The Springboard Guidelines: an appropriate procedure

The ACERMI certificate issued on completion of the procedure described in the Springboard Guidelines has the same value as all certificates issued by ACERMI. The Springboard Guidelines provide a level of analysis appropriate to those products that do not fall within the categories covered by existing guidelines.

The process is very similar to the standard process, and differs only in the development of tests. It begins with the submission of a request to ACERMI using a downloadable form (the ACERMI Springboard certificate application form at: http://www.acermi.com/documents-reference/formulaires).

The response to this request takes the form of a process instituted by the application sponsoring organization (CSTB or LNE) to fully understand the nature and characteristics of the product. This involves an analysis and the compilation of technical documentation focused essentially on the thermal performance characteristics and behavior of the material or process concerned. In all cases, this will include measures of thermal conductivity and resistance, as well as data on material thickness and, where appropriate, its settling, emissivity and aging properties.

This information is required to identify the type of tests that will be applied to the material or product. These tests are developed on the basis of existing tests used for other products. The aim here is to harmonize requirements.

The tests identified and proposed at the end of this phase are then submitted to the Certification Committee. The Certification Committee will then either agree them or suggest changes, which, if necessary, leads on to a second submission of the protocol.

The Certification Committee will then either agree them or suggest changes, which then leads on to a second submission of the protocol.
Once the protocol has been validated in this way, the sponsoring organization conducts the tests and forwards the results to the Certification Committee, which then validates the certification for three years.

During this time, the manufacturer must comply with the requirements of the guidelines, which specifically involves the taking of six samples, for which the analytical results must be provided. The analyses can be conducted using its own resources or entrusted to a third party (for example, with the assistance of another suitably equipped facility).

The three years are used to prepare standard product guidelines, which normally takes an average of two years. The three-year period also gives time for product feedback to be gathered and to register other certificates for products from the same family, which could contribute to the preparation of shared guidelines.

At the end of the three years, the family either has its own specific guidelines, or the experiment is halted if it proves inconclusive.

 View the Springboard Guidelines