Attachment 0002 - Contract Quality Requirements.docx

CONTRACT QUALITY REQUIREMENTS

Contracting Officers shall follow the instructions stated on the ARDEC Form 367-E to determine which text should be incorporated into their individual solicitations/contracts. Any text that will be incorporated shall be included in this Word document attachment which should be identified as “Contract Quality Requirements” in the listing of attachments in Section J. Any text that will not be included shall be deleted.

1.) GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT QA ACTIONS: INSPECTION

Government Procurement Quality Assurance (PQA) actions will be accomplished by the Government Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) at: Choose an item.

.) GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT QA ACTIONS: ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance of supplies will be at:

The Government's acceptance of FATR (if required) will be at: Choose an item.

.) ALTERNATIVES TO LOT ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING –

INCLUDING STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL (SPC)

(a) Offerors are encouraged to propose a defect prevention strategy in lieu of lot acceptance inspection and testing requirements cited in the technical data package. The Government recognizes that industry has developed numerous prevention based strategies which result in reduced process variation and promote continuous process improvement initiatives. Use of alternatives to lot acceptance sampling can provide offerors the latitude of implementing prevention based programs that are suitable to their particular mode of operation. Offerors are encouraged to submit their alternative proposals prior to award. Although the Government will entertain post award requests, there is no guarantee such requests will be accepted.

(b) Requests to use alternatives to lot acceptance sampling shall be provided to the Contracting Officer for review and approval or disapproval. Such requests shall include:

(1) Identification of the specific inspections and tests to be reduced or eliminated.

(2) A description of your prevention based program. This should include such topics as a training program and the performance of audits.

(3) A description of the tools used to monitor and control the specific processes being evaluated. This should include such topics as criteria for determining out of control conditions and procedures to be used when an out of control condition is detected.

(4) The results of a process performance study, and if available, the results of a process capability study.

(5) For SPC data to be used as an alternative to lot acceptance sampling, the following conditions shall be met:

(i) The process is in a state of statistical control using SPC control chart methods.

(ii) Variable data: for Critical characteristics a CPK =/> 2.00 (or equivalent capability) is achieved; for Major characteristics a CPK =/> 1.33 (or equivalent capability) is achieved.

(iii) Attribute data: for Critical Characteristics a process average of 100% of the product conforming to the specification; for Major Characteristics a process average of 99.9937% of the product conforming to the specification.

(c) Proposals offered after award. The Contracting Officer is responsible for accepting or rejecting the alternate lot acceptance procedure submitted by the contractor. The contractor may submit an alternate lot acceptance procedure at any time during the performance of this contract. The Contracting Officer is responsible for accepting or rejecting the alternate procedure within 30 days of receipt. If the Government needs more time to evaluate the alternate procedure, the Contracting Officer shall notify the contractor in writing, giving the reasons and the anticipated decision date. The contractor may withdraw its proposal at any time prior to its incorporation by contract modification. Because offerors may withdraw their proposal at any time, the Contracting Officer's failure to timely accept or reject the proposal shall not constitute grounds for claim against the Government. Any proposed and accepted procedure must be incorporated by contract modification. If the alternate procedure is not accepted, the Contracting Officer shall provide the contractor with written notification, explaining the reasons for rejection.

(d) Any equitable adjustment resulting from approval of an alternate lot acceptance procedure described in paragraph (c) above will be handled in accordance with the Changes clause of this contract.

(e) Until notification is received, the contractor is required to perform under this contract in accordance with the requirements herein, including lot acceptance inspection and testing.

.) REWORK AND REPAIR OF NONCONFORMING MATERIAL

a. Rework and Repair are defined as follows:

(1) Rework - The reprocessing of nonconforming material to make it conform completely to the drawings, specifications or contract requirements.

(2) Repair - The reprocessing of nonconforming material in accordance with approved written procedures and operations to reduce, but not completely eliminate, the nonconformance. The purpose of repair is to bring nonconforming material into a usable condition. Repair is distinguished from rework in that the item after repair still does not completely conform to all of the applicable drawings, specifications or contract requirements.

b. Rework procedures along with the associated inspection procedures shall be documented by the Contractor and submitted to the Government Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) for review prior to implementation. Rework procedures are subject to the QAR's disapproval.

c. Repair procedures shall be documented by the Contractor and submitted on a Request for Variance, DD Form 1694, to the Contracting Officer for review and written approval prior to implementation.

d. Whenever the Contractor submits a repair or rework procedure for Government review, the submission shall also include a description of the cause for the nonconformances and a description of the action taken or to be taken to prevent recurrence.

e. The rework or repair procedure shall also contain a provision for reinspection which will take precedence over the Technical Data Package requirements and shall in addition, provide the Government assurance that the reworked or repaired items have met reprocessing requirements.

.) QUALITY POST AWARD CONFERENCE

Post Award Conference (definition) - A first meeting of key Contractor/Government players. This conference is to assure a clear and mutual understanding of the contract between the Government and contractor. The Post Award conference includes discussions on contract terms, conditions and requirements, line items and sequence of events needed for successful execution of the subject contract effort.

