Intaglio Presses for BEP Facilities SOW DRAFT.pdf

BEP Intaglio Press Requirements

Contents C. Statement of Work – Specifications C.1. Scope

C.2. References

C.2.1 Documents C.2.1.A Non-Disclosure Agreements……………………………………………………………………………………………..2

C.3. Press Requirements

PLEASE DO NO COMMENT ON THE TABLE OF CONTENTS. THE TABLE OF CONTENTS WILL BE UPDATED BY BEP

FOR INCLUSION IN THE SOLICITATION. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.

C. Statement of Work – Specifications

C.1. Scope

This Statement of Work (SOW) is for the design, fabrication, assembly, delivery, installation, set-up, testing, commissioning, and training of Intaglio Printing Presses for the new Washington, D.C facility and Western Currency Facility (WCF) of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). A multiple or single award IDIQ with as few as two (2) presses (1 pair) and up to as many as twenty (20) total presses (10 pairs) is intended to be awarded. The purchased pairs shall be fabricated, tested, and installed as a pair with one press setup to print the backs of currency sheets and one press to print the faces of the sheets. The purchased pairs shall be identically fabricated, tested, and installed as a pair; the only difference being initially one press is setup to print the backs of currency sheets, and one press to print the faces of the sheets.

It should also be noted that all presses shall be capable of printing the backs and the faces of all denominations.

The Intaglio Printing Presses shall be sheet–fed, water-wipe, five (5) color, indirect-inking, intaglio printing presses (presses) capable of printing U.S. currency denominations using existing BEP supplied materials. The Contractor shall provide materials and services to design, fabricate, set-up, test in the factory, break-down, ship, deliver, install, start-up, test, and perform training on the presses and supporting equipment at the installation site within the BEP’s Washington, D.C. or Western Currency Facility.

Options for additional presses, testing materials and spare parts shall be included. The Contractor shall furnish information, technical specification and/or samples of any other consumable materials required for the utilization of the presses.

The presses shall be delivered with in-line inspection systems and data collection system, and with supporting Wiper Roller Coating Machines.

C.2. References

The following are referenced under this contract; Documents and Government Furnished Materials (GFM).

The equipment and services to be provided under this contract shall abide by the requirements of these referenced materials.

C.2.1 Documents

C.2.1.A Non-Disclosure Agreements

During this contract, the contractor will require sensitive but unclassified information that is proprietary to the United States Government. A Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) shall be signed and notarized as part of the submission package for consideration. (Attachment 11)

The notarized agreement shall be returned to:

Bureau of Engraving and Printing Office of Acquisitions, Room 705-A 14th and C St., SW Washington, DC 20228 Attn: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Contract Specialist

C.2.1.B Documents for Reference

Equipment to be delivered under this contract shall meet all current U.S. commercial codes and industrial standards, or equally stringent international standards, for manufacturing of high quality industrial equipment, commercial printing presses and finishing equipment to be utilized within an industrial environment. At a minimum, all equipment shall conform to National Electric Code, NEC, standards.

The following is a listing of specific standards that machinery supplied under this contract shall meet:

• All applicable sections of American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) (www.acgih.org)

• All applicable documents related to Energy Policy Act of 1992 with specific reference to Executive Order 13123 (www.omb.gov)

• All applicable Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards with specific references to OSHA standards 29 CFR 1910 (www.osha.gov)

• All applicable codes and standards and environmental permitting of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (www.epa.gov) and District of Columbia (DC) government (www.doee.dc.gov) and State of Texas (TX) government (www.tceq.texas.gov) and State of Maryland (MD) government (www.mde.maryland.gov).

C.2.1.C Attached Documents

The following lists the documents attached to this SOW.

NOTE – Attachments identified with an asterisk (*) require a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). All NDA documents provided under this contract shall be considered proprietary and sensitive to the government.

NDA designated documents shall not be copied, scanned or reproduced without written approval by the contracting officer. NDA designated documents shall be secured to prevent unauthorized disclosure or release of the information contained. NDA designated documents shall only be made available to individuals with a need-to-know. NDA designated documents shall be returned to the BEP when no longer required.

Identifier Title/Description

1. Paper Specifications*

2. BEP Currency Pallets

3. BEP Intaglio Printing Plate Drawings

4. Currency Ink Specifications*

5. EHS Requirements

6. BEP Sheet Delivery (Stack-n-Rack) Components

7. Inspection system calibration sheet*

8. IT Requirements

9. Draft Test Plan

10. Offline inspection system (option)

11. Non-Disclosure Agreement

C.3. Press Requirements

The following are the requirements of the presses to be supplied under this contract.

C.3.1 Government Furnished Materials

The items listed in this section will be supplied by the government for utilization with the Intaglio Printing Presses. Any other materials required for successful operation of the equipment shall be specified by the http://www.acgih.org/ http://www.omb.gov/ http://www.osha.gov/ http://www.epa.gov/ contractor and an initial batch of the materials shall be provided by the contractor with the equipment being provided as per C.3.10. “Contractor Provided Materials.”

C.3.1.A Currency Sheets

The presses shall accept blank or previously printed (offset, screen printed or foil stamped) currency sheets.

