2019-07-04
Springboard: certification of innovative products
Besides recognizing the thermal performance of new insulation materials, Springboard certification paves the way for market launch.
One of the missions of the Association pour la CERtification des Matériaux Isolants (ACERMI) is to support the launch of new insulation materials and technologies. This is what Springboard (Tremplin in French) certification has been doing since its creation in 2013. Thirty-two Springboard certificates have been issued since then for 16 product families.
Springboard consists of ACERMI technical specifications that enable manufacturers to promote their emerging and innovative products, like biosourced materials, by certifying their thermal performance and, if applicable, their thickness, emissivity and compaction. This certification speeds their entry and recognition on the market. ACERMI is especially attentive to its industrial customers but also listens closely to specifiers of insulation materials who must make choices for projects entrusted to them by owners.
Springboard: the right solution for VSEs...
Many VSEs are developing new products but lack the resources to set up internal procedures and prepare themselves to obtain ACERMI certification. Springboard certification gives them a three-year transition period during which ACERMI guides them as they develop their internal quality and control procedures.
After this period, the Springboard certification becomes an ACERMI certification that is added to the 18 existing Product Guidelines on the website www.acermi.com under “Reference documents.” This certification becomes the reference for a new product family and includes criteria in addition to thermal performance, such as mechanical strength and fire resistance.
... and a demand of major contractors
Major contractors also apply for certification using Springboard technical specifications, especially for innovative products that do not yet have European standards, such as vacuum insulation products.
Products with Springboard certification today: cellular concrete, insulated concrete forms, rafter-type panels, loose cotton, vacuum insulation, polyester wadding, polyester fiber, sandwich panels, insulating shuttering blocks, bulk polystyrene beads, perforated expanded polystyrene and thermal breaks.
ACERMI contributes to the development of European standards
ACERMI is deeply involved and often a pioneer in the development of new assessment methods when an insulation product or its intrinsic performance are not covered by European product standards. ACERMI then offers specific technical specifications to certify the product. These technical specifications are developed through the research and experience of ACERMI laboratories. When the development of a standard is decided at the European level, ACERMI provides European experts with the assessment methods developed by its pilot laboratories.
