Association du Soudage (AFS) has been created in 1991 jointly by two founder members: Institut de Soudure and Société Française des Ingénieurs, Techniciens et Scientifiques en Soudage (SIS), and immediately, nearly fifty companies involved in welding or profesionnal bodies became members.

The goal is to give to companies, which could have the necessity, either in the scope of a contractual agreement with their custommers, or to improve the quality of their performances, the possibility to get a system of recognition of knowledge acquired by persons in charge of welding activities, according to criteria decided at European or International level.

AFS is the French body, approved by the European Welding Federation (EWF) at European level since 1993 and by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) since 1998. For this reason, AFS is authorised to award Engineer, Technologist, Specialist, Practitioner diplomas as well as the diploma of International Welding Inspector or European Thermal Sprayer Specialist.

AFS as also set up a system of certification for Welding Inspectors according to standard AFNOR XP A 88 120