Federal Reserve currency sheets are presently processed in multiple sheet sizes and formats. Specifications for the papers are provided as (Attachment 1).

32-subject $2s – 561 +/- 1 mm long by 631 +/- 1 mm wide (22.09 inches +/- 0.04” by 24.84 inches +/- 0.04”).

The sheets are printed with thirty-two (32) images; four notes across the sheets by eight down the sheet. The sheets shall be back and face Intaglio printed.

32-subject $10s, $20s, $50s and $100s – 582 +/- 1 mm long by 657 +/- 1 mm wide (22.91 inches +/- 0.04” by

25.87 inches +/- 0.04”). The sheets are printed with thirty-two (32) images; four notes across the sheet by eight notes down the sheet, and have color bars and other non-note printing within trim margins. The sheet will be prior offset printed, back and face. The sheets shall be back and face Intaglio printed.

50-subject $1s & $5s – 700 +/- 1 mm long by 818 +/- 1 mm wide (27.56 inches +/- 0.04” by 32.20 inches +/- 0.04”). The sheets are printed with fifty (50) images; five notes across the sheets by ten down the sheet. The sheets are face and back Intaglio printed.

During the term of this contract, the size and format of currency sheets and the printing and/or features previously applied to the sheets for a denomination may change. Other denominations may migrate to 50-subject format. Sheets shall not be considered square due to the Intaglio printing process. All sheet dimensions are for blank paper prior to printing. Sheets will be supplied in a batch of 16,000 or 20,000 sheets as a “Lot” for printing.

The sheets will be presented to the press on pallets supplied by the paper supplier (Attachment 2).

C.3.1.B Printing Plates

The press shall utilize the existing BEP electrolytic of PVD chrome coated, electro-formed nickel printing plates for intaglio printing. Printing plates are 860 mm x 850 mm x 0.75 mm. (Attachment 3) details the printing plates.

C.3.1.C Currency Inks

The press shall successfully utilize BEP inks for the application of the intaglio images onto the paper. The specifications for the inks are (Attachment 4).

C.3.1.D Inking Plate (Chablon)

The press shall use either rubber or photo-polymer water wash plates to selective ink the Intaglio plates. BEP current supplier of photo-polymer plates is Flint Group Flexographic Products for security printing.

WS-S

Digital

2.30mm 27 1.95 Steel 2000 2000 12.0 45°C Develop 60 min 80 °C

Digital soft stencil

Plate for security printing

C.3.1.E Packing and Blankets

The press shall utilize the BEP’s packing and blanket materials. The specification for the packing and blanket are:

• Impression Cylinder Blanket: 1100 mm x 870 mm x 0.50 mm, ITG

• Impression Cylinder Rigging Boards: One (1) 1.5 mm thick board and one (1) 0.5 mm thick boards made by Tschudi

• Inking Cylinder Blanket: 960 mm x 850 mm x 1.65 mm, ITG

C.3.2 Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) requirements (Mandatory Minimum Element)

All equipment delivered to the BEP shall be designed to minimize all risks of injury to BEP employees. All equipment shall be in full compliance with government and commercial safety and health regulations and requirements. The following are specific safety, health and environmental requirements for major production machinery for the BEP. (Attachment 5)

C.3.2.A Safety

C.3.2.A.1 General Safety

Equipment shall be designed to prevent injury to operation and maintenance personnel at all times. It shall be equipped with service access equipment; such as catwalks, access platforms, access ladders, lifts, and other equipment for operation and maintenance. All catwalks, access platforms, access ladders, lifts, hoists, and any other equipment that are furnished, shall be built and tested to comply with the applicable American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and/or Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards including OSHA 29 CFR Subpart D.

C.3.2.A.2 Noise Level

The maximum noise produced by the operation of the equipment at full production rate shall not exceed 85 decibels A-weighted sound pressure level (85 dBA) when measured at 914 mm (3 feet) distance along the plan view of the equipment and at an elevation of 1,524 mm (5 feet). If the requirement cannot be met, the vendor shall meet with the CO, an EHS representative, and the CO's team to discuss all alternatives including required PPE to operate the machine safely. Exceptions may be granted if the equipment does not require an operator to be present for continuous operation.

C.3.2.A.3 Machine Guarding

All hazardous mechanical motions and actions shall be guarded as specified by OSHA 29 CFR Subpart O and all furnished safeguards shall be designed, built, and tested in accordance with ANSI B.11 or ANSI B.65 standards. Machine safeguards must prevent hands, arms, or any other part of a workers body from making contact with dangerous moving parts. All covers and safety guards shall be firmly affixed to the machine or otherwise interlocked with the equipment’s function controls to prevent its operation while any cover or guard is open or absent. Covers and guards shall be easy to remove by BEP authorized maintenance personnel to facilitate the removal of mechanical and electrical parts for repair.

Location of any open cover, door, guard or safety interlock shall be displayed on the Centralized Operator Station (COS).

C.3.2.A.4 Mechanical Entrapment

The manufacturer shall provide written mechanical entrapment response procedures for the emergency release of persons trapped in machinery. This requirement applies to equipment that has any potential entrapment point(s) where hands, fingers or any other body parts could become caught between moving parts. Training on entrapment response procedures shall be provided during the press training program provided to operators, support and maintenance personnel.

