FA8650-18-S-5007-RFI.pdf

FA8650-18-S-5007

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

1.0 OVERVIEW INFORMATION

1.1 Federal Agency Name:

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate

1.2 Program Name:

Detection of Damage in Complex Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)

1.3 General Information:

This is a Request for Information (RFI) as defined in FAR 15.201(e) to obtain information about expertise in the industrial base in development of nondestructive inspection technologies to inspect for impact damage through thick specialty coatings on composite structures. This RFI is not a request for competitive proposals; therefore, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Companies that respond will not be paid for the information submitted except as an allowable cost under other contracts as provided in FAR 31.205-18, “Bid and Proposal Costs.”

Note: There is no guarantee that Detection of Damage in Complex Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC) effort will become an AFRL program and responders to this RFI will have no competitive advantage in receiving awards related to this area of research. The information submitted in all responses may be utilized to help the Government further define its requirements, performance measures, inspection, and acceptance procedures.

1.4 Estimated Program Funding:

The Federal Government (DoD) anticipates a total program value of up to $2.4M.

1.5 Statement of Requirements:

AFRL seeks to obtain information from interested participants on their current capabilities to perform research in the technical area of Detection of Damage in Complex Polymer Matrix Composites

(PMC).

Requirements include: Working closely with Air Force researchers to determine Air Force needs in advanced inspection and characterization of materials and structures and defining and executing projects to develop unique and innovative inspection technologies to be integrated into a prototype system. It is anticipated that efforts will include projects as shown in Attachment 2, Statement of Objectives (SOO).

1.6 Response Guidelines:

It is expected that there could be up to two awards. If there are two awards, the funding will initially be shared across these awards with a subsequent decision point to determine the technology development which will proceed to development of a prototype system.

Limit RFI responses to 10 single sided, double-spaced pages. In addition, please respond to the questionnaire that follows in Attachment 1. The font for text should be Times New Roman 12-point or larger. The Responder may use oversize pages (including “foldouts”) where appropriate to contain graphic presentations. Oversize pages do not count as extra pages within the page limitations.

Submitted responses should be in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. Existing commercial documentation and product literature can also be submitted and is not subject to a page limitation.

Responses must be unclassified and any Proprietary information provided must be marked accordingly. To protect such data, each line or paragraph on the pages containing such data must be specifically identified and marked with a legend similar to the following:

“The following contains proprietary information that (name of Responder) requests not be released to persons outside the Government, except for the purposes of review and evaluation.”

Responses shall include:

• Interested participant’s current capabilities that pertain to the requirements listed in this RFI.

• Completed questionnaire provided in Attachment 1.

1.7 Requests for Clarification/ Points of Contact:

A responder may request clarification in writing from the Contracting Office for any requirement that is unclear by sending an e-mail to the Contracting Point of Contact below:

David Michalsky david.michalsky.1@us.af.mil

(937) 713-9872

Any requests for clarification must be received no later than seven (7) business days prior to the close of this RFI in order to receive a timely response. Clarifications may be posted on the RFI announcement website to benefit all interested responders. Interested responders are encouraged to periodically check the website during the response period for clarifications.

1.8 Response Due:

Hard copy responses to this RFI shall be submitted to the following address:

AFRL/RQKMC

Attn: Mr. David Michalsky 2130 Eighth Street, Bldg. 45 Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7541

Date Due: On or before 2:00 pm EST, 1 March 2018. Direct all inquiries to the Contracting Point of Contact listed in the Requests for Clarification / Points of Contact paragraph.

Please Note: The Government is not required to provide feedback to RFI responders.

Attachments:

1) RFI Questionnaire

2) Statement of Objectives

Attachment 1

RFI Questionnaire

Company Name:

Company Address:

POC for RFI:

1. Please provide your company’s cage code and web page URL.

2. Describe your business size based on NAICS code 541712 (Small Business Size Standard of 1,000 employees) and identify small business subcategories that are applicable to your business.

a. Small Business

b. Small Disadvantaged Business

c. 8(a)

d. Woman Owned Small Business

e. Veteran Owned Small Business

f. Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

g. HUB Zone Small Business

h. Large Business

i. Non-Profit

3. Define your firm’s procedures and timelines to ensure that personnel hired for this effort possess or can obtain the appropriate clearance levels to work in a Government facility and/or with sensitive documents.

4. Any contract resulting from this inquiry may be awarded as cost-reimbursement type. Does your firm have an adequate accounting system for cost type contracts? If so, please provide the most recent approval date of your accounting system.

5. Would your firm be interested in submitting a proposal for this effort as a prime contractor? If your firm is a small business, demonstrate your firm’s capability to perform at least 50% of the labor required for this effort. Describe in detail how your company intends to obtain the capability to meet any remaining requirements with subcontractors or teaming arrangements. Limit your responses to one single-spaced page.

