1970s, but it was in 1995 that the country launched its national
upgrading programme in order to increase the competitivenessof its enterprises and shape them for competing in international
markets. By 2008, over 4000 companies had participated in the
upgrading programme and by 2011 the figure should have reached
4800.
Projects funded in this way have helped increase the share of
fully exporting industrial companies up to 45% in 2007. A special
scheme of tax-free profits is available for companies producing atleast 85% of their products for export. Industrial exports, excluding
food, reported a fourfold increase on 1996, reaching €7 billion inrevenue.
Seeking to take advantage of its geographical proximity andcultural legacy, Tunisia has progressively strengthened relations
with the member states of the EU, which as a whole has today
become its main industrial partner and customer, accounting for
80% of industrial exports. Since 1996, exports to EU member
states have grown by an average of 10% per year.
This record of success has been achieved thanks to the country’s
substantial efforts to upgrade and enhance its education andvocational training, transport and logistics infrastructure, alongwith the creation of production platforms that meet international
standards and the facilitation of trade.

4

Tunisia’s entry into a free trade area with the EU in 2008 opened
up new opportunities but also posed new challenges. Heavily
relying on exports and foreign direct investment, the Tunisianeconomy has become more dependent on global developments.
Faced with the emergence of countries offering lower production
costs, a shift of gear proved essential.
A main goal is to see the value of exports reach $17.5bn by
2016 and, in order to achieve this, three key areas of economic
development have been identified:l Upgrading traditional industrial sectors such as textiles,
clothing, leather and footwear, agri-food, phosphates andbuilding materials;l Diversifying industry and promoting the emergenceof new sectors, such as electronics, automobile andaeronautics (MEI), engineering plastics, pharmaceuticals andbiotechnology, ICT, service centres and other industry-related
services;l Preparing the ground for the next wave of industries that will
regenerate the economic fabric of the country by promoting
the development of niche markets at the crossroads of several
industrial sectors such as mechatronics.
The success of the strategy requires the implantation oflarge companies to lead the way and, to attract them to Tunisia,
competitiveness poles are being created in four key sectors: textiles
and clothing; mechanical and electrical industries (MEI); agri-foods;
and ICT. By 2016, these sectors should comprise 1000 companies
and generate 40,000 jobs in Tunisia. One recent example of a
successful venture in this regard has been the creation of activity inthe aeronautical sector, involving a group of sub-contractors andpartners of the Airbus programme.
As well as these service-related industries, Tunisia is interested
in developing trade, leisure and tourism and, by diversifying its
economy, the country expects to reduce its exposure to the vagariesof the global markets.

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

18th WCNDTICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

5

AFRICA
Mechanical and electrical industries

Business process outsourcing and ICTWith their strong potential for increasing exports, mechanicaland electrical industries (MEI) have doubled their production
since 2003 to reach over €4.6bn in 2008, 54% of which was
the electrical industry. During the period 2003-2008, the sector
benefited from an average increase in investments of 15% per year,
rising to 31% for the electrical and electronic industries.
Exports more than doubled to reach €3.5bn in 2008, with
European customers remaining the principal market for Tunisia.
The sector of aeronautical and automotive components grew
dramatically over the last ten years, with exports increasing fivefold
to reach €1bn in 2008. By 2016, MEI is expected to account for
46% of the country’s exports, against 25% in 2006.
To achieve its ambitious targets, Tunisia is focusing on
innovation, synergies through adopting a cross-sector approachand an 11.3% targeted annual rise in investment over the period
2006 and 2016.
Main opportunities in this sector include electrical, electronic,
automotive and aeronautical components; mechatronics; metal
construction and foundry.

This sector is seen as the spearhead of the country’s economy andhas strong development potential in local and global markets. In
2008, its contribution to GDP stood at around 8% and is expected
to reach 13% by 2011 and 20% by 2016.
Exports in this sector are expected to increase from €31m in2007 to €500m in 2016.
Tunisia is devoting public investment to improve and develop
the sector, which is an important factor making for its expansion.
In addition, the liberalisation of the telecommunications services
has facilitated the entry of new players and has acted as a spur tothe development of the sector.
To accelerate the spread of the digital economy, Tunisia has
initially focused on the local market but relies on the expertise ofinternational operators.
The growth of business process outsourcing (BPO) services
parallels the development of ICT services. Opportunities forinvestors exist in the areas of networks of landline and mobile
phones; related services; BPO; and nearshoring activities.

