Oerlikon Balzers Coating USA Inc., based in Schaumburg, Illinois, was awarded a firm fixed-price purchase order on April 13, 2022, by the U.S. Army's TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to provide application and strip anti-wear coating services for 24 sets of broaches destined for Watervliet Arsenal, with an option for an additional 24 sets. The contract ceiling value is $221,967.96, with an ultimate completion date of April 30, 2024. This procurement supports the Army's rifle barrel manufacturing operations, as rifling broaches are critical precision cutting tools used in barrel production. The contract contains no set-aside designation and was issued without mentioning any major subcontractors. A modification to the contract subsequently deobligated unused funds from initial contract line items and closed out the effort.
The work performed by Oerlikon Balzers, a specialized industrial coating and decoating service provider, represents part of the Army's ongoing maintenance and sustainment of critical manufacturing equipment at Watervliet Arsenal. The company's expertise in applying and stripping protective coatings on broaches and similar equipment aligns with TACOM's mission to support the Army Materiel Command's logistics and lifecycle management objectives for ammunition and small arms production facilities.