Arconic_Welded_Backplates_.docx

BH3-18-029 Arconic Welded Backplates JOFOC NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) LYNDON B. JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (JSC)

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION (JOFOC)

Pursuant to 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1

For the Arconic Welded Backplates

1. FAR 6.303-2(b)(2) – The nature and/or description of the action being approved:

This justification provides the rationale for contracting by other than full and open competition with Arconic, Inc. for the quantity of four (4) Welded Plate, Z-001 Backplates per drawing number SDN13103082-701 and as specified in the Statement of Work for the Development for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.5-302 Z-001 Welded Backplate.

2. FAR 6.303-2(b)(3) – A description of the supplies or services required, to meet the Agency’s needs (including the estimated value):

The Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) is being developed in the Crew and Thermal Systems Division. This project is includes the in-house integration of the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) with the Pressure Garment System. The Backplate is the integral interface between both major subsystems in the xEMU. The contractor in this procurement shall provide all materials, tooling, test equipment, test facilities, analysis tools, and labor required to iterate design drawing SDN13103082-701, conduct a series of experiments to create a weld schedule for each unique instance of weld geometry according to NASA Standard, NASA-STD-6016A, conduct a Pre- Manufacturing Design Review, and fabricate the quantity of four (4) Welded Plates according to the Statement of Work for the Development for the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) 2.5-302 Z-001 Welded Backplate. The total estimated cost of this effort is $295,000.

3. FAR 6.303-2(b)(4) – An identification of the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition:

The following statutory authorities apply to this procurement:

a. FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii)(B), applies to this procurement as it is for a follow-on contract with a vendor for the continued development and production of “…highly specialized equipment..” and it is “.likely that award to any other source would result in— Unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency’s requirements.”

i. Arconic was contracted under 80NSSC18P0420 to produce the Z-010 welded backplate for the Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME) Express Rack Flight Experiment (SERFE). After an accelerated development and fabrication period to meet project schedule requirements, several Z-010 plates were timely delivered.

ii. The xEMU project is funded by the International Space Station (ISS) to provide a flight demonstration project on ISS by mid-2023. The backplate is in the critical path to meeting this schedule.

4. FAR 6.303-2(b)(5)&(9) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited and any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition such as:

The PLSS provides life support functions that enable an astronaut to operate outside the vehicle in the harsh environment of space by providing pressurization, ventilation, thermal control, oxygen for metabolic consumption. The backplate plays a key role in the function of the PLSS by providing the structural mounting for all of the various life support components (evaporators, regulators, controllers, pumps, fans, scrubbers, batteries, etc.) while also providing thermal sinking of waste heat and transport of cooling water to the crew within the suit. Failure of the backplate to meet these requirements results in a catastrophic hazard with loss of life.

Historically, the backplate has been comprised of an assembly of individual structural and fluid transport components. In the current EMU, individual components were placed to minimize the overall assembly volume, with little consideration for maintenance. The evolving design of the next- gen PLSS for the x EMU utilizes a “printed circuit board” concept for the backplate and water loop plumbing, with the tubes and manifolds mounted directly to the backplate to ensure all components within the PLSS are easily accessible and replaceable. This methodology also enables structural backplate to serve as the heat sink for all electronic components. While achieving the desired maintainability, the arrangement of tubing and manifolds added to the overall depth of the PLSS. Testing of this concept with an integrated suit and display and control unit showed that this dimension had to be reduced. To meet this requirement, the backplate and thermal loop manifold and tubing assembly were combined into a single component, with the fluid lines embedded in the midplane of the backplate. Under this methodology, the backplate effectively becomes one large, complex manifold. This reduces the height of the backplate/manifold stackup as well as components previously placed over line runs. To maintain compatibility with PLSS components and future biocides, the backplate must be made from titanium. To mitigate the risks of debris collection and biological growth, all cross-drills and dead-end passages had to be eliminated from the design. This requirement necessitated non-standard manufacturing methods.