C.3.2.A.5 Sharp Edges

All sharp edges and corners, which present personnel hazards, shall be guarded or padded.

C.3.2.A.6 Heated Surfaces

Prevent heated surfaces from causing burns to personnel during operation.

C.3.2.A.7 Prohibited Materials

Restricted materials shall not be used in the equipment. These materials are noted in 75D-07.0-07 and 75W- 08.0-04 (Attachment 5).

C.3.2.A.8 Hazardous Emissions

Operation of the equipment shall not result in worker exposure to airborne contaminants exceeding current maximum allowable concentrations established by (OSHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) or National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards.

When the standards differ between organizations, the most stringent shall apply.

C.3.2.A.9 Interlocks

The equipment shall be equipped with interlocks to prevent unauthorized operation.

All furnished interlocks shall shut off or disengage power, stop the moving parts and prevent the automatic restart of the machine when the guard is open and/or the device is activated. An interlocked guard may use electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic power or any combination of these. However, an electrical interlock shall be provided to prevent accidental starting with the mechanical lock engaged.

C.3.2.A.10 Hazard Communications

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all supplied and specified chemicals that are part of the process shall be supplied by the contractor to the COR.

The SDS and product labelling shall comply with OSHA, as listed in standard 29 CFR 1910.1200, with particular emphasis on paragraphs (g) and (i). All SDS and package labeling must be in English.

Initial draft submission of the SDS shall occur during the 2nd Design Review meeting with final submission to occur at the 3rd Design Review meeting.

C.3.2.A.11 Overload Protection

Press shall be equipped with overload protection and power factor correction devices to prevent damage to its components and operating personnel.

C.3.2.A.12 Safe Ready

All control stations shall include a "safe-ready" collar or equivalent. Upon turning the collar to the safe position, it shall be impossible to start the press from any other station. Console shall indicate that the particular interlock including emergency stop buttons causes the press to start or not.

C.3.2.A.13 Emergency Stop

Emergency stop buttons shall be designed in accordance with OSHA standards, 29CFR 1910, ANSI B11, Electrical and Mechanical Equipment guidelines, NFPA 79 Electrical Standards for Industrial Machinery, UL Category NSID, Emergency Stop Device and ISO 13850: Safety of Machinery

Emergency Stop buttons shall be provided at multiple strategic locations to minimize the time required to reach them. Emergency stop buttons shall be of the pronounced mushroom type, red in color. Emergency stop buttons shall remain activated with a blinking red light once depressed until manually reset. When activated, the location of the E-Stop button shall be displayed on the COS.

C.3.2.A.14 Inching Interlock

Whenever an inching of the equipment occurs, only the control station from where the inch was performed shall be able to cause the equipment to move until the safe-ready is activated and deactivated. The equipment shall be designed to prevent the bypassing of any safety interlock function.

C.3.2.A.15 Energy Isolation

Disconnect and/or lockout devices shall be provided and identified with signage for all sources of energy on the presses. This includes electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and kinetic sources of energy. All isolating devices (levers, breakers, valves, etc.) for all associated energy sources (electrical, hydraulics, pneumatics, gravity, etc.) shall be identified by a color coded tag which indicates the type of energy source, the magnitude of the energy and an ID number. All isolating devices shall be capable of being locked out with a standard locking device and/or padlock. Stored sources of energy such as pneumatic and hydraulic forces shall be automatically bled and returned to a zero energy state when an interlocked device (i.e. a guard or a door) is opened.

C.3.2.A.16 UV Curing/Exposure Equipment

All equipment with ultraviolet radiation systems shall be designed such that no operator is exposed at or above permissible threshold levels established by the ACGIH.

C.3.2.A.17 Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems

All hydraulic and/or pneumatic systems shall have functional isolation, i.e., when part of a system is operating, no other part of the system shall be adversely affected by pressure drop, flow transients, etc. All hydraulic and pneumatic equipment employed in the system shall conform to the Joint Industrial Council (JIC) standards. Hydraulic and pneumatic pumps shall be energy efficient.

C.3.2.A.18 Laser Systems

All equipment with laser systems shall comply with the latest version of the Laser Institute of America’s ANSI-Z136.1 standard, American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers, and 21 CFR 1040 and shall be designed such that no operator is exposed at or above permissible threshold levels established by the ACGIH.

C.3.2.A.19 Illumination

Large equipment (such as printing presses) with covered work stations such as impression cylinder, wiping roller, inking-in areas, etc., shall include illumination of at least 20 foot-candles of luminance by the equipment manufacturer, in accordance with the latest version of ANSI RP-7.

C.3.2.A.20 Industrial Ventilation

Equipment which emits airborne contaminants which exceed permissible exposure concentrations as established by OSHA, ACGIH and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shall be equipped with local exhaust ventilation (LEV). LEV shall be designed in accordance with the ACGIH Industrial Ventilation: A Manual of Recommended Practice for Design, (latest edition). All industrial ventilation system parameters and design shall comply with the OSHA Ventilation Standard, 29 CFR 1910.94. Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system shall be equipped with a ducted outlet to connect to central VOC abatement system.