Textiles, leather, clothing and footwear

This until recently undeveloped sector has been attracting theattention of public and private sector investors. Over the period
2003-2007, the sector received substantial and increasing
investment, which has enabled the emergence and establishmentof the industry. By 2008, the sector included 241 firms with 10 ormore employees, of which 39 were fully export oriented and 156
companies with foreign partners.
Meanwhile, the plastics industry had 250 firms with 10 or more
people, including 62 fully export oriented and 81 with foreign
participation. Given the sector’s export potential and close links
with other strategic sectors, it is anticipated that the chemicals andplastics sectors could become engines of growth in the Tunisianeconomy over the next decade.
Opportunities in the sector exist in the areas of engineering
plastics such as luxury packaging, construction, agriculture; plates
and tubes; medicines such as generics and vaccines; soaps andcleaning products.

As the country’s first industrial employer, this traditional economic
sector developed through outsourcing for European companies.
Thanks to its adaptability to change, Tunisia has become the fifthlargest supplier to the European markets.
Between 2002 and 2007, textiles and clothing exports grewby 4% per year on average, while exports of leather and shoesrose by 8%. Nearly 96% of exports are destined for the European
markets.
Attracting over one fifth of total FDI, textiles and clothing
have benefited from an average 27% annual increase ininvestment during the period 2005-2008. In the face of increased
competition from Asia, Tunisia undertook a qualitative upgradingof its production, shifting towards designer wear, finishing andco-production. The aim is to increase exports by 5.1% per yearby 2016. Business opportunities exist in the areas of: spinning,weaving and finishing; creation and design; the manufacture ofsmall and medium series; technical textiles; leather and leather
goods; and logistics.

Agriculture and agri-business
Agriculture remains the main activity in several of Tunisia’s
regions and contributes substantially to overall production(some 12% of GDP), jobs and balance of payments. Olive oil is anotable product and Tunisia is the second largest exporter in theworld.
By 2016, the country aims to increase its food produce exports
by a rate of at least 9% through the promotion of value-added
production and by upgrading its distribution channels.
Opportunities in this sector range from conditioning of oils;
fruit, vegetables and seafood; fish and shellfish farming; productionof meals and frozen, biological and health products.

Chemical and plastics industry

Tourism sector
Tourism is the main source of foreign exchange for Tunisia,
generating 6.5% of GDP and employing 12% of the workforce.
In 2008, some seven million foreign tourists visited the country,
representing a rise of 5% on the previous year. In recent years, thecountry has been trying to restructure the sector by rebalancing
coastal and inland tourism through encouraging investmentin priority areas. Opportunities for investors exist in a numberof areas, such as planning and development of resorts, ‘green
tourism’, seawater therapy and medical tourism.
The data for this report is obtained from the Mediterranean
Investment Map produced by the European Union agency, the
ANIMA Investment Network.

Countdown to the 18th WCNDT in Durban
Important dates for your diary
Website for online registration and abstract submission: live March 2011
Deadline for abstract submission: 15 October 2011
Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 November 2011
Preliminary programme: available January 2012
Deadline for full manuscripts: 31 January 2012
Conference: 16-20 April 2012

6

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

Contact:
N Wagle – narayan.wagle@hed.ltindia.com
N Ooka – nori.ooka@rio.odn.ne.jp

Regional Report
ASIA-PACIFIC

News from the Malaysian Society for NDTInternational Conference for Experimental Mechanics
2010 (ICEM2010)

Malaysian Expert in Indonesian Training Course on
NDT for Concrete, 19-23 July 2010

Legend Hotel, 29 November to 1 December 2010

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has invited the
MSNT President as an expert to assist Indonesia in its effort todiversify the application of NDT in Indonesia through a National
Training Course on NDT for Concrete Inspection. The training
course took place between 19 and 23 November 2010, in one of
the Conference Centres in Manggala Wanabakti Jakarta. The course
was attended by 15 participants from various NDT organisations
and was opened by the President of the Indonesian Association for
NDT (AUTRI). In his opening speech, AUTRI’s President expressed
his appreciation on efforts taken by various NDT organisations inIndonesia to diversify NDT application from its traditional area. He
also expressed his wish for better links and collaboration between
NDT personnel from both Malaysia and Indonesia.

