Attachment 1 - Salient Characteristics 1 September 2026.pdf

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS (SC)

Standardized Portable Aircraft Bearing Roll-Swaging, Cutting, & Proof-Loading Tool Kit

1. Scope & Application

This document outlines the minimum physical, functional, and quality requirements for a standardized, portable roll-swaging, cutting, proof-loading, and removal tool kit. This kit is utilized by Department of the Air Force maintenance technicians to perform in-place, on-aircraft servicing and verification of standardized military spherical bearings on critical structural airframe components.

2. Physical Requirements

The contractor-provided equipment must meet the following physical specifications:

• System Portability & Ruggedization:

o The entire system must be a fully portable, field-deployable unit designed for flightline and hangar environments.

o The interior of the cases must feature custom-cut, high-density, closed-cell foam inserts designed to prevent movement, absorb shock, and allow for rapid visual inventory of all components.

o Due to the size, weight, and quantity of components in the complete tool kit, the system will need to be provided in multiple pelican cases (approximately 8- 10 cases) rather than a singe case. This configuration is required to support safe handling, organization, and practical movement in the hangar and flightline environments. A single case for the full kit would not be operationally feasible.

• Drive Compatibility & Clearance Profile:

o All mechanical swaging, cutting, and proof-loading tools must utilize standard, low-profile socket-style attachments.

o These attachments must be 100% compatible with standard, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) manual drive systems, including standard hand wrenches, ratchets, and manual torque wrenches (e.g., 3/8-inch or 1/2-inch square drives or standard hex drives).

o The tooling design must minimize physical envelope clearance requirements to facilitate in-place, on-aircraft repairs within tight structural cavities without requiring the removal of adjacent major structural assemblies. Proprietary, bulkier frame-style drive mechanisms that limit tool access are not acceptable.

• Precision Metrology & Instrumentation:

o Dual Digital Load Cells: The kit must contain two (2) separate, independent digital handheld load cells:

1. Low-Capacity Load Cell: Capable of measuring forces up to 3,000 lbs.

2. High-Capacity Load Cell: Capable of measuring forces up to 5,000 lbs.

o Each load cell must feature an integrated, ruggedized digital handheld display unit that provides real-time, high-visibility readouts in tension and compression modes.

o Portable Depth Gauge: Must include a high-precision, dial or digital portable depth gauge (with a minimum measurement range of 0.000 to 1.000 inch and increments of 0.001 inch or finer) to verify correct bearing seat depth, flushness, and swage lip height during installation.

3. Functional & Operational Capabilities

The tool kit must deliver the following performance capabilities:

• Standardized Bearing Compatibility:

o The kit must be fully compatible with, and engineered to service, both MS14101

(grooved outer ring) and MS14103 (plain outer ring) standardized aircraft spherical bearings.

• Extended Size Range:

o The tooling must support the complete range of standard military bearing dash sizes from dash three (-3) up to dash sixteen (-16) (representing nominal bore diameters from 0.1875 inches up to 1.000 inch). All associated adapters, swage rollers, cutters, and pilots for sizes -3, -4, -5, -6, -7, -8, -9, -10, -12, -14, and -16 must be provided within the kit.

• Operational Tooling Functions:

o Roll-Swaging Tools (Tri-Roller Style): Must utilize a smooth, mechanical tri-roller swaging action to properly form and flare the outer ring lip or groove of the bearing into the structural housing. The tool must achieve a military-specification swage without inducing micro-cracks, distorting the housing bore, or binding the internal ball of the bearing.

o Precision Cutting Tools: Must include specialized cutting heads to quickly, cleanly, and safely slice through the swaged bearing flange or lip, allowing for rapid removal without damaging or altering the dimensions of the parent aircraft structural bore.

o Installation & Removal Tools: Must feature positive-alignment pilots and adapters that distribute press/pull forces evenly across the outer race of the bearing, preventing force transfer to the internal ball during installation or extraction.

o In-Place Proof-Loading: The kit must functionally integrate the digital load cells with the installation/removal adapters to perform in-place, on-aircraft proof-load testing. This allows technicians to apply precise tensile or compressive retention loads up to 3,000 lbs or 5,000 lbs, verifying structural bearing retention without removing the component from the aircraft.

• Measurement Accuracy:

o The dual digital load cells must provide an operational measurement accuracy of

±0.5% (or better) of the full-scale capacity.

4. Quality & Warranty Requirements

The contractor must comply with the following quality and support standards:

• Domestic Manufacturing (American-Made):

o All primary mechanical tools, swage bodies, cutters, adapters, and load cells must be manufactured in the United States of America.

o All components must be fully compliant with the Buy American Act (BAA) (41

U.S.C. §§ 8301-8305) and applicable Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) domestic sourcing requirements.

• Statement of Limited Use:

o Tools manufactured by Smith Machine and Tool LLC are fabricated for bearing installation only. Smith Machine and Tool does not guarantee the quality or state of the bearing after installation nor assumes responsibility for damage caused to the bearing or housing with usage of tools. All quality and liability of the state of the bearing falls on the installer and user of the tool. There are no warranties that extend beyond the description of the face hereof. With this sale seller explicitly disclaims any warranty of merchantability and any warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.

• Statement of Limited Warranty:

o Tools manufactured by Smith Machine and Tool LLC undergo rigorous testing and inspection to ensure quality standards are met. If a tool arrives damaged the customer has 30 days to report to Smith Machine and Tool LLC, in which Smith Machine and Tool LLC will accept an exchange at no cost to the customer. No returns accepted. There are no warranties that extend beyond the description of the face hereof with this sale seller explicitly disclaims any warranty of merchantability and any warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.

• Spare Parts List and Reconditioning:

o Smith Machine and Tool offers a full spare parts list for all tooling to replace any damaged or broken parts. There is no need to replace a full tool assembly for a broken or damaged piece. Tools can be sent in for recondition and evaluation. At no cost they can rebuild and recondition any tooling and provide pricing for any spare parts or replacement parts needed at the time of serving.

• Metrology & Traceability:

o Both digital load cells and the portable depth gauge must be delivered with calibration certificates that are fully traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

o The calibration must be valid for a minimum of twelve (12) months from the date of government acceptance.