A market survey of additive manufacturing vendors and technologies was conducted. Through discussion with additive manufacturing vendors, it has been determined that the current state of the art does not offer a sufficiently large working volume to create a full-size backplate. A reduced “mini backplate” was designed to enable evaluation of additive manufacturing in a possible form factor.

This mini backplate was also baselined as the manifold and mounting plate for the test articles intended for use in the Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME) Express Rack Flight Experiment (SERFE).

The “mini backplate” design was shown to Arconic as part of the original market survey. After internal discussion of the design concept, Arconic provided an alternate solution. Arconic has a proprietary machine and welding process that offers an alternative solution over additive-manufactured components and is uniquely suited to the backplate design.

Arconic was contracted under 80NSSC18P0420 to produce the Z-010 welded backplate for the SERFE payload. After an accelerated development and fabrication period to meet project schedule requirements, several Z-010 plates were timely delivered. During machining of the received plates, several small, pinhole leaks were found. Arconic investigated and identified the cause of these failures, repaired the leaks, and verified the repairs using pressure testing. Arconic also conducted detailed ultrasonic and X-ray inspections of the hardware before and after the repair: developing inspection methodologies unique to this non-standard form of manufacturing. The lessons learned derived from these efforts have only increased Arconic’s capability. Arconic has a proprietary machine and welding process that offers an alternative solution over additive-manufactured components and is uniquely suited to the backplate design.

The unique capabilities offered by Arconic Inc make it appropriate to invoke FAR Section 6.3 to procure an additional Z-001 blackplate. The following justification that supplies and services are considered to be available from only one source is pursuant to FAR section 6.302-1 because;

· Such delays would mean at least one year of schedule impact on a highly parallel schedule to meet the xEMU project deadline of June 2023 delivery date to the ISS Program. The Z-001 backplate must be completed before any PLSS 2.5-302 assembly can begin. There is insufficient schedule margin to account for the schedule slip necessary to allow another vendor to replicate Arconic’s experience and capability. The design and packaging of the PLSS are entirely dependent on an embedded channel backplate methodology, and redesigning the backplate and PLSS package to utilize any other method of manufacture would result in substantial and unacceptable delays to the project.

· The SDN13103082-701 manufacturing effort represents a follow-on contract for the development of this highly specialized blackplate hardware.

a. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9)(i) – Explanation of why technical data packages, specifications, engineering description, statements of work, or purchase descriptions suitable for full and open competition have not been developed or are not applicable:

Through discussion with additive manufacturing vendors, it has been determined that the current state of the art does not offer a sufficiently large working volume to create a full-size backplate.

b. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) (ii) – When 6.302-1 is cited for follow on acquisitions as described in 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii), an estimate of the cost to the Government that would be duplicated and how the estimate was derived:

Arconic has been the sole vendor developing the welded channel backplate technology. Their experience from an internal feasibility assessment, producing the SERFE backplate, and the subsequent investigation, analysis, repair, inspection and verification of those plates represent a unique capability and body of knowledge. For a vendor offering electron beam welding, there is significant technical risk in meeting the materials properties requirements, dimensional tolerance, and surface finish requirements leading to latent defects found in a life support assembly during assembly, acceptance, or potentially operation. The combined lost cost of this procurement along with the ripple effect of possible design changes to interfacing parts would cost between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

5. FAR 6.303-2(b)(6) – A description of the efforts made to ensure that offers are solicited from as many potential sources as practicable, including whether a notice was or will be publicized as required by Subpart 5.2 and, if not, which exception under 5.202 applies:

A synopsis for this effort will be issued on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service.

6. FAR 6.303-2(b)(7) – A determination by the contracting officer that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable:

The price was determined fair and reasonable based on historical cost data from previous procurements as documented below.