The contractor shall host a post award conference/meeting at the contractor’s facility to include contractor and government contracting, management, quality assurance and technical personnel no later than calendar days after contract award. The contractor shall participate with the government to arrange a schedule and agenda for the post award conference prior to the meeting. The contractor shall provide the government with minutes of the post award meeting (DI-ADMN-81505 tailored).

.) MEASUREMENT SYSTEM EVALUATION (MSE)

(a) Definitions. This paragraph defines specific terms utilized throughout the rest of the clause and in the accompanying Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) and Data Item Description (DID) (DI-QCIC-81960). This aids in clarifying the MSE requirements to Government and contractor personnel.

(1) Acceptance Inspection Equipment (AIE). All equipment (includes AAIE defined below), special and standard, including dimensional gages, measuring equipment, test fixtures, electronic and physical test equipment, and other test equipment used for examination and test of a product to determine conformance to the Technical Data Package (TDP) which may include drawings and specifications (e.g., Detail, Performance, Weapon specifications, and QAPs).

(2) Automated Acceptance Inspection Equipment (AAIE). AIE in which the inspection and acceptance determination of the product is performed, in whole or in part, in an automatic manner.

(3) Contractor Inspection Equipment. Government-approved equipment utilized by the contractor to perform examination and tests to assure conformance to contract requirements.

(4) Commercial Inspection Equipment. Industry-developed inspection equipment of universal application, without limitations to a specific part or item, which is advertised or cataloged as available to the trade or to the public on an unrestricted basis at an established price. Examples follow:

(i) Standard Test Equipment. Multi-usage equipment that is specific to a function rather than to an item. It includes such items as hardness testers, tensile strength testers, meters, weighing devices, standard gear testers, ohmmeters, voltmeters, and oscilloscopes.

(ii) Standard Measuring Equipment (SME). Multipurpose equipment and standards used for performing measurements. It includes such items as micrometers, rulers, tapes, height gages, and protractors, etc. Standards include visual inspection equipment such as scratch and dig standards, surface finish comparator, color standards (FED-STD-595), etc.

(5) Nondestructive Testing. The development and application of technical methods to examine materials or components in ways that do not impair future usefulness and serviceability in order to detect, locate, measure and evaluate flaws; to assess integrity, properties and composition; and to measure geometrical characteristics. NDT includes Radiography/Radioscopic, Ultrasonic, Eddy Current, Magnetic Particle, and Liquid Penetrant.

(6) Measurement System Analysis (MSA). Per ASTM E2782 (Standard Guide for MSA), paragraph 3.1.7, MSA is any of a number of specialized methods useful for studying a measurement system and its properties.

(b) Scope. This clause establishes requirements for design, supply, performance, and maintenance of AIE used for product inspection and acceptance. In addition, this clause establishes requirements for the preparation, submission, and approval of AIE documentation.

(c) AIE. The contractor shall provide all AIE necessary to ensure conformance of components and end-items to contract requirements. AIE shall include inspection, measuring, and test equipment whether Government furnished or contractor furnished (including commercially acquired) along with the necessary specifications and procedures for their use (see ISO 10012, paragraph 6.2.1). The AIE shall not create or conceal defects on the product being inspected. All AIE documentation shall contain sufficient information to permit evaluation of the AIE’s ability to test, verify, and/or measure the applicable characteristics or parameters (see DI-QCIC-81960).

(d) AIE Designs & Government Furnished Gages. AIE designs are of two types – Government designs (see d.1) and contractor designs (see d.2). When applicable, Government designs or Government furnished gages are designated in the TDP/contract; responsibility for all other AIE is assigned to the contractor. The designs, associated inspection procedures, and theory of operation shall have the level of detail to demonstrate capability of the proposed AIE to perform the required inspection.

(1) Government AIE Designs. Government AIE designs may consist of detailed drawings necessary for the fabrication and use of the AIE. Unless otherwise specified, the contractor may submit alternate or modified contractor designs of Government AIE designs.

(2) Contractor AIE Designs. Contractor AIE design drawings shall meet the requirements of ASME Y14.100, ASME Y14.5 and ASME Y14.43 and may include commercial inspection equipment. [“Commercial inspection equipment” is defined as shown in paragraph a.4 above. It shall be fully described by catalog listings or other means which provide sufficient information to permit identification and evaluation by the Government and may include illustrations and engineering data.] Designs shall be submitted for any special fixture(s) to be used. Unless otherwise specified, Gage Tolerancing Policy shall be in accordance with ASME Y14.43, “Absolute Tolerancing (Pessimistic Tolerancing).”

(3) Visual Inspection. Visual inspection standards used for the acceptance/rejection of product shall be submitted for approval.

(e) AIE Package Submittals. The contractor shall prepare the AIE package submittal in accordance with DI-QCIC-81960 in the applicable Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL – DD Form 1423). In addition, the contractor shall adhere to the following requirements:

(1) Designs for Approval. Contractor designs and/or the submission for the use of Government designs shall be approved by the Government. Partial submission of AIE designs is permissible in order to expedite the approval process; however, the response date for design review will be based on the date of the final complete submission of designs.