Members of the Steering Committee of ICEM 2010 wish to thankall scientists, engineers and technologists who have given a
tremendous response to our call for participation in this event. At
the closing date we received more than 240 abstract submissions
and around 300 participants from 25 countries. We also began
to receive applications for participation in the exhibition,
held in conjunction with this conference. Visit the website forfurther information: http://online.nuclearmalaysia.gov.my/sems/
icem2010

IAEA/RCA Meeting on NDT Project, Hanoi, 4-8 August
2010
In a bid to strengthen NDT technology to support our local industries,
Malaysia has participated in an IAEA/RCA project on Advanced
NDT. The project began in 2010 and is expected to end in 2012.
The main focus of this project is to promote the application of thedigital radiography method in member states. In addition, this project
also addresses the need for accreditation of the NDT Certification
Body (in accordance with ISO 17024) as well as NDT laboratories (inaccordance with ISO 17020). The mid-term review meeting was heldin Hanoi, Vietnam and attended by 20 individuals representing 14
member states. Malaysia was represented by the MSNT President.
MSNT delegates visiting one of the exhibition booths belonging to a
Malaysian company

MSNT delegation at Indonesian NDT Expo, July 2010
MSNT wishes to congratulate its Indonesian counterpart, The
Indonesian Association of NDT (AUTRI), for its success inorganising NDT EXPO. The expo was opened by the Minister of
Science and Technology on 21 July 2010 and was attended bymore than 300 people representing various sectors of NDT-relatedindustries.
As a symbol of friendship, MSNT sent its delegation to thisexpo. The delegation comprised four MSNT members, led by the
President who also presented a paper entitled: ‘Expanding NDTApplication for Concrete Inspection’ in the seminar organised inconjunction with this EXPO. In addition, the MSNT President wasalso invited as one of the panelists in a special forum held during
the EXPO, discussing various issues related to NDT. It is great toobserve that, during this event, members of the MSNT delegation
established links with various parties related to NDT and futurecollaborations were discussed.

Participants of the meeting took a group photograph at the end of
this meeting

In the area of digital radiography, Malaysia has reported its successin producing a low-cost digital radiography detector and work is
still continuing to improve the performance of this device. Malaysia
expressed its special thanks to IAEA and BAM of Germany for theirstrong support that led to the success of this project. In addition,
Malaysia also reported its progress in the area of accreditation of the
National Certification Body where application for accreditation has
been submitted to the National Accreditation Body.

Talk on digital radiography for PETRONAS Engineers

Some of the participants attending the National Training Course on
NDT for Concrete Inspection

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

In its effort to encourage local industries to adopt advanced NDTtechnology, MSNT has been working together with one of the
Malaysian NDT companies to deliver a special presentation for agroup of PETRONAS engineers and technicians. The event took
place in PETRONAS Training Centre, known as PERMATA, on 9
August 2010. In this event, MSNT representative Dr Abd Razak
Hamzah delivered a lecture entitled ‘Radiography Go Digital’. In thislecture, Dr Razak stressed the importance of Malaysian industries
to adopt advanced NDT technology that is safer, more productive
and environmentally friendly. MSNT would like to express its
appreciation to ITC Skill for its role in arranging the talk.

7

Contact:
E Romero – informacion@aend.org
V Krstelj – vjera.krstelj@fsb.hr

Regional Report
EUROPEThe National Conference of Hellenic Society a great successIt was the opinion of both organisers and delegates thatthe 7th NCNDT of HSNT ended with great success, despite
the economic downturn. This conference was the biggest
and most interesting national conference on NDT organised by
HSNT.
It was co-organised by the Hellenic Technical Chamber(TEE) and took place under the auspices of the National
Technical University of Athens, at its administration building in
Zografou University Campus. There were 76 submitted papers
originating from Greece, as well as some from abroad. Of these,
42 were oral presentations and 34 for poster presentation.
Some participants did not manage to attend the conference days
but this did not really affect the flow and success of theconference.
All presented works were of a high level and original, covering
almost all the NDT methods and a great field of applications, andparticipants came from industry as well as from universities andresearch centres. Applications of NDT in industry, civil engineering
works, power production, aeronautics, art, monuments and inworld civilisation heritage works as well as medical applications
were presented.
Though the conference was a national one, many participants
came from abroad. The mini-exhibition of NDT companies andrepresentatives, which took place in the venue of the conference,
was also very impressive.

