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Illustration: swirls of flowing paint in midnight blue, violet and terracotta.

FDES configurator for paints

Ailoop builds generator FDES configurators for paint manufacturers (FDES: the French EPD format, Fiche de Déclaration Environnementale et Sanitaire). Your teams enter the product’s formula, characteristics and packaging, then generate its FDES, verified and submitted to INIES, the French national EPD database.

See the families covered
Naeem ADIBIGuillaume SZABLEWSKIMarie BECCATRequest a demo

With an LCA expert and a digital expert

Why is a single FDES not enough for your paints?

Because a paint is first and foremost a formula: binder, pigments, fillers, additives and their proportions change from one product to another. A single FDES for a whole range doesn't describe the paint actually sold.

One FDES for the whole range
  • Product AMatt interior paintWater-based15 L pail
  • Product BSatin facade glossSolvent-based2.5 L tin
  • Product CFloor paintTwo-component5 L kit
FDESA single FDESRange average
Doesn't describe the product delivered
One FDES per product, with a configurator
  • Product AMatt interior paintWater-based15 L pail
  • Product BSatin facade glossSolvent-based2.5 L tin
  • Product CFloor paintTwo-component5 L kit
  • FDES A
  • FDES B
  • FDES C

  1. Formulas that change from one product to another

    Binder, pigments, fillers, water or solvent: each formula has its own composition, and therefore its own impacts.

  2. Single- or two-component products

    Base and hardener, mixing ratios, spreading rate, service life: the technical characteristics are part of the calculation.

  3. Packaging, labels and delivery

    Container size, packaging material, indoor air emissions class and distance to the construction site complete the declaration.

The paint families we model

Our generator configurator models the raw materials: it covers every type of paint, whatever the formula. Here are the most common families.

  • Illustration: interior paints

    FDES configurator for interior paints

    Walls and ceilings, matt, satin or gloss finishes: the FDES follows the formula and spreading rate of each product.

    See an example
  • Illustration: facade paints

    FDES configurator for facade paints

    Exterior paints and facade coatings: binder, service life and packaging are taken into account in the calculation.

    See an example
  • Illustration: floor paints

    FDES configurator for floor paints

    Single- or two-component products: base, hardener and mixing ratios are entered to generate the FDES of the system.

    See an example
  • Illustration: primers and undercoats

    FDES configurator for primers and undercoats

    Bonding primers and undercoats: composition and spreading rate define the FDES of each reference.

    See an example
  • Illustration: varnishes and wood stains

    FDES configurator for varnishes and wood stains

    Varnishes and stains for wood: water- or solvent-based, VOC content and service life are part of the calculation.

    See an example
  • Illustration: technical paints

    FDES configurator for technical paints

    Protective paints and speciality products: as soon as the formula is known, the configurator calculates its FDES.

    See an example

  • Your product family isn't on the list?

    Our experts model every product family in paint. Let's talk about it during the free audit.

    Book my free audit

What the configurator varies

In our generator FDES configurators, the user describes the product, its formula and its post-production: the FDES is calculated from the raw materials, then verified and submitted to INIES.

Product and characteristics

  • Single- or two-component
  • Density
  • VOC content
  • Spreading rate and service life
  • Type of binder, water- or solvent-based

Composition

  • Raw materials and their proportions
  • Transport of each raw material

Post-production

  • Packaging and container size
  • Application method
  • Labels and emissions class
  • Distance to the site
Conceptual previewTypical flow of a generator configurator: product, characteristics, composition, post-production, then FDES generated, verified and published on INIES. References and formulas hidden.
Naeem ADIBIGuillaume SZABLEWSKIMarie BECCATRequest a demo

With an LCA expert and a digital expert

Distributor or generator: which configurator for your paints?

For paint, it's the formula itself that changes from one product to another. That's why we generally choose the generator configurator: it models the raw materials and calculates the FDES of each formula.

Distributor configurator

A distributor configurator is verified once, then recognised for RE2020, the French environmental regulation for new buildings: the FDES it produces can be used directly, with no obligation to submit them to INIES, in an XML format that can be imported into building calculation software. The manufacturer can also choose to submit them to INIES to broaden its published catalogue.