(2) Correspondence in English. The contractor shall ensure all AIE correspondence and documentation are submitted in English.

(3) Units of Measurement. The units of measurement within the AIE package submittal shall be consistent with the requirements of the Technical Data Package (TDP).

(4) AIE Flow Down. The contractor shall flow down AIE requirements to sub-contractors at any tier who are performing acceptance inspections.

(f) Characteristics for Inspection. AIE documentation for Critical, Special, and Major characteristic inspections shall be submitted to the Government for approval in accordance with (IAW) the CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960). AIE for Minor characteristic inspections shall be submitted to the Government for approval IAW CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960) and as required below:

☐ (1) Listed Minor (characteristics displayed on specifications and/or drawings

☐ (2) Government selected list (as attached or as provided herein)

☐ (3) Not submitted

(g) Automated Acceptance Inspection Equipment. The AAIE shall accept only conforming material. All characteristics requiring AAIE per the TDP shall utilize inspection equipment with a minimum demonstrated reliability of 99.8% at a 90% confidence level to detect non-conforming material unless otherwise specified below.

(1) Reliability of % at a % Confidence Level for Critical/Special Characteristics

(2) Reliability of % at a % Confidence Level for Major Characteristics

(3) For inspection of major and minor characteristics where contractor utilizes AAIE when it is not required by the TDP, the AAIE package shall be submitted to the Government for approval. If the Minor characteristic is not listed in paragraph f.2 or not required for submittal in paragraph f.3, then the AAIE requirements (e.g., verification, calibration, prove-out, etc.) of the inspection shall still be performed.

(4) All AAIE packages submitted to the Government for approval shall be in accordance with MIL-A-70625 (Automated Acceptance Inspection Equipment Design, Testing and Approval of). Furthermore, the contractor shall be responsible for producing the acceptance and rejection verification standards/masters representative of the characteristics the AAIE is designed to inspect. The verification standards and frequency of use require Government approval prior to use. When verification standards are used for the VL-VII “sampling plan” per MIL-STD-1916 paragraph 4.4, verification standards and frequency of use shall require Government approval prior to use.

(5) If the AAIE accepts a critical characteristic “reject” standard the contractor shall notify the Government and act in accordance with paragraph f of the Critical Characteristic Control Clause. In addition, if the AAIE accepts a major and/or minor characteristic “reject” standard the contractor shall act in accordance with paragraph 8.3 of ISO 10012 or paragraph 5.2.3 of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3.

(6) All AAIE shall be required to pass a Government-approved Acceptance (Prove-Out) Test. The contractor shall conduct this test per the approved test plan and shall submit a test analysis report for approval. See applicable CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960). This test shall be performed at the contractor’s facilities who’s manufacturing system has had the AAIE fully integrated and calibrated as per paragraph (j) of this clause. The contractor shall allow Government personnel access to this facility and unobstructed monitoring of this test.

(7) The contractor shall notify the Government prior to a modification and/or relocation of the Government-approved AAIE. The modified AAIE designs shall be submitted for approval. The modified and/or relocated AAIE shall require submission of the acceptance test plan (prove-out) and results for review and approval prior to use. The modified and/or relocated AAIE shall be in accordance with paragraphs (g)(1) – (g)(6).

(h) Measurement System Analysis (MSA). The contractor is responsible to ensure all AIE is, at a minimum, stable, repeatable, and reproducible for all characteristics. Refer to ASTM E2782 and/or AIAG MSA for guidance. The contractor shall provide objective evidence, including the MSA assessment plan, associated data, and analysis, which demonstrates the AIE is, at a minimum, stable, repeatable, and reproducible for the following characteristics (MSA CDRL):

Approval of submitted MSA(s) must be granted before the corresponding AIE can be used or continue to be used for acceptance of product. If at any time following approval of the AIE and MSA the AIE is disapproved, then the MSA shall be disapproved. After the resubmitted AIE is approved, the MSA shall be conducted on the approved AIE and resubmitted for approval.

(i) Robust AIE System. The contractor shall ensure the AIE and its use is not negatively affected by any manufacturing/inspection environmental stimuli including, but not limited to production rate, noise, temperature, humidity, and vibration.

(j) AIE Calibration and Verification. The calibration system shall be in accordance with ISO 10012 or ANSI/NCSL Z540.3. All AIE shall be subjected to scheduled calibration intervals to ensure that the equipment will accept only conforming product and reject all non-conforming product for the duration of the approved calibration period. AIE shall be subjected to periodic verification to ensure that the equipment will continue to accept and reject product with the same consistency as it did at the time of its previous calibration.

(k) Nondestructive Testing (NDT). Contractor shall submit detailed plans for qualifying and certifying NDT personnel and plans for qualification and ongoing use of NDT methods used for inspecting product. If re-qualification of NDT personnel and/or NDT methods is required, then the applicable plans shall be submitted.