Required airflow (CFM) and static pressure drop (inches H2O) through the press’s LEV shall be provided to BEP to accommodate VOC system balancing. BEP limits will be provided at first design review.

C.3.2.A.21 Material Handling Assistance

The equipment shall include ergonomic lifting aids for any lifting of more than 32 pounds by the operators.

C.3.2.A.21 Signage and Labeling

All hazards must be identified by signage and labels affixed in a manner to warn the operator of the presence of a hazard. Reference ISO, OSHA, ANSI and NFPA.

C.3.2.A.22 Ergonomic Design

Wherever possible, workspaces, controls, handles, and switches shall be ergonomically designed. Reference ISO and NIOSH.

C.3.2.B Environmental Protection (Mandatory Minimum Element)

All equipment, materials, and processes must meet or exceed standards in the regulations and executive orders listed below. Other environmental regulations, executive orders and guidance may also be applicable. The environmental protection requirements focus on emissions, discharges, and waste products impacting air, water, and land. (Attachment 5)

C.3.2.B.1 References

⇒ Federal Regulation: Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Clean Air Act, as Amended;

⇒ 40 CFR 403 - General Pretreatment Regulations for Existing and New Sources of Pollution ⇒ 40 CFR 433 – Metal Finishing Point Source Category ⇒ 40 CFR 261 – Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste ⇒ District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), Title 20, Subtitle A, Air Quality Regulations ⇒ District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), Title 20, Subtitle E, Hazardous Waste Regulations ⇒ District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR), Title 21, Water and Sanitation, Chapter 15, Discharges to Wastewater System Regulations ⇒ P.L. 102-486, Energy Policy Act of 1992, October 24, 1992 ⇒ 40 CFR Part 247, Comprehensive Guideline for Procurement of Products Containing Recovered

Materials, May 1, 1996 ⇒ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) regulations in Texas Administrative Code Title 30

Chapters 101 through 335 as applicable. City of Fort Worth Code of Ordinances, Part II City Code; Chapter

12.5 Environmental Protection and Chapter 16: Health and Sanitation, Chapter 13 Fire Prevention and Protection.

⇒ State of Maryland Air Quality Regulations in Code of Maryland Regulations at COMAR 26.11.

⇒ Prince Georges County Code Section 19-101, which adopts State of Maryland air quality regulations listed at COMAR 26.11.

C.3.2.B.2 Air Pollution Control

The DC metro area including Prince Georges County Maryland has a marginal attainment status for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and 2.5 Particulate Matter (PM 2.5). Tarrant County, Texas is a non-attainment area for VOCs. Any equipment installed in DC, Prince Georges County Maryland, or Fort Worth, Texas must meet Lowest Achievable Emissions Rate (LAER) standards accordance with EPA, TCEQ, District of Columbia, and Prince Georges County, Maryland regulations. Equipment to be delivered under this contract shall meet the most stringent requirements of Washington D.C., Tarrant County Texas, and Prince George’s County, Maryland. Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) standards may also be applicable to control the emissions of any Hazardous Air Pollutants that result due to the installation of new equipment or change in the method of operations of existing equipment.

Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system shall be equipped with a ducted outlet to connect to central VOC abatement system. Required airflow (CFM) and static pressure drop (inches H2O) through the press’s LEV shall be provided to BEP to accommodate VOC system balancing. BEP limits will be provided at first design review.

C.3.2.B.3 Third Party Performance Test

Third Party Performance Test— A compliance test which demonstrates that the equipment and/or air pollution control device (APCD) meets the applicable EPA or DC performance requirements, may be required. If required, the BEP’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) or WCF EHS will coordinate the performance test after the installation of the equipment. The vendor will provide technical support for any corrections/adjustments required because of the performance testing.

C.3.2.B.4 Construction Permits

Local area authorizing Air Quality Divisions are required to review all new equipment that may reasonably be expected to emit air pollutants prior to installation. The contractor shall provide sufficient information to the BEP to allow the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OHES) to prepare an application for equipment installation. The press and associated control devices may not be installed until the authorizing locality issues a Construction Permit to do so. Note it may take a minimum of 6 months from submission of the permit application to receive the permit to begin construction.

Vendor shall provide general information on their press as part of the proposal. Preliminary information for permitting shall be provided at the 1st design Review with final submission at the 2nd design review.

Interlocks and Standby Mode—All APCDs will be interlocked with the operating equipment to prevent operation without emission capture. The Contractor is responsible for coordinating with Bureau representatives, including OEHS or WCF EHS, to establish the parameters that warrant a shutdown of equipment. Standby Modes shall be established for periods when equipment is not operating. The Contractor shall document the parameters established and include this information in the operation and maintenance manuals.

C.3.2.B.5 Wastewater

Information shall be provided to the OEHS or WCF EHS through the COR on the characteristics of all effluents (liquids which can be pumped or gravity flow liquids) that will come from the equipment, either regularly or intermittently, including routine or scheduled maintenance work. This information will be used to determine the feasibility and method of treating the effluents either in the Wastewater Pre-Treatment Plant or requiring that the materials be handled through the Solid/Hazardous Waste Program.

C.3.2.B.6 Energy, water and materials usage programs

The Contractor shall make every effort to provide the most energy and water efficient equipment to the Bureau. The contractor shall furnish all information to document the energy and water usages for the system, including all calculations.