Professor Ioannis Prassianakis opens the 7th National Conference ofthe Hellenic Society for NDTThe number of participants at the conference and the visitors
to the exhibition combined, coming from industry as well asfrom the university community, amounted to more than 500 in
total.

The mini-exhibition was very impressive

The Organisation Committee of the conference, the Boardof Directors of HSNT and the HSNT President would like toexpress their warmest thanks to all for their contribution to thesuccess of the conference. “Special thanks go to the Hellenic
Technical Chamber, the National Technical University of Athens,
the sponsors, the exhibitors and, most importantly of all, to theparticipants (professionals, authors, researchers and students).
Without this wide support not only would the execution of thisconference be impossible but also its subject wouldn’t be of any
scientific value,” said Ioannis N Prassianakis, President of HSNT
and Professor Emeritus, NTUA.
At the end of the conference, during the round table discussion,some interesting proposals were submitted, among them thedecision of HSNT for its next international conference, the 5th
ICNDT, which was accepted unanimously to take place in Athensin autumn 2012.
For further information, contact Ioannis N Prassianakis, Presidentof HSNT, Professor Emeritus NTUA, Department of Engineering
Science, Section of Mechanics, 5 Heroes of Polytechnion Avenue,
Gr 157 73 Zographou, Athens, Greece. Tel: +30 210 772 1312;
Fax: +30 210 772 3759; Email: prasian@central.ntua.gr

6th International Conference on Certification andStandardisation in NDTCertification 2011 – the 6th International Conference on
Certification and Standardisation in NDT – is the next in aseries of events that began in London in 1993, followed by
Birmingham in 1996, Meriden (UK) in 1999, Manchester in 2004
and Berlin in 2007.
Organised by the Spanish Society for NDT (AEND) andco-sponsored by the European Federation for NDT (EFNDT),
the Institute of Materials Technology (ITM) and the Polytechnic
University of Valencia, Spain, the conference is to beheld 13-14 June 2011 in Valencia, Spain. Immediately
following the certification conference, the 12th National
Conference of the Spanish Society for NDT will be held in thesame venue.
Certification 2011 will cover all aspects of certification andstandardisation, including the topical and important issue of
harmonisation. In addition, International and European standards,

8

qualification and validation of NDT equipment and processes,
laboratory and certification body accreditation, training,
qualification and certification of NDT personnel, approval of NDTcontractors, round robin trials and examination specimens will allcome under the spotlight.
The conference will address many current issues, identifying
existing and potential problems – and possible solutions. Speakers
will be leaders in their respective fields and will provide valuable
information on new developments – many of which will be madepublic for the very first time.
There will be an exhibition of NDT-related products runningconcurrently with the congress.
For further information, contact the Spanish Society for NonDestructive Testing, Bocágel 28 2º izq, 28028 Madrid, Spain. Tel:
+34 913 612 585; Email: informacion@aend.org; Web: www.
aend.org

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

Contact:
J Conte – abende@abende.org.br
W Holliday – wholliday@asnt.org

Regional Report
PAN-AMERICA

Report from Latin America
1. NDT societies
There are NDT societies in the following countries:l Argentina: Asociación Argentina de Ensayos No Destructivos
y Estructurales – AAENDE / Argentinian Society of NonDestructive Testing and Structuralsl Brazil: Associação Brasileira de Ensaios Não Destrutivos e
Inspeção – ABENDI / Brazilian Society of Non-Destructive
Testing and Inspectionl Uruguay: Asociación Uruguaya de Ensayos No Destructivos –AENDUR / Uruguayan Society of Non-Destructive Testingl Colombia: Asociación Colombiana de Soldadura y Ensayos
No Destructivos / Colombian Society of Welding and NonDestructive Testingl Mexico: Instituto Mexicano de Ensayos No Destructivos A.C.
– IMENDE / Mexican Institute of Non-Destructive Testingl Venezuela: Asociación Venezolana de Ensayos No
Destructivos – ASOVEND / Venezuelan Society of NonDestructive Testingl Peru: Asociación Peruana de Ensayos No Destructivos –ASPEND / Peruvian Society of Non-Destructive Testing
Comments:
1. In Mexico, there is also the Asociación Mexicana de END –AMEXEND / Mexican Society of NDT.
2. The Asociación Peruana de Ensayos No Destructivos /Peruvian Society of NDT is in anticipation of final settlement.