(1) Personnel performing NDT examinations shall be qualified and certified in accordance with the standard practices prescribed by NAS 410 (NAS Certification & Qualification of NDT Personnel), ANSI/ASNT-CP-189 (ASNT Standard for Qualification and Certification of NDT Personnel), or SNT-TC-1A (Recommended Practice for Personnel Qualification and Certification in NDT), and additional procedures that may be identified by the Government. Acceptance of product using NDT shall be performed by personnel at a level of qualification consistent with that defined in the applicable standard.

(2) The NDT method(s) shall be applied in accordance with ASTM E 543 (Standard Specification for Agencies Performing Nondestructive Testing) and the current nationally recognized standard practices appropriate to the NDT method(s) employed, such as ASTM E-1742 (Standard Practice for Radiographic Examination) and SAE-AMS-STD-2154 (Inspection, Ultrasonic, Wrought Metals, Process For). Each application technique shall identify the standard(s) utilized. Non-destructive testing includes, but is not limited to, the following types of testing: Radiography/Radioscopic, Ultrasonic, Eddy Current, Magnetic Particle, and Liquid Penetrant.

(l) Contractor Alternate Inspection Method(s), Modifications and/or Relocation of AIE (Non-Automated) After Government Approval. If the contractor proposes an alternate inspection method and/or modifies the AIE design(s) affecting hardware, software, or procedures after Government approval the intended change(s) shall be submitted to and approved by the Government prior to implementation. If an AIE is relocated and the relocation risks the integrity of the inspection system, notify the Government to determine information needed to assess impact to AIE. See CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960).

(m) Responsibility for AIE Package Submittal. The contractor shall submit the AIE design documentation package within contractual timeframes per CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960). The Government will provide approval or disapproval within the timeframe specified in the CDRL. Disapproval of the AIE package will require re-submittal and subsequent Government review in accordance with the CDRL requirements. The AIE package and any required prove-outs must be approved prior to First Article (FA) (if required) or production start-up if FA is not required.

(n) Government’s Right to Disapprove AIE. The Government reserves the right to revoke approval of any AIE that is not satisfying the required acceptance criteria at any time during the performance of this contract. See CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960).

(o) Navy Furnished Gages. When gages are listed in paragraph o.9 below, the Navy Special Interface Gage (NSIG) Requirement paragraphs o.1 – o.8 shall be satisfied.

(1) The NSIG(s) are provided for verification of selected interface dimensions and do not constitute sole acceptance criteria of production items or relieve the contractor of meeting all drawing/specification requirements under the contract.

(2) The contractor is responsible for contacting the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Corona Division at least 45 days prior to FAT (if required) or production, for the delivery of NSIG(s).

(3) NSIG(s) will be forwarded to the contractor for joint use by the Government and the contractor. Government furnished NSIG(s) shall not be used by the contractor(s) or subcontractor(s) as in-process or working gage(s).

(4) For production items that fail to be accepted by the applicable NSIG(s), an alternate inspection method may be submitted for approval.

(5) The contractor may substitute contractor designed and built AIE for the NSIG(s) noted in paragraph (o.9) below. However, the designs require Government (Navy) approval and the contractor AIE hardware requires Government (Navy) certification. AIE designs shall be submitted in accordance with CDRL (DI-QCIC-81960).

(6) The Government (Navy) shall not be responsible for discrepancies or delays in production items resulting through misuse, damage or excessive wear to the NSIG(s).

(7) Calibration and repair of the NSIG(s) shall only be performed as authorized by the NSWC Corona Division. Repair is at no cost to the contractor unless repair is required due to damage to the gages resulting from contractor fault or negligence. Damaged, worn, or otherwise unserviceable NSIG(s) shall be brought to the immediate attention of the CAO and NSWC Corona Division. The contractor shall not make any adjustments, alterations or add permanent markings to NSIG(s) hardware unless specified by the NSIG operating instructions or authorized by the NSWC Corona Division.

(8) Within 45 calendar days after final acceptance of all production items, the NSIG(s) shall be shipped to NSWC Corona Division, ATTN: Receiving Officer, Bldg 575, Gage Laboratory, 1999 Fourth St., Norco, CA 92860-1915. The following shipping and marking specifications are applicable:

(i) Shipping, MIL-STD-2073, "DOD Standard Practice for Military Packaging"

(ii) Marking, MIL-STD-129, "Marking for Shipment and Storage".

(9) The following NSIG(s) shall be provided and are mandatory for use except as noted by paragraph (o.5) above.

