2016-12-13
The course of a certified insulation product
To be certified, the performances of an insulation product must be tested and verified. From production plant sampling through to writing the test report, each insulation product passes through a series of tests to assess its performance and its durability.
ACERMI certification is based on validating the performance claims made by product manufacturers. This is particularly true for thermal resistance R-value which is central to the certification process.
This validation is carried out in the laboratories of the ”Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment” (CSTB) and the “Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais” (LNE). Here, insulation products follow a clearly defined test course according to their type, the standards they must meet, and performances type to be validated. Each laboratory is animated by a team of specialists. Specimen identification, conditioning, preparation, testing and report writing is shared equally between the CSTB and LNE teams. The CSTB team animated by a laboratory manager, include eight technicians and one assistant. Audits are conducted by three auditors. At the LNE, a dozen specialist insulation technicians carry out production plant audits and specimen testing.
Both laboratories are accredited by the French accreditation body COFRAC, which validates correct test procedures in the CSTB and LNE laboratories, the manufacturer production plant audits and the certification management system. The audits conducted by COFRAC supplement the internal quality management, exchange of information and regular comparison procedures of the two laboratories to verify continuity of result consistency.
Adaptation and anticipation
Enabling emerging products to gain certifications that facilitate their recognition in the market is a central vocation for ACERMI. Many innovations have benefited from certification as a direct result of the ACERMI Springboard Guidelines initiative (Référentiel Tremplin). Some innovation with particular type or shape that cannot be properly assessed using existing methods and equipment, ACERMI has even developed specific new assessment techniques. Such adaptations may be minor, as in the case of biosourced insulation products, or major as was the case for insulated formwork blocks and vacuum insulation products, which required a combination of testing and simulation methods.
CSTB laboratory manager Eric Pilch and his LNE counterpart Alain Koenen closely monitor the insulation performance assessment processes for which their own organization is directly responsible. Both stress the importance of procedures designed to produce measurements that are significant in the context of the end-user application. The ultimate aim is always to make it easier for users to choose the right product with confidence.
For more information about "the course of a certified insulation product"