2. Other institutions which develop NDT activitiesl Bolivia: Camara Boliviana de Hidrocarburos / Bolivian
Chamber of Hydrocarbons
l Costa Rica: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica / Institute ofTechnology of Costa Rical Cuba: Centro de Aplicaciones Tecnológicas y Desarrollo
Nuclear (CEADEN) y Unión Eléctrica / Directoria Técnica/ Centre of Technological Applications and Nuclear
Development and Electrical Union / Technical Directorshipl Ecuador: Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral – ESPOL /Coastline College of Polytechnicl Guatemala: Ministerio de Energia y Minas – MEM / Ministryof Energy and Minesl Paraguay: Universidad Nacional de Asunción / National
University of Asunciónl Dominican Republic: Comité Nacional de Ensayos No
Destructivos y Calidad – CONENCA / National Committee of
Non-Destructive Testing and Quality

3. Qualification and certification scheme of NDTsituation, according to ISO 9712 in the regionl National systems installed according to ISO 17024 and ISO
9712: Argentina, Brazil and Colombial National systems under implementation: Peru, Bolivia and
Mexico

4. Training and certification report
BrazilABENDI is accredited by INMETRO, the national accreditation
body, according to ISO 17024 and based in ISO 9712 standard.
It is recognised by the European Federation of NDT (EFNDT),
through Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).
ABENDI has implemented the system of recognition of bodytraining – OTR (Organismo de Treinamento) to qualification courses
Levels 1 and 2 in Brazil. ABENDI administers Level 3 courses.
Currently, there are 62,000 qualified professionals certified in
Levels 1, 2 and 3. In total there are 16,025 professionals registeredin the national scheme.

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

Annually, 1100 professionals are trained in NDT courses allover the country.

Peru
Asociacion Perauana de Ensayos No Destructivos (ASPEND) /Peruvian Society of NDT.
40 persons are in the process of regularisation in theregistration. The entity responsible for accrediting entities in
the case of certification and qualification of NDT personnel is
INDECOPI (Instituto Nacional de Defensa del Consumidor y dela Propiedad Intelectual / National Institute of Consumer Defense
and Intellectual Property). It is reviewing a proposal from the
National NDT Committee. The Peruvian standard of certificationand qualification is NDT ITINTEC 833.03.90-02.20. INDECOPI
also assumes to ISO 17024 accreditation.
According to the certification scheme ISO 9712, there are no
certified and qualified persons through this standard. The personnel
certification and qualification in NDT is done according to the
ASNT (American Society for NDT) and its qualified practices.
The 30 NDT companies that work in Peru have their employees
certified by Level 3 ASNT (nationals and foreigners).

MexicoThe Mexican Institute of NDT (IMENDE, A.C.) has 20 years ofcontinued activities dedicated to the promotion of application and
NDT training.
In Mexico, the NMX B482 was released in 1994 and revisedin 1999 and in 2005. At the present time, the 11 Subcommittee of
the Technical Committee of Standardisation of the Steel Industry(COTENNIS) has the updated standard in the programme based
again in ISO 9712. This committee participates in the group of
ISO attention of the General Management Standards Secretariatof Economy and the engineer Garcia Cueto is the delegate to theTC135 of NDT.
The IMENDE A.C. has an open public list in its website where
there are more than 3000 persons who are registered as trained andqualified in different methods of NDT; there is also a qualification
programme which is being evaluated by The Standardisation
Mexican Entity (EMA), under ISO 97024, to be the Mexican entityof personnel certification in NDT. There is also a list of certified
personnel by IMENDE A.C. to Level 2 in NDT.
The IMENDE A.C. records have 9000 trained persons during the
20 years of existence of the Institute, the updated list is publishedon the website.