.) SURFACE QUALITY STANDARDS

a. Surface quality standards for optical elements (Scratch and Dig) per MIL-PRF-13830B, are required to perform acceptance inspection under this contract and are available as listed:

DRAWING: 7641866

REVISION: Any Rev – N thru U

QUANTITY: 01

COST: $2000

EST WT: 5 lb

The standards will be furnished to the Contractor on a loan basis for use on this contract. The standards shall not be used on other contracts unless written authorization is received from the Contracting Officer. The Administering Contracting Officer (ACO) designated by the agency administering the contract, or the Contracting Officer (CO) if an ACO was not assigned shall submit the Contractor's request for equipment to US ARMY - ARDEC/RDAR-EIQ-EC, BLDG 92, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000. Shipping costs shall be borne by the shipper.

b. The contractor shall hereby indicate the facility to which this Government Furnished Property should be shipped:

c. Upon receipt, the Contractor should retain shipping containers for return of the standards. All costs of packing, packaging, shipping, and insurance shall be borne by the Contractor.

d. The Contractor shall be responsible for shipping the surface quality standards to the Government for certification at 12 month intervals. Notification and shipping instructions shall be provided to the Contractor by US ARMY - ARDEC/RDAR-EIQ-EC, BLDG 92, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000. The notification shall include the standard's serial number and will be sent 30 days prior to the actual due date for certification.

e. Within 30 calendar days after completion of delivery of all items on this contract requiring scratch and digs, the Contractor shall assure that the Government owned standards referenced in paragraph a above are in the same condition as when received. Upon verification by a Government representative that the standards are undamaged. The Contractor shall prepare the standards for delivery in accordance with best commercial practices. The Contractor shall ship the standards with a DD Form 1149 to US ARMY - ARDEC/RDAR-EIQ-EC, BLDG 92, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000.

.) GOVERNMENT FURNISHED INSPECTION EQUIPMENT

a. The Government designed Inspection Equipment listed as available in or other provision of this contract, will be furnished to the Contractor pursuant to the Government Property Clause in Section I of this contract. The equipment will be shipped transportation charges collect from the following location:

b. The Contractor shall hereto indicate the facility and address to which the Government Furnished Property (GFP) should be shipped:

c. The contractor should preserve shipping containers when unpacking and retain such containers until the GFP is to be returned. Replacement of such shipping containers shall be at the contractor's expense.

d. After all equipment is in place and ready for operation and upon written request by the contractor, Government personnel will provide training at the contractor's plant on the use, calibration, and maintenance of Government furnished inspection equipment for contractor and Government personnel.

e. Within 30 calendar days after completion of delivery of all items on this contract, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer through the Administrative Contracting Officer that the Government owned inspection equipment and standards referenced in paragraph (a) above is in good condition and is available for disposition. The contractor is responsible for restoration of the items to useable condition, including calibration. Upon verification by a Government representative that the inspection equipment and standards are in useable condition and calibrated, the contractor shall prepare them for delivery in accordance with the best commercial practices. The cost of the preservation, packing, and shipping of the Inspection Equipment shall be borne by the Contractor. The contractor shall ship the inspection equipment and standards, with a DD FORM 1149, to

.) GOVERNMENT FURNISHED AMMUNITION

a. Ammunition has been programmed to support contractual test requirements as follows:

(1) Rounds:

(2) Cartridges:

(3) National Stock Number:

(4) Department of Defense Identification Code:

b. Requests for all ammunition shall be submitted electronically to the contract specialist on DD Form 1348 no later than 90 days prior to desired delivery dates. The completed request may be submitted via electronic mail to the Contracting Officer, and usarmy.detroit.tacom.mbx.ilsc-mca@mail.mil.

c. The contractor shall be responsible for reporting on the status of ammunition expenditures throughout the life of the contract as follows:

(1) Every 90 days after the initial receipt of government furnished ammunition, the contractor shall provide an ammunition consumption report in accordance with (IAW) DID OT-16-10003 attached in Section J, attachment title “Government Furnished Ammunition Request” to the Contracting Officer.

(2) No later than 30 days after completion of the contract, the contractor shall report to the Contracting Officer on the remaining ammunition IAW DID OT-16-10003. The contractor shall request disposition instructions for the remaining ammunition. The contractor shall execute the disposition instructions and provide confirmation to the Contracting Officer.

d. The contractor shall furnish a copy of the above ammunition reports and disposition requests to the cognizant Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) and to the Government Furnished Material/Management Control Activity (GFM/MCA), at usarmy.detroit.tacom.mbx.ilsc-mca@mail.mil.

.) FIRST ARTICLE TEST (GOVERNMENT TESTING)

a. The first article shall be examined and tested in accordance with contract requirements, the item specification(s), Quality Assurance Provisions (QAPs) and all drawings listed in the Technical Data Package.

b. The first article shall be delivered by the Contractor Free on Board (FOB) destination except when transportation protective service or transportation security is required by other provision of this contract. If such is the case, the first article shall be delivered FOB origin and shipped on Government Bill of Lading.

c. The first article shall be representative of items to be manufactured using the same processes and procedures as contract production. All parts and materials, including packaging and packing, shall be obtained from the same source of supply as will be used during regular production. All components, subassemblies, and assemblies in the first article sample shall have been produced by the Contractor (including subcontractors) using the technical data package provided by the Government.

d. Prior to delivery, each of the first article assemblies, subassemblies, and components shall be inspected by the Contractor for all contract, drawing, QAP and specification requirements except for any environmental or destructive tests indicated here:

The Contractor shall provide to the Contracting Officer at least 15 calendar days advance notice of the schedule date for final inspection of the first article. Those inspections which are of a destructive nature shall be performed upon additional sample parts selected from the same lot(s) or batch(es) from which the first article was selected. Results of contractor inspections (including supplier's and vendor's inspection records when applicable) shall be verified by the Government Quality Assurance Representative (QAR). One copy of the contractor's inspection report with evidence of the QAR's verification shall be forwarded with the first article; two copies shall be provided to the Contracting Officer. Upon delivery to the Government, the first article may be subjected to inspection for all contract, drawing, specification, and QAP requirements.

e. Notwithstanding the provisions for waiver of first article, an additional first article sample or portion thereof, may be ordered by the Contracting Officer in writing when (i) a major change is made to the technical data, (ii) whenever there is a lapse in production for a period in excess of 90 days, or (iii) whenever a change occurs in the place of performance, manufacturing process, material used, drawing, specification or source supply. When conditions (i), (ii), or (iii) above occurs, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer so that a determination can be made concerning the need for an additional first article sample or portion thereof, and instructions provided concerning the submission, inspection and notification of results. Costs of the additional first article testing resulting from any of the causes listed herein that were instituted by the contractor and not due to changes directed by the Government shall be borne by the Contractor.

f. Rejected first articles or portions thereof not destroyed during inspection and testing will be held at the government first article test site for a period of 30 days following the date of notification of rejection, pending receipt of instructions from the Contractor for the disposition of the rejected material. The Contractor agrees that failure to furnish such instructions within said 30 day period shall constitute abandonment of said material by the Contractor and shall confer upon the Government the right to destroy or otherwise dispose of the rejected items at the discretion of the Government without liability to the Contractor by reason of such destruction or disposition.

.) FIRST ARTICLE TEST (CONTRACTOR TESTING)

a. The first article shall be examined and tested in accordance with contract requirements, the item specification(s), Quality Assurance Provisions (QAPs) and all drawings listed in the Technical Data Package.

b. The first article shall be representative of items to be manufactured using the same processes and procedures and at the same facility as contract production. All parts and materials, including packaging and packing, shall be obtained from the same source of supply as will be used during regular production. All components, subassemblies, and assemblies in the first article sample shall have been produced by the Contractor (including subcontractors) using the technical data package applicable to this procurement.

c. The first article shall be inspected and tested by the contractor for all requirements of the drawing(s), the QAPs, and specification(s) referenced thereon, except for:

(1) Inspections and tests contained in material specifications provided that the required inspection and tests have been performed previously and certificates of conformance are submitted with the First Article Test Report.

(2) Inspections and tests for Military Standard (MS) components and parts provided that inspection and tests have been performed previously and certifications for the components and parts are submitted with the First Article Test Report.

(3) Corrosion resistance tests over 10 days in length provided that a test specimen or sample representing the same process has successfully passed the same test within 30 days prior to processing the first article, and results of the tests are submitted with the First Article Test Report.

(4) Life cycle tests over 10 days in length provided that the same or similar items manufactured using the same processes have successfully passed the same test within 1 year prior to processing the first article and results of the tests are submitted with the First Article Test Report.

(5) Onetime qualification tests, which are defined as a one-time on the drawing(s), provided that the same or similar item manufactured using the same processes has successfully passed the tests, and results of the test are on file at the contractor's facility and certifications are submitted with the First Article Test Report.

d. Those inspections which are of a destructive nature shall be performed upon additional sample parts selected from the same lot(s) or batch(es) from which the first article was selected.

e. A First Article Test Report shall be compiled by the contractor documenting the results of all inspections and tests (including supplier's and vendor's inspection records and certifications, when applicable). The First Article Test Report shall include actual inspection and test results to include all measurements, recorded test data, and certifications (if applicable) keyed to each drawing, specification and QAP requirement and identified by each individual QAP characteristic, drawing/specification characteristic and unlisted characteristic. Evidence of the QAR's verification will be provided. One copy of the First Article Test Report will be copy furnished to .

f. Notwithstanding the provisions for waiver of first article, an additional first article sample or portion thereof, may be ordered by the Contracting Officer in writing when (i) a major change is made to the technical data, (ii) whenever there is a lapse in production for a period in excess of 90 days, or (iii) whenever a change occurs in place of performance, manufacturing process, material used, drawing, specification or source of supply. When conditions (i), (ii), or (iii) above occurs, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer so that a determination can be made concerning the need for the additional first article sample or portion thereof, and instructions provided concerning the submission, inspection, and notification of results. Costs of the additional first article testing resulting from any of the causes listed herein that were instituted by the contractor and not due to changes directed by the Government shall be borne by the Contractor.

.) DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

a. All costs for destructive testing by the Contractor and items destroyed by the Government are considered as being included in the contract unit price.

b. Where destructive testing of items or components thereof is required by contract or specification, the number of items or components required to be destructively tested, whether destructively tested or not, shall be in addition to the quantity to be delivered to the Government as set forth in the Contract Schedule.

c. All pieces of the complete First Article shall be considered as destructively tested items unless specifically exempted by other provisions of this contract.

d. The Contractor shall not reuse any components from items used in a destructive test during First Article, lot acceptance or inprocess testing, unless specifically authorized by the Contracting Officer.

e. The Government reserves the right to take title to all or any items or components described above. The Government may take title to all or any items or components upon notice to the Contractor. The items or components of items to which the Government takes title shall be shipped in accordance with the Contracting Officer's instructions. Those items and components to which the Government does not obtain title shall be rendered inoperable and disposed of as scrap by the Contractor.

.) WIPE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEWLY PROCURED RADIOACTIVE COMMODITIES

a. In accordance with the following procedures, the wipe test shall be conducted on devices containing Hydrogen-3 (Tritium), Nickel-63, and Americium-241. The Wipe Test is intended to verify that devices containing radioactive material do not impose a threat to the environment or to an individual's health. The removable activity shall not exceed 1,000 disintegrations per minute (DPM).

b. Applicable Documents for Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) & Nickel-63.

ANSI N42.9-1972: Standard Test Procedures for Photomultipliers for Scintillation Counting and Glossary for Scintillation Counting Field

ANSI N42.15-1980: American National Standard Performance Verification of Liquid Scintillation Counting System

ANSI N42.16-1986: American National Standard Specifications for Sealed Radioactive Check Sources Used in Liquid Scintillation Counters

c. Requirements.

(1) When conducting wipe testing for Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) and Nickel-63, the suitable filter for liquid scintillation (LS) is a cellulose nitrate filter which dissolves or becomes transparent when mixed with LS fluid. Use only one type of filter and ensure that the liquid scintillation counter is calibrated using the same type of filter for background as is used to take all the nickel and tritium wipes. Dampen the filter (with distilled water) prior to wiping the device. The suitable filter paper for Americium-241 (Am-241) is a pressure-sensitive smear.

(2) Using moderate finger pressure, wipe the radioactive surface (not to exceed a 4 by 4 inch square) of the device with filter paper.

(i) For tritium devices, the radioactive surface is the external area adjacent to the source(s).

(ii) When performing this procedure on the Chemical Agent Monitor (CAM)(Nickel-63), the area to be wiped is the exterior surface of the CAM around the protective cap of the nozzle.

(iii) For the M43A1 Chemical Agent Detector (Americium-241), separate the top case assembly from the bottom case assembly. There are two areas which shall be wiped with a single wipe - the exposed area of the cell module and the area around the exit port.

(3) Place wiped filter papers for Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) & Nickel-63 items in scintillation counter vials with 1 ml of distilled water. For Am-241 wipes place each filter into a sealable plastic bag. Assure the bags or vials are identified and traceable to the item tested.

(4) Prepare the wipe for analysis according to the filter used. These analysis procedures shall be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

(i) Wipe analysis for Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) & Nickel-63 items shall be analyzed on a liquid scintillation counter. Operate the liquid scintillation counter in accordance with the documents cited in paragraph (b) above.

(ii) Wipe analysis for the M43A1 Chemical Agent Detector shall be analyzed by a gas flow proportional counting system or equivalent alpha detection instrumentation. The gas flow proportional counting system used to evaluate wipe tests shall be calibrated by an alpha reference source traceable to the National Institute of Standards & Technology at least every three months, and checked by an alpha reference source prior to each day's operational.

(5) Test results including a record of the amount of activity of each sample and verification of performance of the liquid scintillation counting system for Hydrogen-3 (Tritium) and Nickel-63 items are to be provided as specified in the Data Item Description (DID). Results of instrument calibration, required in paragraph (4) above for flow proportional counting (Americium-241), will be submitted to the government procuring office.

(6) The Contractor shall have an independent testing laboratory conduct wipe testing and analysis on the deliverable end item as described above. The sample for wipe testing may be submitted to the independent testing laboratory of the Contractor’s choice. An independent testing laboratory representative may perform wipe testing at the Contractor's facility as long as the wipe tests are analyzed at the independent testing laboratory.

(7) Wipe Test sampling shall be conducted as follows:

(i) A wipe test shall be performed on the entire First Article (FAT) sample(s) (if FAT is required by the contract).

(ii) A wipe test shall be performed on each production lot. A random sample shall be selected from each production lot in accordance with the table below:

Lot Size Sample Size 1-30 All 31-50 30 51-100 37 101-200 40 201-300 43 301-400 44 401-2,000 45 2,001-100,000 75

(iii) Prior to selection of the wipe test sample, the lot shall have met all other contract requirements. A sample shall not be submitted from the rejected lot unless authorized by the Contracting Officer.

(iv) Sample units shall be randomly selected from the entire lot by the Government Quality Assurance Representative.