The Contractor shall comply with:

⇒ P.L. 102-486, Energy Policy Act of 1992, October 24, 1992 ⇒ 40 CFR Part 247, Comprehensive Guideline for Procurement of Products Containing Recovered

Materials, May 1, 1996.

C.3.2.B.7 Fluorescent Bulbs

With exemption to the examination station(s) all lamping shall be LED.

C.3.2.B.8 Solid Hazardous Waste

Equipment that generates non-liquid wastes (wastes which cannot be pumped or which do not flow by gravity) either continuously or intermittently, including scheduled or routine maintenance work, in addition to normal operation, must be designed to allow for removal of the waste in an ergonomic manner and to allow the operator to transfer the waste into a 55 gallon drum – 1A1, 1A2, or other appropriate container, as needed.

Information shall be provided as to the specific quantity, nature and characteristics of the non-liquid waste generated so that a waste determination may be performed by OEHS in accordance with 40 CFR 261 – Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste.

C.3.3 Performance Requirements

The press shall meet the following performance requirements while utilizing BEP materials and printing U.S.

currency designs.

During the warranty period, the vendor shall monitor the system for the performance requirements:

productivity, spoilage, setup time, and unscheduled and preventative maintenance. If the system fails to demonstrate the performance requirements during the first year of the warranty period, the contractor shall take all appropriate actions to make improvements to the system, included but not limited to design changes, replacement parts, re-training of personnel and making recommendations to change operational procedures to enable the system to achieve satisfactory performance.

If during the last 6 months of the warranty period the system performance is greater than 5% out of specification; the warranty period may, at the government discretion, be extended for an additional 6 months at no additional cost to the government. If the required performance cannot be demonstrated after the 6-month extension, a negotiated settlement will be developed.

C.3.3.A Yield

The press shall, with BEP supplied materials, consistently produce sheets meeting the BEP’s quality standards with no more than 1.5% spoilage, or a yield of 98.5%. Spoilage is defined as any sheet not meeting the BEP print quality standards due to the performance, functionality or design of the press; e.g. press error, fault, mis-feeding of sheet or adjustment limitation of the press.

C.3.3.B Processing Rate

The press shall demonstrate an ability to print a minimum of 60,000 sheets meeting the spoilage required (C.3.1.1) within a 6½ hour period. The press shall be able to process sheets at speeds from 3,000 impressions per hour (IPH) up to 10,000 IPH .

Print quality, print registration and spoilage shall be consistent over the entire press operating speed range.

The press shall meet the above productivity requirements using no more than two contractor trained BEP press operators during normal operation.

C.3.3.C Manning

The press shall require the labor no more than two (2) individuals trained in the operation of the press.

C.3.3.D Unscheduled Maintenance

An unscheduled corrective maintenance event is considered any time maintenance personnel must be called by the operators or when the machine is unable to operate within conformance to the product, functional or performance requirements for more than fifteen (15) minutes. The Mean-Time-Between-Failure (MTBF) for any unscheduled corrective maintenance even shall average less than one (1) event per 100 hours of operation. The Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR) for any unscheduled corrective maintenance event shall average less than two (2) hours for corrective actions to be made and the press returned to production, ignoring the response time for maintenance personnel arrival.

The yearly average for time utilized for preventative maintenance on the press shall not exceed 3% of the operational time for the press. All Preventative Maintenance work shall be detailed within the Maintenance Manual, including all check-lists, procedures and recommendation for the time to perform.

The Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and the Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) of the press shall be monitored monthly during the warranty period. If the press fails to demonstrate a capability to meet the reliability and maintainability requirements during the warranty period, the Contractor shall take all appropriate actions to make improvements to the press; including but not limited to design changes and/or replacement parts, re-training operator and maintenance personnel, and making recommendations to change operational procedures to enable the press to achieve satisfactory performance. If during the last 6 months of the warranty period the system has an average MTBF less than 100 hours or an average MTTR of greater than 2 hours; the warranty period may, at the government discretion, be extended for an additional 6 months at no additional cost to the government. If the required reliability cannot be achieved after the six-month extension, a negotiated settlement will be developed.

C.3.3.E Set-up time

Set-up time is defined as the time it takes from when a crew begins working on the press until the press begins production; operating at full speed and meeting the quality requirements for the product.

The total time to set up the press to process currency shall be less than the following:

Change Definition Maximum Time to Perform

Cold Startup Monday morning startup after down over weekend 1 hour

Wiper Change Changing wiper roller 15 minutes

Blanket Change Changing blankets on cylinders, no change to plates, sheet size, format or note size 1 hour

Plate Change Changing printing plates; no change to sheet format or note size 4 hours

Full Change Complete change of printing plates and blankets; may change sheet size, format and note size 8 hours

Lot Change Time to close out one Lot and begin another 5 minutes

Cold Startup - is the time required to bring equipment into operation after it has been stopped for a period of time (usually eight (8) hours or more), all components have normalized to ambient air temperature (for example, sitting over the weekend). The equipment shall return to operation with the same job that was in operation prior to stopping.

Wiper change – is the time to change the counter-rotation wiping roller in the printing unit, including all time from stopping the press to remove the existing wiper to returning to production with a quality product.