Cuba
Cuba has created a committee called CENDIMEC – Committee of
Non-Destructive Testing, Inspection and Corrosion Measurements aspart of the Society of Mechanical, Electrical and Industrial Engineers
in the city of Havana; engineer members are affiliated to this Society
and others are invited for activities from other organisations related
and specialised in NDT. There are 120 associates.
Currently, there is no national scheme of qualification andcertification approved yet, but the electric power industry has
a Project of Integral Diagnosis, which includes the attention ofdifferent NDT techniques and gives priority to technical andprofessional advancement in this field. This was done five yearsago.
The proposal for adoption as a Cuban standard ISO 9712 on
training and certification of NDT personnel is in the initiation
process and documents are being prepared for its applicationin the short term (2010) in the electricity industry. Afterwards,
this proposal would be applied to other basic industries such as
petroleum and chemical industries.
Cuba has 60 skilled technicians in various NDT techniques, but

9PAN-AMERICA
these have not yet been certified; although around 15 specialists
were certified at various levels, they lost this category at the end of
the period of validity of their certificates.
There are currently nine specialists who are preparing for the
next certification.
There are 95 trained professionals.
Final additional comments:l A national workshop on vibration testing for rotating
equipment was concluded.
l A technical improvement programme continues – professional
specialised topics in NDT and diagnostic techniques ingeneral as well as delving into the field of measurements of
NDT techniques and metrological assurance and also in thetechnical review and adoption of standard documentation.

EcuadorEcuadorian Society of NDT (currently in the process of revival, as
it was inactive for a while). 20 members.
They are working to implement the national qualification andcertification scheme within the Regional Project RLA/8/044 NDT.
In Ecuador there are four people certified as Level 3 in some
NDT methods, according to ISO 9712 and ASNT.
There are around 200 trained people in different methods andlevels of NDT.
Currently, a committee of NDT has been formed with theparticipation of the following institutions and state companies andindividuals associated with the activity of the NDT:l Undersecretary of Control, Nuclear Research and Applications(SCIAN)l Coastal Superior Polytechnic School (ESPOL)l National Polytechnic School (EPN)l Chimborazo Polytechnic School (ESPOCH)
l Army Polytechnic (ESPE)l Ecuadorian Institute of Standardization (INEN)
l Ecuadorian Air Force (DIAF)
l Ecuadorian Naval Shipyard (ASTINAVE)l Non-Destructive Testing of Ecuador (ENDE)l Fedimetal
This committee normally meets once a month and its role is tocoordinate the activities of training, qualification and certification
of NDT personnel under the Regional Project RLA/8/044.
The following major activities have been done in this year:l Issuance of industrial radiography course according to ISO
9712 Level 1, ESPOL, 40 hours. 22-26 Februaryl Issuance of liquid penetrant course according to ISO 9712
Level 1, ESPOCH, 16 hours, 27 -28 Februaryl Development of a forum: ‘Outline of training, qualificationand certification of personnel performing NDT in Ecuador’,
ESPE, 18 June
Ecuador’s participation in the proposal for a thematic network
for strengthening of training and certification of NDT personnel
in conventional and advanced techniques converged to ISO 9712
and ISO 17024 in the framework of the Iberoamerican Programmeof Science and Technology (CYTED) and the National Atomic
Energy Commission Argentina (CNEA).

Costa Rica
Costa Rican Society of Non-Destructive Testing and related(Acenda). About 30 partners.
There is not a national scheme for qualification and certification
in NDT. It is planned to have it implemented at the end of the
ARCAL RLA/8/044 Project. The society has about ten partners
certified according to ISO 9712 and about five associates under
the rule SNT-TC-1A.
There are approximately 400 people in training courses on
non-destructive testing and welding , implementation of standards,

10pressure vessels, etc.
The following points have already been developed and others
are still being developed:l Implementation of the International Course on NonDestructive Testing Level I in X-ray techniques, magnetic
particle, liquid penetrant and ultrasound in February 2010
l Establishment of the Costa Rican Society of Non-Destructive
Testingl Updating and implementation at the national level of ISO
9712 Version 2005l They are working on the accreditation of a national
certification agency once they do not have such a centrel Linkages with domestic companies through the sale ofservices is one of their main strengths. Currently, they provide
services to companies such as the Costa Rican Petroleum
Refinery, Costa Rican Institute of Electricity, mechanical metalcompanies, construction companies, food industry, chemicalindustry etc, for a total of about 300 companies.