(8) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires radiation exposures to be as low as reasonable achievable (ALARA), see 10 CFR 20.1101. But, in any case, failure of any sample unit to meet the maximum activity level of no more than 1,000 Disintegrations per Minute shall be cause for the Government to halt further product acceptance and for the Contractor to immediately perform a failure analysis and take corrective action. The failure analysis, in addition to isolating the root cause of the excessive activity level, shall include the Contractor's assessment with rationale as to the extent the condition is present in both in process and delivered product (i.e., identification of the suspect items). The Contractor's corrective action shall address the positive measures taken to prevent recurrence of the condition in the future as well as corrective actions to be taken on all suspect product. Both the failure analysis and corrective action shall be subject to review and approval by the Government prior to re-initiation of Government product acceptance.

(9) The independent testing laboratory employed by the Contractor must be licensed by the NRC or the applicable NRC Agreement State, or by the equivalent regulatory agency when the independent testing laboratory is located outside the United States. The subcontracting under this solicitation and the resulting contract is open to competition between Department of Defense activities and private firms. Under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2208(j), applicable working capital funded activities are available as potential subcontractors. The point of contact for safety concerns relating to radioactive commodities in contracts is Ms. Karen L. McGuire, TACOM LCMC Radiation Safety Program Manager, DSN 786-7635, commercial 586-282-7635; email: karen.l.mcguire4.civ@mail.mil.

(10) The independent testing laboratory must be able to verify the performance of the instrumentation used to analyze the wipe tests. Documentation shall be provided in accordance with the Data Item Description.

.) SUPPLEMENTAL WARRANTY OF SUPPLIES INFORMATION

(a) Whenever a request for waiver, deviation, or other change to a requirement in the contract is approved, Contractor responsibilities arising out of provisions of this clause are relieved only to the extent of the terms and conditions specified in the approval.

(b) For purpose of identifying warranted material to facilities receiving it, the following instructions will apply:

(1) For a quantity of warranted material which has been accepted at origin by the Government, the pertinent DD Form 250 (and the pertinent Ammunition Data Card if the card is contractually required) shall bear the following annotation: "The warranty period of the quantity stated hereon of (enter the item serial/lot number(s) as applicable) begins on (enter the date of acceptance of the quantity) and ends on (enter the date of the end of the warranty period for the quantity)".

(2) For a quantity of warranted material which has not been accepted at origin by the Government, the pertinent DD Form 250 (and the pertinent Ammunition Data Card if the card is contractually required) shall bear the following annotation: "The warranty period for the quantity stated hereon of (enter item serial/lot number(s) as applicable) begins on the date of the acceptance of the lot and ends (enter the length of the warranty period) days later."

.) USE OF MIL-STD 1916, DoD PREFERRED METHODS OF ACCEPTANCE

a. The Government will not accept lots whose samples submitted for acceptance contain nonconformances unless appropriately documented and approved by the contracting officer. The contractor shall use MIL-STD 1916, DOD Preferred Methods of Acceptance of Product. The Verification Level (VL) shall be:

VL for major characteristics and

VL for minor characteristics.

b. MIL-STD HDBK-1916 provides guidance on the use of MIL-STD 1916. This handbook is not contractually binding.

.) CRITICAL CHARACTERISTICS (SIX SIGMA)

a. The contractor’s processes shall be designed with the objective of preventing the creation or occurrence of nonconforming critical characteristics (see paragraphs d & e). The contractor shall establish, document and maintain a product specific, critical characteristics control (CCC) plan that shall be submitted to and approved by the Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) IAW DD Form 1423 and DI-MGMT-80004.

The CCC plan shall include or reference all procedures, work and handling instructions and process controls relating to any critical characteristics. Mistake Proofing techniques of the material handling and inspection systems shall be a part of the CCC Plan. Guidance for developing this plan and submitting Critical Plans of Action (CPOA) (paragraph g) can be found at http://www.pica.army.mil/PicatinnyPublic/organizations/ardec/orgchart/quality.html.

b. The contractor shall assure its critical processes are robust in design, capable and under control, with the objective of not generating any critical non-conformances. The contractor shall calculate, document, clearly identify, and have a schedule that routinely assess the reliability and effectiveness of its critical processes to prevent generating critical non-conformances as identified in the CCC Plan.

c. An inspection and verification system shall be employed that will verify the robustness of all critical processes. The contractor shall calculate, document, clearly identify, and have a schedule that routinely assess the reliability and effectiveness of its inspection and verification system to detect and prevent critical non-conformance escapes as identified in the CCC Plan. The Government expects that a contractor will allow zero critical escapes. To demonstrate its critical escape risk the contractor will utilize the non-conformance escape risk goal provided below.

(1) Unless otherwise specified immediately below, the calculated critical non-conformance escape risk is 1 in a million (.000001) items delivered.

Or:

Alternate calculated Critical Non-conformance Escape risk ( ):

Unless otherwise approved by the PCO, the non-conformance escape risk is the sum of the individual characteristic escape rates. The probability of escape for a single characteristic shall be calculated by multiplying the non-conformance rate(s) entering the inspection system(s) by the error rate of the inspection…