Includes the time to examine and clean the wiper tank and making adjustments to the wiping solution flow and wiper tank to produce a quality product. Wiper change time does not include any time to empty the removed wiper of any coolant solution or pre-loading the new wiper with coolant.

Blanket change – is the time to change all components of the riggings for all segments of the cylinder.

Plate change – is the time to change plate in the printing unit, including time to remove the ink, install new plate, set printing unit and restart operation. A plate change within a job shall be able to be performed without additional downtime or requiring adjustments to the inspection system or system.

Full change – is the time to change all blankets, riggings, chablons, plates, wiper, format changes as required.

Lot change – is the time to stop production, empty the machine of all sheets, close the lot on the COS and set up the next lot for production.

C.3.4 Press Functionality

The press shall have the following functionality capabilities:

The press shall accommodate a wide range of substrates to produce currency and other security documents, including polymer or combinational substrates that include both paper (cotton and linen) and polymer materials. The press shall have the capability of processing sheets ranging up to a maximum size of 820 mm wide by 700 mm long (32.28” by 27.56”). The image area for the sheets shall be at least 800 mm wide by 666 mm long (31.496” x 26.22”).

A Raised Tactile Feature (RTF) and/or another feature may be added to future currency designs that may impact the heights of stacks of sheets. The placement, height and nesting characteristic of the feature are unknown currently. The inclusion of the feature onto denominations is anticipated to increase the height of 100 sheet stacks up to 25 mm thick. The press shall be capable of accommodating designs with a RTF.

C.3.4.A Pre-Stacker

The press shall be supplied with a pre-stacker unit for personnel to stack sheets for feeding into the equipment. Pre-stacker shall allow an operator to assemble stacks of sheets up to 1500 mm (4 ft – 11 inches), approximately 10,000 sheets, from Stack-n-Rack carts for loading into the equipment. Pre-stacker shall have guides on both sides for back or face application of the feature. The pre-stacker shall not obstruct or prevent loading of sheets supplied to the equipment on skids that do not require manual stacking

At least three (3) carts shall be supplied by the contractor for the stacking of the sheets and transportation of the stacks from the pre-stacker into the feeder with each equipment. A means to maintain alignment of the carts from the pre-stacker into the feeder shall be included. The use of guides secured to the floor to maintain alignment is acceptable, but the guides shall be positioned to prevent being a trip hazard.

C.3.4.B Sheet Feeding

The press shall have the ability to automatically feed sheets from a stack while maintaining registration and print quality. The feeder shall accommodate a vertical pile of at least 10,000 currency sheets over the specified sheet size range on a skid. The feeder shall allow for the insertion of at least 10,000 currency sheet pile, including skid, from the bottom while a minimum of 2,500 sheets of the previous skid continues to be fed automatically into the press without slowing or stopping the press.

The feeder shall maintain continuous feeding of sheets by elevating the pile synchronously with the speed of the press, over the entire specified press speed range. The feeder shall allow for the insertion of the skids with commercially available hand operated hydraulic lift trucks. It is desirable to have automated alignment of the sheet pile to within +/- 0.25 mm (0.010 inch) alignment. If auto alignment is not provided vendor shall include details on method or mechanism to maintain pile alignment. The feeder shall have a lifting mechanism with a minimum 0.906 metric-tons (2000 pounds) load capacity. The feeder shall have access platforms, with railings, around both sides of the press and around the open end of the feeder. All access platforms, guardrails and stairs, including stair handrails, shall comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 29 CFR 1910, subpart D.

The feeder shall have redundant safeties, in addition to the normal top and bottom stopping safeties on the pile, a second set of redundant micro-switches shall be installed to ensure that the stack stops repetitively at the appropriate height.

The feeder side rail shall be movable on both sides, in such a way that it can be moved or lifted out of the way on a hinged mount to accommodate stacks that may have shifted or are inclined. The feeder shall be capable of controlling the stack height from the lead edge of the pile or the trailing edge of the feeder pile.

C.3.4.C Internal sheet transfer within press

The sheet transfer internal to the press shall maintain print-to-edge registration of the sheets regardless of the printing segment or operational speed of the press, over the entire specified press speed range. Provisions shall be made at the sheet transfer mechanism to prevent build-up of static electricity.

The press shall automatically stop the feeder and come off the impression when any of the following conditions occur:

⇒ Two or more sheets are fed at the same time.

⇒ Inverted sheet detection ⇒ No sheet is present at the front guides.

⇒ A sheet arrived earlier or later than required.

⇒ Sheet is misaligned during feeding.

⇒ No sheet is present at the impression cylinder.

⇒ Wrapping of a cylinder by the paper occurs.

⇒ Foreign material, metallic or nonmetallic, is fed into the press.

⇒ A sheet is folded over or deformed from its original layout

The detecting and tripping mechanisms shall operate at speeds designated to prevent jams, damage to the press or plates, and the printing of images on rigging boards, draw sheets or other non-substrate materials.

All fault detecting devices shall indicate operational status of the fault detectors. All sensors shall have provisions for recalibration. A graphic panel with indicators to display fault detector status shall be provided.

Error codes shall flash on the console and remote displays when errors are detected.