Bolivia
There is not a society that brings together professionals of nondestructive testing (NDT) in Bolivia so the Bolivian Chamber ofHydrocarbons – CBH, through its national qualification andcertification programme, PNCC, is developing qualification andcertification schemes in NDT to be implemented in Bolivia.
CBH has 84 affiliate companies, of which 70% are directly or
indirectly related with the issue of NDT.
The companies are distributed as follows:l Upstream (11)l Downstream (3)l Services and supplies (38)l Auxiliary services (30)There are Bolivian standards NB ISO 9712 and NB ISO 17024
promulgated by the Bolivian Institute of Standardization andQuality – IBNORCA.
The number of qualified and certified people is unknown, but
CBH is conducting surveys in order to precisely quantify qualified
and certified personnel, in which levels, through which agencies
and under what rules or patterns they are certified.
Two activities can be mentioned:l Informative talks on non-destructive testing in universities andcompanies.
l Workshop courses on the basics of NDT (15 people haveparticipated in their NDT course).

5. Other activities in the region
ARCAL Project
The ARCAL Project was implemented, coordinated by Argentina,
with IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) support. The
objective of the project is to support the initiative of eachcountry in the implementation of the programme of training andcertification of personnel in NDT according to ISO 9712. Several
regional Level 2 courses are being conducted in different methodsof NDT. The project involves the participation of 15 countries in
Latin America.
RLA/8/044 PROJECT“Regional harmonisation regarding the qualificationand certification of personnel and the infrastructureused for the non-destructive testing in systems,
structures and compounds”
Argentina, through CNEA (National Comittee of Atomic Energy)
has been designated as the coordinator for a project of the OIEA
(International Body of Atomic Energy) that tends to harmonise thelegislation of NDT in the Latin America region and Caribbean.
14 countries have subscribed for the project, for which the

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

PAN-AMERICA
acronym is ARCAL-RLA/8/044: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Mexico,
Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. CNEA counts with thesupport of AAENDE (Argentinian Society for Non-Destructive
Testing and Structural) to develop this initiative. Spain alsocollaborates as a ‘giver’ through AEND – Spanish Society of NonDestructive Testing.
The project consists of developing a system of personnel
qualification and certification standards based on ISO 9712
and 17024 in the region, as it works with the IRAM system, inwhich the certification was accredited opportunely by theArgentine Accreditation Organization (OAA), with reference
standards.
The project started to be executed in 2009 with its firstcoordination meeting held in Buenos Aires, where the following
actions were agreed:
1. Establish the project’s working group in each country andorganise their activities.
2. Develop the final profile of the real situation of NDT ineach country and send it to the coordination of the project,according to the official format of the project.
3. Demonstrate, in writing, the adoption and enforcement ofstandards ISO 9712 and 17 024 for each of the participating
countries.
4. Establish personnel qualification and certification bodies
according to ISO 9712.
5. To design, develop and document the quality system
certification body in each country in accordance with ISO
9712 and 17024.
6. Establish training and testing centres according to theneeds of each country, based on ISO standards 9712
and 17024.
7. Spread in each country IAEA-TECDOC-628/Rev document
2008 ‘Training Guidelines in Non-destructive Testing
Techniques’.
8. Prepare and administrate the training and qualification
samples of different NDT methods according to the IAEA
manufacturing guide.
9. Develop training programme in the implementation of
personnel certification systems for the country in accordancewith ISO 9712 and 17024, based on bilateral, without theassistance of the IAEA.
10. Establish question banks for training and examination related
to the different techniques and levels of NDT.
11. Design a training plan on different methods and levels of
NDT according to ISO 9712, according to the needs of eachcountry.
12. Implement mechanisms for monitoring staff trained, qualified
and certified by the project in the different methods andlevels of NDT.
During 2010, a Level 1 course in four NDT methods was issued
for those countries with less development. It was held in February
at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica.
During the month of May, a course of industrial radiography
Level 2 was given at the headquarters of the Brazilian Associationof Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection (ABENDI), Sao Paulo,(Brazil).
The next courses scheduled in 2010 are liquid penetrant andmagnetic particle Level 2 in August and ultrasound Level 2 inNovember.