6. Finally, does your firm have any other comments or suggestions that you would like to share with us?

Attachment 2

Statement of Objectives 6 February 2018

Detection of Damage in Complex Polymer Matrix Composites

1. Background:

Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate’s Structural Materials Division, Materials State Awareness Branch (AFRL/RXCA) is interested in developing and demonstrating novel ways to inspect for internal impact damage in composite structures through thick specialty top coatings. Current practice requires removal of coatings over the specific region of interest to accomplish inspection with conventional nondestructive inspection/evaluation (NDI/E) methods. This coating removal and post-inspection restoration process has proven to be extremely costly and time intensive affecting aircraft operational costs and availability. Additionally, traditional NDI/E technologies are inhibited by the thick top coatings applied to the surface of these structures. These coatings typically attenuate NDI/E signals and obscure material defect responses. Potential technologies that may apply to this goal include those that can inspect composite structural materials below the coating surface and identify potential defect responses without disturbing the external coating systems.

2. Statement of Objective/Needs:

The contractor shall determine the most appropriate nondestructive inspection technology to inspect through the thick top coatings applied over the aircraft structure and develop the technology for application in a relevant environment. The ultimate goal of this effort is to demonstrate a prototype system that can inspect for damage without removal of these coatings in a field environment. NDI/E technology development is required to conduct inspection through these surface coatings which range from 0.100 to 0.300 inch thick. Damage within the composite structural material results from foreign object and bird strike impacts, and does not always manifest visual evidence of damage on the external surface of the structure.

Concurrently, internal damage may appear as structural delaminations, fiber breakage, and/or matrix degradation. NDI/E technique developments are required to enable inspection of these suspect areas without coating removal to evaluate if damage exists, to assess the relative level of damage, and to provide inspection results that provide information for further maintenance actions that may be needed. Consideration shall be given to the application of this technology in the field environment on a variety of surface and structural geometries across the aircraft external surface.

3. Technical Requirements:

In order to achieve the technical objectives of this effort, this effort shall consider the following major tasks.

a. Phase I - NDI/E Technology Application Investigation/Assessment (TRL 4):

The contractor shall investigate, adapt, and conduct initial demonstration of technology capability for composite material inspection through thick specialty top coatings. Utilizing GFP composite panels with simulated and actual impact damage, the contractor shall identify potential technologies, adapt technology for this application, conduct initial technology refinements (e.g. probe development, software improvements, data analysis), and demonstrate the fundamental breadboard concept for application to the detection, location, and damage assessment of hidden damage within composite structures through thick top coat materials (0.100 to 0.300 inch thick). Consideration shall include, but not limited to, detection capability, resolution, range of coating thicknesses, geometric surface variations, probe surface contact area, and confined space applications. This phase will culminate in a breadboard demonstration of the capability (on GFP specimens with known internal composite damage) and the necessary plan/path forward for the technology developments required to achieve a field demonstration. The contractor shall submit a future development plan which shall include technology development, test, evaluation, validation, and transition path required for field application of the inspection capability.

b. Phase II – Technology Application Development/Demonstration (TRL 5):

The contractor shall design, develop and modify technology to optimize capability to inspect composite structural materials through thick specialty top coatings and to identify damage resulting from field service (e.g. impact damage) of these structures. Technology developments shall include the development and improvement of the proposed Phase I system for coating layer thickness penetration, probe optimization, damage identification and assessment (material anomaly position, and approximate layer and size), data analyses and algorithm development and operator interpretation of results. The contractor shall develop a prototype system and inspection process description based upon inspection capability demonstration. The contractor shall demonstrate the prototype system on AFRL-provided GFP composite impact damage specimens with unknown damage in an Air Force laboratory environment. This demonstration shall include a summary analysis of the prototype’s ability to identify composite defects under aircraft structure coatings, and to locate any defects in 2D or 3D space, and provide approximations on the extent of the defect in the polymer matrix material. The contractor shall discuss and recommend any further changes and adjustments necessary to the prototype demonstration to make the system capable to perform measurements in an operational field environment. The contractor shall deliver the resultant prototype to the Air Force for further evaluation.

Note: For Phase I & II, the contractor will be provided specimens with known levels (simulated and real impact) of damage. These specimens will also have varied coating thicknesses.

4. Deliverable Items:

a. Data Items: The Contractor shall deliver in accordance with the DD Form 1423, Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs) as attached to the model contract. Specific CDRLs will be identified. A final report will be required.

b. Software: To be specified as applicable.

c. Hardware: To be specified as applicable.

d. Other: To be specified as applicable.

5. Schedule:

a. Overall effort: 45 months; multiple awards will be made for Phase I (12 months), with limited approval to proceed into Phase II (30 months + reporting). PCO/TPOC will determine award(s) that will proceed beyond Phase I period of performance.

b. Data Items: As specified on individual CDRLs specified.

c. Software: As specified as applicable.

d. Hardware: As specified as applicable.

e. Other: To be specified as applicable.

6. Security Requirements:

a. All contractors shall participate in all activities associated with the disciplines of the organization’s Industrial Security, Information Security, Personnel Security, Operations Security (OPSEC), and Antiterrorism, following appropriate measures in each program as required for this particular contract. These are required in an effort to reduce program vulnerability from successful adversary collection, exploitation of critical information, and violations of export control requirements. The prime contractor will ensure that all subcontractors, if applicable, conform to these requirements as required by the prime contractor. Guidance can be provided by AFRL/RX Security as needed.

b. Program Protection Plan (PPP) – Any potential critical program information (CPI) generated as part of this effort will be reviewed to determine the need for a PPP.