If the feeder does not stop when a side lay fault occurs, an alarm shall sound, and the sheet shall be diverted to the delivery designated by the operator for side lay faults. After a user selectable number of faults, an alarm shall sound, and the press shall stop feeding.

If the press detects a “Blanket Impression”, (printing of the plate image onto a blanket without a sheet being present); the press shall stop immediately and not allow further feeding of sheets until the blanket(s) has been cleaned or replaced. An automatic electronic message shall be sent to the designated foreman for the section, notifying the foreman of the potential blanket impression.

C.3.4.D Print Unit The press shall be capable of printing, using the intaglio printing process, sheet sizes ranging from a minimum of 631 mm wide by 561 mm long (24.84 x 22.08 inch) to a maximum of 820 mm wide by 700 mm long (32.28 x 27.56 inch) with an image area at least 800 mm wide by 666 mm long (31.49 x 25.98 inch).

The press shall have the capability of accommodating currency printed on a wide range of substrates; including polymers, combination of polymer and cotton linen, and other security printing substrates. The manufacturer shall specify the range of materials, and associated thicknesses and material properties that can be run on the press to meet BEP product requirements for quality and registration.

The press shall be equipped with a sheet registration system capable of controlling and maintaining sheet registration in lateral and circumferential directions, for the entire specified press speed range and plate cylinder segments. The tolerance from the leading edge of the paper to a referenced printed point in the circumferential direction shall be constant within +/- 0.38 mm (0.015 inch) on each. The tolerance from the edge of the sheet in the lateral direction to a referenced printed point shall be constant within +/- 0.38 mm (0.015 inch).

The press shall have a minimum circumferential adjustment range of +/- 1.5 mm with an independent ability to adjust each side by +/- 0.75 mm. Registration shall be validated by measuring printed sheets, measurements to occur at the registration positions on the sheets, and all measurements having a three standard deviation (3σ) less than or equal to the registration tolerance (i.e. 3σ < 0.38 mm).

The press shall be equipped with all plate mounting hardware and controls to register of all plates to maintain registration while the press is in operation with BEP supplied plates.

The printing unit shall utilize BEP packing, draw-sheets and blankets. The press shall be designed and configured for the packing thicknesses utilized by the BEP.

The Impression cylinder typically utilizes 2 mm packing with a 0.5 mm blanket. The printing plate is 0.75 mm thick.

Plate, Impression, and Collector cylinders shall be designed to prevent cracking or material damage due to the high pressure cyclical loading potentially requiring cylinder replacement.

These cylinders shall resist corrosion, erosion, etching and pitting when contacted by 13 +/- 0.25 pH wiping solution, printing inks, cleaning solution(s) and subjected to wiping conditions.

The BEP currently changes plates at 1 million impressions intervals and expects this to continue or improve with future press designs. The press design shall minimize plate damage that may require shorter plate replacement cycles.

Impression and Ink Collector cylinders shall maintain the surface speed of the Plate Cylinder.

Plate cylinder shall automatically take up the plate stretch by fitting the plates with effective and positive leading and trailing edge plate clamps.

Plate cylinder shall have provisions to enable accurate hanging of each printing plate per segment to ensure plate to plate printing registration to within 0.0762 mm (0.003 inch).

Impression and Ink Collector cylinders shall be equipped with devices to stretch the rigging and blankets flat.

Plate cylinder shall be designed and equipped with temperature control devices to maintain the dimensional stability of the cylinder, refer to C.3.4.11 HEAT TRANSFER.

Plate cylinder shall be equipped with devices to maintain proper positioning of the printing plates.

Plate cylinder shall be adequately tapered at the leading and trailing edges of each plates, to minimize the impact between the plate cylinder and all other cylinders.

An automatic washing system shall be provided for the Plate and Ink Collector cylinders.

C.3.4.E Impression Force The impression force on the existing BEP Intaglio presses is manually controlled by adjusting the gap between the plate and impression cylinders. Typically, the operator can adjust the gap in .01mm steps, to create the impression force range required.

The Intaglio presses delivered under this contract shall control the impression force by allowing the operator to set the force and maintain the force by reading and adjusting the press. The impression force shall be selectable within a range from 0 to 550 Kn per side. The impression force shall be measured real time (Kn) with an accuracy of 1% of full scale. System shall allow control and maintain the impression force between the plate and impression cylinders to +/- 2% of set point. The actual impression force and set point shall be monitored, displayed, and recorded real time in the DCS for each segment of the plate cylinder and impression cylinder. A simple means to periodically calibrate the impression force shall be provided. An alarm shall alert the operator when the force is out of acceptable range. The impression force shall not drift more than 2% of the set point on either side and calibration should only be necessary on a maximum of a quarterly basis.

The control of impression force shall be independent for each side of the press without damage to the cylinder due to misalignment.

It shall be demonstrated that this accuracy can be achieved through an approved calibration procedure.

C.3.4.F Inking System

The press shall be equipped with at least five (5) independent ink fountains and inking arrangement to print up to a five (5) color intaglio image onto the sheets. The inking units shall employ indirect ink transfer methodology for the application of ink onto the printing plates. It should be noted certain BEP inks, especially Intaglio inks containing iron oxide, are very abrasive and can wear inking components. (Attachment 4)

The inking system shall utilize BEP cut rubber or photo-polymer plates (Chablons) for the selective application of ink.

