It is over a century since its first practical application of NDT technology when, in 1900,the French customs office used X-ray to detect the hidden articles in luggage.China started to develop NDT technology and to manufacture NDT equipment immediately after the establishment of New China.In the 50s of 20^th century,many engineers in the aviation industry were engaged in X-ray testing, magnetic particle testing,penetrating testing and ultrasonic testing under the supervisions of specialists from USSR.In the early 50s,The Shipbuilding Factory of South Yangtse River manufactured ultrasonic flaw detectors with electronic vacuum tubes.Although relatively backward compared with products made by western counterpart, it opened the new page for self-manufacturing various flaw detectors.The production of matured commercial products was delayed till the 60s of last century.The foundation of the Chinese Society for Non-destructive Testing(ChSNDT for short )was a milestone for the development of Chinese NDT technology and NDT products.It is ChSNDT who greatly promotes the rapid development of NDT in mainland China by merging NDT in China into the world NDT communities. In 1978，ChNDT signed an agreement of mutual recognition of NDT personnel qualification, which laid a good foundation for future international interchanges and cooperations.In the 80s and 90s of last century, when China started to change from a planning economy to market force oriented economy, the ChSNDT was very active in opening up Chinese NDT market and absorbing advanced NDT technology and instruments into internal market. Recent ten years has witnessed the rapid development both in advanced NDT technology and in manufacturing level of NDT equipment accompanying the rapid development of computer and micro electronic technologies.

 

With the development of our industries especially after entering WTO, more and more foreign enterprises came to China and joint-venture companies were established. The NDT work has drawn much attention due to the quality of products and safety issues.Now there are more than 200,000 NDT personnel in China in such industries as machinery, aviation, aerospace, railway, metallurgy, petro-chemical engineering, architectural engineering, brige building, nuclear power plants, boiler and pressure vessel department .As all these persons need to be trained systematically and qualified and certificated, ChSNDT devoted almost 30 years of work toward this goal. Today,ChSNDT issued more than 150,000 NDT certificates in China already.More than 30 training centers and qualification committees were built in branches of ChSNDT and in certain industries such as machinery, bridge building and steel constructions. In order to make the qualification/certification more standard and conforming with international codes, the work was carried out under ISO 9712 and its newest version.

 

In the new century, China is perhaps one of the most advanced country in NDT fundamental theory research, in development and manufacture of NDT facilities. China is also the earlist in carrying out NDT education and training in universities and colleges. So far, more than 20 universities and colleges have set NDT train and education courses, including both undergraduate and postgraduate studies.Now NDT in China has started to develop from a higher than ever platform and laid sound foundations for future rapid development.

 

We however must realize that, on the whole, China is a big country of NDT, this is undisputable, on the other hand, it is questionable that China is a strong country of NDT. The basic reason for it is that majority of NDT equipment manufactured by Chinese NDT sectors belongs to so-called low-end products,and high end products are basically relied on import from advanced western countries. Chinese NDT enterprises produce possibly the largest quantity of A-scan ultrasonic flaw detectors, magnetic particle testers and planar phase-amplitude eddy current instruments ,which is a very good thing to meet our domestic demands. As for the advanced C-scan and ultrasonic microscopy required by the inspection of advanced composites in aerospace and aviation industry, they were almost totally bought from abroad without exception. The same situation exists for AE(Acoustic Emission) instruments and some other non-conventional NDT instruments, such as infra-red thermal wave flaw detector, laser shearography, air couplant ultrasonic flaw detectors, X-ray CT and digital radiographic testing facilities.

 

The NDT technology level is to a great extent the reflection of the level of sciences and technologies in a industrial sector and branch, or in one area. It is the reflection of the industrial level of a country, and is also corresponding to its economical development extent. The development of NDT technology relies on the powerful support from NDT society,and in return,the NDT society is a natural outcome of the NDT technology being developed to some stage. The further and sustaining development of NDT technology needs NDT society to promote and to enhance. Therefore, a mature NDT market is certainly in acccodance with a mature NDT society. The ASNT( American Society for Non-destructive Testing) was founded in 1943( then called American Industrial Radon and X-ray Society), and the JSNDI( Japanese Society for Non-destructive Inspection)was set up in 1952, both were the natural outcomes of respective countries being economically developed to some stage.

 

ChSNDT is a social community and is characterized by carrying on academic activities, S&T consultation, educating and training and qualifying NDT personnel etc as its first priority.It also serves industrial branches for improving product quality and safeguarding environmental safety.

 

The first national conference on NDT was held in 1978, in Shanghai, which led to the foundation of ChSNDT .Since then on ,ChSNDT held national conference on NDT regular once for every 3 or 4 years and its new committee would be set up in the conference. In succession to the first one ,the national conferences by ChSNDT were subsequently held in 1981 (Beidaihe,Hebei), 1984( Dalian), 1988(Wuhan), 1991( Huangshan), 1995(Beijing), 1999(Shantou ), and 2003( Suzhou ), from second to the eighth, respectively. The recent 8^th one was held in Suzhou in September 2003, and its main topic was that of the success of NDT in the past and innovation of NDT in the future. Since the 7^th ,an international NDT instrument exhibition is to accompany the national conference on NDT at the same time.

 

ChSNDT is formed by secretariat ,member of standing committee and different sub-committees. In addition, NDT organizations in different provinces, municipal cities, and in industrial branches are important cooperative partners of ChSNDT.

 

China is a country with large area and long distance to travel between cities,so ChSNDT always relies on its sub-committee and on NDT organizations of different provinces and different industrial branches to carry on concrete NDT activities ,such as NDT workshop and seminars on specific topics, training and qualifications of NDT personnel in regions. ChSNDT also publishes its own journal ( Non-destructive Testing) to popularize NDT technique in whole China. Normally, every sub-committee (for example,UT ,ET , AET and so on ) will hold a national conference once in two years period ,the main topics of which depend on the major task of the sub-committee, some related subjects, however, shall also be discussed in such conferences.

The success of ChSNDT is achieved due to its work in building up a constitution in accordance with social community nature,setting up operable codes and regulations and mobilizing activities of members of ChSNDT in all round branches, including research institutes and academies, universities and colleges ,large works and factories, and private enterprises. Moreover, a relatively stable and active secretariat of the society is a key factor in guaranteeing the success of ChSNDT .The background of the rapid development of Chinese economy in recent years is of course the deep-rooted cause for the success of ChSNDT.