Suited to your sector

Generator configurator

A generator configurator is verified once; each FDES it generates then goes through a lighter verification (the verifier checks the composition rather than the calculations), and is then submitted to INIES.

The choice depends on what varies: if it is the variants of your products, a distributor configurator; if it is your inputs and processes (several sites, formulations, raw materials), a generator configurator.

Understand the difference between distributor and generator configurators

A generator FDES configurator already in production for paint

Ailoop developed a generator FDES configurator used by four paint brands, which wish to remain anonymous.

Illustration: paints mixing in swirls of blue, ochre and terracotta.

Four paint brandsPaints · building

A generator configurator for four paint brands

The need
Produce an FDES faithful to each formula, without redoing an LCA study for every reference.
What was built
A generator configurator in which each brand describes its product, its technical characteristics, its raw material composition and its post-production. The FDES is calculated automatically, then given a lighter verification and submitted to INIES.
Who did what
Configurator design and development and calculation automation: Ailoop.

These four brands wish to remain anonymous: we name neither them nor their products. Other configurators have been developed for manufacturers who wish to remain anonymous.

Methodology

How is an FDES configurator built?

For paint, the raw material database (environmental data, origin, transport) is built from the very first step: it is what makes it possible to generate the FDES of each formula.

  1. 01

    Define the products and variations to cover

    Identify the families, the products, the parameters that make the results vary, the users and the expected deliverables.

  2. 02

    Structure the LCA models and the data

    Environmental data, assumptions, rules and validity ranges.

  3. 03

    Develop the configurator

    Business forms, calculation engine, checks, data, rules and exports.

  4. 04

    Test and prepare for verification

    Reference cases, consistency of results, limits, traceability and documentation.

  5. 05

    Deploy and evolve

    Opening to users, new product ranges, data updates, maintenance and regulatory changes.

Find out how to build an FDES configurator

Frequently asked questions about FDES configurators for paints

Why a generator configurator for paints?

Because the composition changes from one paint to another. A generator configurator models the raw materials: it calculates the FDES of each formula, rather than adapting an existing FDES.

It therefore covers every type of paint, from interior paints to floor paints, as soon as the formula is entered.

How is a generated FDES verified?

The configurator is verified once. Each FDES it generates then goes through a lighter verification: the verifier checks the composition rather than the calculations.

This verification is quick and inexpensive. The FDES can then be submitted to INIES. Understand the difference between distributor and generator configurators

Do our formulas stay confidential?

Yes. The references and proportions of your raw materials are entered in your own space, accessible only to your teams. A single raw material database can serve all your ranges.

Can labels and the indoor air emissions class be included?

Yes. The post-production step brings together packaging and container size, application method, labels, indoor air emissions class and distance to the construction site.

Why choose Ailoop for your paint FDES configurator?

Ailoop brings LCA expertise and software development together in one team, and has already put a generator FDES configurator for paint brands into production.

  • Dual expertise in LCA and digital

    Our chairman, Dr Ing Naeem ADIBI, has 20 years of experience in LCA; our managing director, Guillaume SZABLEWSKI, 20 years in digital transformation. Our LCA experts and our developers work together, from environmental modelling to going live. This complementarity lets us design reliable configurators, tailored to your products and ready for your teams to use.

  • Already in production for paint

    Our generator configurator is already used by paint brands. It generates FDES that go through a lighter verification before being submitted to INIES, for RE2020 calculations.

    4
    paint brands supported

  • A tool designed for your teams

    We start by studying your real needs. Your raw material database is shared across your ranges and brands, and the tool can connect to your systems. Tailor-made, built around the way you work.

  • A configurator that evolves with your catalogue

    New formulas, new raw materials, regulatory changes: we keep the tool and its LCA model up to date over time, without starting from scratch.

Are your paints a good fit for an FDES configurator?

In a 100% free, no-obligation audit, we look with you at your ranges, how your formulas vary and the data available. You leave with answers to your questions and our advice on next steps.

Book my free audit
  • Naeem ADIBI
  • Guillaume SZABLEWSKI
  • Marie BECCAT

Led by Naeem ADIBI, Guillaume SZABLEWSKI and Marie BECCAT.