The press shall permit the use of one, two, three, four, or all ink fountains selectively. When an inking fountain is not in use, it shall not be driven.

Lateral and circumferential control of inking-in registration shall be provided. The minimum range shall be +/- 3 mm in 0.1 mm increments. Controls for all press inking elements shall be provided both on press control and the remote control console and shall in no way be interrupted by other functions of the press. The press shall maintain the registration set by the operator over all press speeds.

Each inking unit shall include modular type leak-proof ink fountain, ink metering mechanism, and ink application device.

Temperature control of each ink fountain and ductor system to minimize variation in inking and accommodate different inks. This shall include the ability to program different ductor/fountain temperatures for different machine conditions such as idle, machine stop, and normal steady state operation. (Refer to section C.3.4.11

HEAT TRANSFER.)

Bearings, gears, and other related parts shall be protected from corrosion and/or damage due to the abrasive inks and cleaning solution(s).

The inking system shall permit lifting or removal of the inking fountain to enable a BEP press operator to clean the ink fountain, printing plate and other needed items in not more than 10 minutes. A lifting/lowering mechanism shall be provided to assist the operator in the placement/removal of inking-in rollers, ink fountains and ductor rollers.

For reference only, the current five (5) year average ink consumption rates for U.S. Federal Reserve $1 denomination notes are 2,887 notes per pound of U.S. green currency Ink, and 3,357 notes per pound of U.S.

Black Currency Ink. Likewise, $20 denomination notes are 4,014 notes per pound of U.S. green currency Ink and 4,271 notes per pound of U.S. Black Currency Ink.

Fountain cheeks shall not warp and shall be made of replaceable leak-tight, longwearing, non-scoring material.

The inking system shall monitor and maintain adequate level of ink in the fountain automatically. Currently, when the ink level in the fountain is low, the press commands an external ink pump, supplied by the BEP, to turn on. The vendor shall provide an interface to the BEP ink supply system (i.e. I/O bits for ink with fountain identifier) indicating ink is required.

The minimum service life of a ductor roller shall be at least 20 million impressions. Components within the ink fountain shall have a minimum life of at least 12 million impressions. Consumable materials used for the metering ink film shall have a minimum life of at least 750,000 impressions prior to replacement with at least 187,500 impressions between any changes.

Each fountain shall be equipped with motorized ink agitators to distribute and maintain the homogeneity of the ink in the fountain.

C.3.4.G Ink metering system

The ink metering system shall provide a stable and consistent ink film and shall be designed to enable the plate printer to make minimal adjustments over time once the system is set up.

The system shall be designed to provide electronically controlled fine and coarse adjustment for ink film thickness and shall be segregated into individual regions no wider than 38 mm (1 ½ inches), Segmented fountain blades or keys shall remotely meter the ink film on the rollers. Keys or segments shall be aligned with the centerline of the printing area and shall be evenly divisible of the maximum printing width.

Individual fountain ink key settings shall be saved with the job information.

Each region shall be individually controllable from full open to close. At full closure, zero set point (distance from the doctor to the ink key shall be set to 0.025mm at operating temperature of the doctor roller). At an open position, sufficient ink shall flow to print any denomination of U.S. currency regardless of depth of intaglio, layout and transfer segment.

The incremental opening, step, of each region’s ink film thickness from full closure (zero point) to full open shall provide consistent and repeatable intaglio printing requiring minimum adjustment by the plate printer to ensure a uniform and consistent appearance to the currency.

The inking metering system shall display and record each individual region’s ink film thickness. This may be a direct film thickness measurement or a measurement correlating to film thickness by region such as ink key position. If a measurement correlating to film thickness is used, a calibration process shall be included that considers rate of wear to metering components.

Programmable ink metering shall be provided to minimize over/under inking during start-up and speed transitions for press speed changes.

Programmable ink metering shall be provided to automatically compensate for ink fountain component wear (blade or segments) from abrasive inks (BEP magnetic ink) resulting in uncontrollable ink distribution during the life of the elements.

Programmable temperature control of critical ink metering components, (i.e. ductor roller) shall be provided to prevent uncontrollable ink flow during cold press startup, idling conditions, and after press stops.

Ink metering data shall be provided for each printed sheet and shall include the positions and zero point for each ink key or region. The data shall be stored in the Data Collection System (DCS) per the requirements specified.

C.3.4.H Wiping System The press shall be supplied with a water wiping, counter rotation, system to wipe and remove excess ink from the surface of the plates prior to printing.

The wiping system shall use BEP supplied water wiping solution. The removal of the ink from the plates shall ensure high quality printing of U.S. Currency in accordance with the established quality standards.

C.3.4.I Wiping Solution

The BEP’s existing wiping solution based on weight ratio is:

⇒ 1.0% NaOH (Caustic Soda)

⇒ 0.5% Sulfated Castor Oil or equally effective product

⇒ 98.5% Softened Water

The wiping unit shall be designed to allow for alternative wiping solutions, The BEP will provide the waste solution collection system including the pumps needed to transport the waste through pipes to the BEP’s wastewater treatment plant.