JOFOC_Redacted.pdf

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

GLENN RESEARCH CENTER (GRC)

CLEVELAND, OHIO

JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

(JOFOC)

For X-Ray Diffractometer for Advance Residual Stress Measurements

1. Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.303-2(b)(1) – Identification of the agency and the contracting activity, and specific identification of the document as a “Justification for other than full and open competition.”

This document is a justification for other than full and open competition prepared by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Information Technology Procurement Office (ITPO) in support of the needs of the NASA Glenn Research Center.

The procuring agency is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the contracting activity is ITPO in support of the needs of the

NASA GRC.

2. 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 to award a sole-source contract for solicitation number 80TECH23Q0032 to Bruker AXS LCC. This action is a Firm-Fixed-Price Delivery Order (DO) issued for a X-ray diffractometer with associated equipment and software to be housed in the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH.

3. 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 requirement includes the purchase of an X-Ray Diffractometer System to be used at the Glenn Research Center (GRC) for materials characterization with a focus on advanced residual stress measurements based on 2D X-ray diffraction data. The instrument will be used to acquire texture data from large samples. This system is needed to meet critical NASA mission requirements in the development of advanced materials for aeronautics and space applications. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is 0 days after effective date of order.

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

The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C.

2304(c)(1) the property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency. As well as 6.302-1 Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. FAR 6.303-2(b)(5) – A demonstration that the proposed contractor’s unique qualifications or the nature of the acquisition requires use of the authority cited:

The rationale supporting the use of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) is the property or services needed by the agency are available from only one responsible source or only from a limited number of responsible sources and no other type of property or services will satisfy the needs of the agency as described below.

NASA must retain the capabilities of the X-ray detector from our current diffractometer system (Bruker D8 Discover) used for advanced residual stress measurements on research materials because no other detector can satisfy the NASA requirements of multiple materials research programs that depend on these measurements. These programs include the Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Prototype Technology (RAMPT), Hypersonics Technology Program (HTP), Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP), and Transformational Tools and Technologies (TTT) programs. The overall diffractometer system was installed in 2006 and is outdated as shown by the fact that the vendor will no longer issue service contracts for the instrument or guarantee repairability. Research progress has been severely hampered in the last several years by multiple instrument problems that were slow to correct because of the lack of a service contract. However, the X-ray detector in this instrument was upgraded in 2014 to the state-of-the-art Bruker Vantec-500 model, and this critical primary detector component was again replaced under a service warranty in 2019. The X-ray detector’s current purchase price is approximately This X-ray detector was developed and is manufactured by Bruker and is designed to be integrated only into Bruker instruments.

Bruker alone has the expertise and proprietary knowledge to integrate this X-ray detector into a diffractometer instrument to enable proper operation meeting NASA needs. NASA GRC does not have access to the proprietary designs of the associated instrumentation generated by Bruker, and if it did, could not release such information to competing vendors in sufficiently rigorous detail to insure satisfactory operation meeting government needs. Therefore, a new instrument housing this state-of-the-art X-ray detector must be procured from Bruker.

The Vantec-500 X-ray detector is unique in the laboratory X-ray diffraction market due to its exceptionally large active area. This feature has been the key factor in our successful development of efficient residual stress measurements for sample grain sizes larger than can be typically analyzed with standard methods. To meet the needs of multiple NASA research programs in turbine disk superalloys and additive manufacturing, efforts to analyze even larger grain sizes obtained through various manufacturing methods are needed. Residual stress measurements as measured by the large active area of the Vantec-500 will be crucial for this effort. In addition to its critical role in residual stress measurements,

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

The Contract Specialist (CS) posted an RFI to the SEWP and GSA website to confirm whether this requirement can be purchased from SEWP or GSA, . The Technical Team confirmed this requirement could not be purchased from SEWP or GSA. Bruker AXS LCC is a large business and the only source to provide this requirement.

In addition, a search was conducted on the world wide web and requester interactions with two prospective vendors.

The Internet – A web search was conducted to determine what vendors existed that might be able to offer an X-ray diffractometer system with two dimensional (2D) stress measurement capabilities equivalent to or superior to our current state-of-the-art Bruker Vantec 500 X-ray detector. Internet searches were performed using the keywords ‘X-ray diffraction area detector’ and ‘X-ray diffraction 2D detector’, ‘X-ray diffractometers’. This was followed by detailed examination of the websites of five companies known to sell high quality research-grade diffractometers: Bruker AXS, Malvern Panalytical, Rigaku, Proto Manufacturing, and Anton Paar. The first three companies are well-known in the field and have been manufacturing research-grade diffractometers for decades. The last two are reputable companies who have recently moved into the general research diffractometer market. Detector data on these companies was examined and compared to our current Vantec 500 X-ray detector.

Requester interactions with prospective vendors - The requester engaged in multiple email exchanges and teleconferences with both Bruker and Rigaku and obtained sales quotes from both.

9. FAR 6.303-2(b)(9) – Any other facts supporting the use of other than full and open competition:

None

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

A notice of NASA’s intent to award this sole-source action was synopsized on the GPE website (Sam.gov) per FAR Subpart 5.2 (See Section 6 above).

11. FAR 6.303-2(b)(11) – 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:

The Agency will continue to examine the market in the future for alternative solutions or new sources before executing any subsequent acquisitions for the same requirements.

The primary barrier to competition in this procurement is the inability and unwillingness of vendors to integrate X-ray detector hardware developed by other vendors into their own equipment. Given the proprietary nature of such hardware, there are no viable options for the government to exercise in order to overcome this barrier at this time.