The Government technical evaluation used cost data from subscale backpates developed and built using various additive manufacturing technologies for the Suit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME) EXPRESS Rack Flight Experiment (SERFE) ISS Payload. In the SERFE project, four different processes were used in prototyping a subscale 10in x 10in PLSS backplate design:

Of the four processes identified above, the EBW process offered by Arconic and was selected as the optimum process for producing the subscale PLSS backplate. The EBW was optimum because, unlike powder-based additive manufacturing processes (DMLS, EBM, or DMP), it utilizes materials with A-basis properties (well understood and repeatable properties, required for life support systems) and it’s based on more mature and well-understood physics.

In order to assess reasonableness of the Arconic quote, the cost of the subscale units was used as a basis of cost. Therefore, from the subscale, the cost increase in the quote is due to the following:

· Thickness of the plate – The backplate design has evolved and now will need an initial plate thickness in the 2-3 inch range which increases the cost of the raw material stock. Original thickness was 1-1.5 inch range.

· Backplate size increase from 10in x10in subscale to 23in wide x 31in tall -- The Arconic process was the only process that could be scaled to the final size; none of the additive approaches could produce a contiguous backplate this size. This is an area increase of 7 times greater than the subscale.

· Quantity increase -- The subscale plates were purchased in quantities of 1-2 whereas the PLSS DVT backplate will be at quantity of 4 units

· Increased Non-Destructive Evaluations (NDE) -- For the EBW subscale plates, some voids were noted in the initial prototypes and additional NDE and repairs were needed as part of the process development. Also, for the PLSS DVT backplate, the unit is being treated as a flight design with many of the same weld verifications and NDE which increases the cost.

The CO concluded with the nature of the acquisition and the unique qualifications required proposed total cost of $295,000.00 appears to be reasonable based on information and rationale provided above meets the Government’s needs. It also appears that the cost correlates and aligns well with typical labor, material, and other direct costs in the following assessment:

a. Experimentation: Arconic has proposed an amount for experimentation of $104,928.00. The NASA technical team believes that the amount of work involved with the buildup of the backplate can be accomplished with this proposed amount. This appears reasonable and appropriate for the amount of technical development, design, production, analysis, fabrication, non-destructive evaluation, and inspection involved over the proposed time period of approximately 3 months.

b. Raw Materials for (4) Plates: Due to the quantity increase, seven-fold increase in area, and an increase in thickness over and above was experienced with the prototypes, this material cost of $55,000.00 appears reasonable and appropriate.

c. Machining, Welding, and Testing: Arconic has proposed an amount for this area of $132,572.00. The NASA technical team believes that the amount of work involved with the buildup of the backplate can be accomplished with this proposed amount. This appears reasonable and appropriate for the amount of technical development, design, production, analysis, fabrication, non-destructive evaluation, and inspection involved over the proposed time period of approximately 3 months.

d. Shipping: The amount of $2,500.00 appear to be reasonable and appropriate due to the heavy weight, large size, and packing materials needed. The backplates need to be handled carefully as they need to be treated as fragile material.

7. FAR 6.303-2(b)(8) – Description of the market survey conducted, and the results, or a statement of the reasons a market survey was not conducted:

A market survey of additive manufacturing vendors and technologies was conducted. Through discussion with additive manufacturing vendors, it has been determined that the current state of the art does not offer a sufficiently large working volume to create a full-size backplate. A reduced “mini backplate” was designed to enable evaluation of additive manufacturing in a possible form factor.

8. FAR 6.303-2(b)(10) – A listing of the sources, if any, that expressed an interest in writing in the acquisition:

No vendors expressed interest in this acquisition.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(11) – A statement of actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers to competition before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services required:

Solicitation 80JSC018R0039 was posted on September 10, 2018 and closed on September 14, 2018. After closure of the synopsis, no additional sources were noted.

The ordering office will continually assess any new requirements in addition to monitoring the market environment in an attempt to overcome any barriers that preclude the agency from meeting the requirements of FAR 8.405-2, before any subsequent acquisition for the aforementioned support services are made.