LSJ -PLC-Allen Bradley_Redacted.pdf

Rev.:7/2022

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

Stennis Space Center

LIMITED-SOURCES JUSTIFICATION

For 80TECH23Q0019 PLC ALLEN-BRADLEY EQUIPMENT

This is a Limited-Sources Justification (LSJ) prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration (NASA) IT Procurement Office (ITPO).

This acquisition will be conducted under the Multiple-Award Schedule (MAS) Program (Title 41

U.S.C. 152(3)). This action is for a Firm-Fixed-Price order to procure Programmable Logic

Controllers (PLCs) Allen-Bradley equipment.

It is anticipated that award will be made to SupplyForce.com, LLC under General Services

Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)

The total estimated price of the proposed order is and the estimated period of performance is ninety (90) days after receipt of award (ARO).

Authority Cited and Rationale:

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(A). An urgent and compelling need exists and following normal procedures would result in unacceptable delays.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(B). Only one source is capable of providing the supplies or services required at the level of quality required because the supplies or services are unique or highly specialized.

FAR 8.405-6(a)(1)(C). In the interest of economy and efficiency, the new work is a logical follow-on to an original GSA FSS order provided that the original order was placed in accordance with the applicable GSA FSS ordering procedures. The original order or BPA must not have been previously issued under sole-source or limited-sources procedures.

FAR 8.405-6(b), Items Peculiar to One Manufacturer. An item peculiar to one manufacturer can be a particular brand name, product, or a feature of a product, peculiar to one manufacturer. A brand name item, whether available on one or more schedule contracts, is an item peculiar to one manufacturer.

X

Rationale:

The requirement is for Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) Allen-Bradley equipment. The

PLCs are required to operate the E1 Test Stand at NASA Stennis Space Center. They are comprised of chassis and processors with input and output cards and are a specialized computer for doing industrial controls. At Stennis, the PLCs are used as controls for operating the valving and instrumentation on the E1 Test Stand. The E1 Test Stand is a unique asset comprised of three

(3) test cells. These test cells are utilized to test rocket engines and rocket engine components.

For test procedures, valves are operated, and instrumentation is monitored from a control room at a safe distance away from the E1 Test Stand. The PLCs are necessary to accomplish this communication between the control room and test stand. The current PLCs are at end-of-life and beyond repair. Without properly functioning PLCs, the E1 Test Stand will be inoperable.

The current PLCs at the test facility are Allen-Bradley hardware and software. Purchasing the

Allen-Bradley hardware and software ensures seamless integration into the existing control systems. Procuring another brand require a change to the existing control system which would be more costly when compared to retaining the current brand. Siemens and Beckhoff have been considered as alternatives as they meet the input/output (I/O) and programming requirements, but acquiring either manufacturer would require additional costs, training and schedule delays associated with completely re-developing, verifying and boarding the control system programming in use at the facility.

Additionally, procuring a different brand would 1) require operators to learn a new programming language 2) alter existing logic within the current PLC system, and 3) affect space requirements as chassis from other brands would not fit within the current facility layout. Several auxiliary systems that would be communicating with the new PLCs are also Allen Bradley brand. Bridging communication between a different manufacturer and existing equipment would be cumbersome and inefficient. A very low latency response is critical to proper control system function and the current system provides this function well. Development of an interface that adapts between Allen

Bradley and another brand software would, in addition to it not being cost-effective it would introduce additional latency into the system.

Determination by the contracting officer that the order represents the best value consistent with FAR 8.404(d):

Pursuant to FAR 8.404(d) Pricing. Supplies offered on the schedule are listed at fixed prices.

Services offered on the schedule are priced either at hourly rates, or at a fixed price for performance of a specific task (e.g., installation, maintenance, and repair). GSA has already determined the prices of supplies and fixed-price services and rates for services offered at hourly rates to be fair and reasonable. GSA’s determination does not relieve the ordering activity contracting officer from the responsibility of deciding of fair and reasonable pricing for individual orders, BPAs, and orders under BPAs, using the proposal analysis techniques at FAR 15.404-1. The Contracting

Officer will determine price reasonableness during the proposal evaluation process prior to contract award, based on comparing proposed pricing to commercial pricing, and historical prices paid on the current contract.

Market Research:

Market Research conducted shows procuring the Brand name Allen-Bradley equipment would be the best option to fulfill the Government’s requirement. The Original Equipment Manufacturer

(OEM) is Rockwell Automation, Inc. Rockwell Automation has authorized Irby Electrical

Distributor as the only reseller appointed to sell Allen-Bradley standard controls, drives, PLCs, products and all services offerings in the geographic area where Stennis Space Center is located in

Mississippi. As a matter of company policy, full factory product and sales support is made available only to the local authorized distributor. It is the OEM’s practice and policy to always promote and recommend the use of that distributor to customers in that geographic area. The OEM also discourages the use of other non-authorized sources, including distributors who may hold an

Allen-Bradley appointment in another locale.

The authorized geographical reseller Irby Electrical Distributors is currently listed as a distributor on GSA FSS with the prime contractor SupplyForce, LLC. The Contract

Specialist requested a budgetary quote from SupplyForce and one was provided that was within the Government’s Estimate.

A statement of the actions, if any, the agency may take to remove or overcome any barriers that led to the restricted consideration before any subsequent acquisition for the supplies or services is made:

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.