RED FORTENDWork is being done on the implementation of the
RED IBEROAMERICANA of NDT – FORTEND initiative,
involving the participation of several countries. The work is being
coordinated by DASEL Company in Spain, AAEND andArgentina.

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010

ASNT 20th Annual
Research Symposium andSpring Conference
21-25 March 2011
San Francisco, USA
Symposium objectives:l Provide a professional forum forcommunication among non-destructive
evaluation researchers.
l Promote NDE technology transfer among
researchers, engineers, inspectors andequipment makers.
l Identify emerging NDE technologies, trends
and increase the knowledge base.
l Turn the spotlight onto critical technologies
for which NDE can play a vital role.
For further information, contact:
ASNT, 1711 Arlingate Lane, PO Box 28518,
Columbus OH 43228-0518, USA.

www.asnt.org
CALL FOR PAPERS

5th Pan-American Conference
for NDT
2-6 October 2011, Cancún, Mexico
Cancún is the site of the V Pan-American Conference for
Non-Destructive Testing (V PANNDT). This event will be held
2-6 October 2011 at Cancún Convention and Exhibition
Center and will feature interesting presentations among otheractivities – that is why papers are invited to participate in thismagnificent event!
The conference will address the latest research in the area of
non-destructive testing and will gather the world leaders on
this matter.
Interested parties must submit a 250 word abstract online at:www.ndt.net/panndt2011
The deadline for abstract submission is 31 January 2011.
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 1 March 2011 andfull papers are due on or before 31 July 2011.
For more information tel: +52 55 5579 6629; Email: info@
copaend5.com or info@ndt.net or visit:www.copaend5.com
11

CALENDAR OF NDT EVENTS
Month

Date

Venue

Event

Contact

March
2011

21-25

San Francisco
USA

20th ASNT Annual Research Symposium
and Spring Conference

conferences@asnt.org
www.asnt.org

10th International Conference on
Non-Destructive Investigations andMicroanalysis for the Diagnostics
and Conservation of Cultural andEnvironmental Heritage – art ‘11

segreteria@aipnd.it
www.aipnd.it/art2011

April
2011

13-15

Florence
Italy

10-13

Pernambuco
Brazil24th Brazilian National Congress on
Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection

eventos@abendi.org.br

19-20

ManchesterUK

11th International Conference on
Engineering Structural Integrity Assessment– ESIA11

poul.gosney@fesi.org.uk
www.fesi.org.uk

13-14

Valencia
Spain

CERTIFICATION 2011 – the 6thInternational Conference on Certificationand Standardisation in NDT

informacion@aend.org
www.aend.org

15-17

Valencia
Spain

12th National Congress of the Spanish
Society for NDT (AEND)

informacion@aend.org
www.aend.org

19-24Blacksburg
Virginia, USA

12th International Symposium on NonDestructive Characterisation of Materials

jcduke@vt.edu

11-13

OxfordUK

9th International Conference on Damage
Assessment of Structures – DAMAS 2011conferences@iop.org
www.damas2011.org

7-9

Edinburgh
UK

International Conference on Advances
in Experimental Mechanics: Integrating
Simulation and Experimentation for
Validation (ISEV)

johnedwards@bssm.org
www.bssm.org/conf2011

13-15

TelfordUK

Materials Testing 2011 Exhibition and NDT2011 Annual British Conference on NDTcindy.bailey@bindt.org
www.bindt.org

October2011

2-6

CancúnMexico5th Pan-American Conference for
Non-Destructive Testing

info@copaend5.com
www.copaend5.com

November
2011

9-11

April
2012

18-20

May
2011

June
2011

July
2011

September2011

12

Defektoskopie 2011 – 41st International
Ostrava
Czech Republic Conference and Exhibition

DurbanSouth Africa

18th World Conference on NDT

cndt@cndt.cz
www.cndt.cz

saint@acenet.co.za
www.saint.org.za

ICNDT Journal Vol 8 No 5 December 2010