Redacted_JA_-_XPS_19-0166_v2.docx

NAVSEAINST 8815.1D

J&A 19-0166

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER, AIRCRAFT DIVISION

21983 BUNDY ROAD, BLDG 441

PATUXENT RIVER, MD 20670-1127

J&A Number: 19-0166

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR USE OF OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity

Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Patuxent River, MD

2. Description of the Action Being Approved

This Justification and Approval authorizes and approves the issuance of a Firm Fixed Price contract action on a sole source basis to Physical Electronics Inc. for the purchase of an X-ray Photoelectric Spectrometer (XPS) to support the Corrosion Test Laboratory in the Corrosion and Wear Branch (4.3.4.6) in the Materials Engineering Division at NAWCAD, Patuxent River, MD The system will be used to support ongoing research in 4.3.4.6, as well as providing coating information to support qualification efforts of new coating systems from industry. The procedures of FAR Part 13.5 and Part 12 will be utilized for this commercial acquisition.

3. Description of Supplies and Services

The specific equipment, software, installation, training, and warranty is as follows:

· Hardware

· One (1) PHI 5000-01 VersaProbe Scanning ESCA Microprobe unit

· One (1) V5000-GC Gas Cluster Ion Source

· One (1) 718561 Turbopump System

· One (1) V5000-K Vacuum Transfer Vessel

· One (1) V5000-IG Intro Ion Gauge

· One (1) 711953 Argon Gas Regulator Kit

· One (1) Windows 10 Computer for machine control

· Software

· One (1) license for the Phi SmartSoft-VersaProbe control software

· One (1) license for the PHI MultiPak analysis software

· Installation, training, and warranty

· Installation of the VersaProbe III system, and integration of purchase options

· Three (3) days of on-site operation training

· Three (3) days of on-site analytical training

· One-year hardware warranty

· Three-year standard service warranty

The estimated total value of the contract covered by this J&A is $1,008,250.00.

Estimated Dollar Value:

4. Statutory Authority Permitting Other Than Full and Open Competition

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements.

5. Rationale Justifying Use of Cited Statutory Authority

Physical Electronics, Inc. is the original designer, developer, and manufacturer of the PHI 5000 VersaProbe Scanning ESCA Microprobe X-ray Photoelectric Spectrometer (XPS) and the associated control and analysis software. The PHI 5000 VersaProbe Scanning ESCA Microprobe X-ray Photoelectric Spectrometer was found to be the only product to be fully compliant and meet the Government’s requirements.

The PHI 5000 VersaProbe Scanning ESCA Microprobe X-ray Photoelectric Spectrometer (XPS) will expand NAWCADs current organic and inorganic coating characterization capability. Currently, there is no other Navy aerospace facility that has the capability that will be realized with the PHI 5000 system. Current corrosion testing for organic and inorganic coatings involve salt fog exposure. This test gives some data on comparative corrosion prevention performance, but does not elucidate the corrosion mechanisms involved. XPS gives the ability to directly observe and analyze surface chemistry and the associated corrosion mechanisms that drive changes to that chemistry. This allows to more efficiently develop corrosion prevention and control coatings/treatments that extend the lifespan of NAE aircraft and improve readiness.

Without the procurement of the PHI 5000 XPS, the mechanisms of corrosion on the microscale cannot be elucidated, preventing root cause analysis of why corrosion occurs in the manner observed. Current analytical capabilities only allow for bulk material analysis. Without understanding the underlying mechanisms of how films, coatings and other surface treatments behave, significant time is invested in salt fog testing to verify and validate performance. Each test requires up to 2000 hours (about 3 months) of salt fog exposure to complete, resulting in a slow development cycle. By leveraging the capabilities of an XPS system, the need for salt fog testing during process/coating development is greatly reduced and quickly transition new technologies to the fleet. This lack of knowledge will inhibit the ability to implement effective corrosion control processes. Currently, microscale sample analysis of this type require the use of an outside facility. An in-house XPS system would significantly reduce turnaround time for high-profile issues. While it is possible to outsource occasional XPS testing, the added cost and turnaround time can be challenging for a research and development operational tempo if routine testing is needed. Instead of building an internal capability and developing the technical workforce, significant time would be required to coordinate sample preparation, purchase orders, contracts, shipping logistics, and data validation. This workload would take time away from other internal research efforts and result in increased costs that would need to be passed on to funding sponsors (Section 219, ONR, etc). The impact on turnaround time is difficult to determine since internal testing could occur continuously while outsourced testing would require samples to be batched and send out in small groups as purchase limits allow. A single sample could be completed internally within a few hours (same day), but would require 2-3 weeks just to receive a quote, process a purchase card, and ship the samples to the external lab. These long lead times and increased cost would make XPS-heavy research impractical, if not impossible.

No other vendor was found capable of providing equipment which me the minimum requirements.

6. Description of Efforts Made to Solicit Offers from as Many Offerors as Practical

Market research was conducted verifying that three vendors sell various types of X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometers. However, only the XPS unit from Physical Electronics, Inc. was able to meet all of our requirements. There was a significant amount of capability overlap between the offerors, but the other providers were unable to meet the X-ray induced secondary electron imaging requirement, the argon cluster size requirement, and the beam raster requirement.

7. Determination of Fair and Reasonable Cost.

In accordance with FAR 15.402, the Contracting Officer shall ensure that all supplies provided under this contract are procured at a fair and reasonable price the contractor will submit a formal price proposal with sufficient information to support the accuracy and reliability of the estimate. The proposal will be reviewed by experienced technical analysts and Contract Specialists. The Contracting Officer will utilize price analysis as the basis for negotiating a fair and reasonable price.

8. Actions to Remove Barriers to Future Competition

For the reasons set forth in paragraph 5, there are no plans at this time to compete future contracts for the type of supplies covered by this document. AIR 4.3 will continue to conduct market research for products that would allow future competition. If another potential source emerges, the contracting activity will assess whether competition of future requirements is feasible.

ENCLOSURE (5)

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