Notice of Intent to Sole Source_ FY26 DFME Hardness Tester.pdf

NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE

FY26 USAFA DFME ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTERS

This is a special notice prepared in accordance with (IAW) the Revolutionary Federal

Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul (hereinafter referred to as RFO) 5.101 –

Presolicitation Notice. The contracting office for this notice is the 10th Contracting

Squadron, USAF Academy, CO 80840.

The US Air Force Academy (USAFA) intends to award a sole source commercial contract using simplified acquisition procedures IAW RFO Part 12 to Buehler, a Division of Illinois

Tool Works, Inc 41 Waukegan Rd, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. The authority for this non-competitive award is 10 USC 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source. The NAICS code for this requirement is 334519 and the PSC is 6635. The size standard as defined by the U.S.

Small Business Administration is 500 employees. This notice incorporates provisions and clauses that are in effect through the RFO effective 1 February 2026. The Government has deemed Buehler America, Inc. (Buehler) to be a responsible contractor with respect to performance.

a. Only one responsible source and no other item will satisfy the USAFA requirement.

b. A comprehensive market survey was conducted to identify potential vendors for the required equipment. This research included a detailed search of the General

Services Administration (GSA) Advantage! website and other government supply sources. The market research concluded that Buehler is the only vendor capable of meeting the government's requirements for the following reasons:

• Exclusive Distributorship: Buehler is the sole manufacturer of the required hardness testers and does not have authorized resellers in the region.

• Procurement from a source other than Buehler would result in substantial duplication of costs and unacceptable delays in fulfilling the agency's requirements. The rationale is detailed below:

• Standardization and Interoperability: This requirement is for replacement hardness testing capability that matches existing departmental equipment and current laboratory workflows. DFME has operated two Wilson 574 hardness testers since 2014. During Spring

2025, one unit failed. It was shipped to the manufacturer for diagnosis, and the estimated repair cost was approximately 75% of the cost of a new system. The lab currently uses Buehler/Wilson hardness testing equipment and has existing accessories, spare parts, and user familiarity built around that platform. Standardizing on the same brand and model family reduces transition time, avoids retraining burden during low manning, preserves compatibility with existing accessories and procedures, and lowers lifecycle risk in a high-use cadet laboratory environment.

• Operational Efficiency: The requested equipment is the Buehler Wilson

574T Rockwell Twin Hardness Tester, which provides both regular and superficial Rockwell scale capability in one system. The quoted configuration includes two testers, installation and calibration support, travel, and freight. If this requirement is not fulfilled, DFME will have reduced or degraded hardness testing capability for cadet laboratories and research support. This would negatively affect materials and manufacturing instruction, slow or prevent verification of heat-treatment results, increase downtime in a heavily used teaching lab, and reduce the department’s ability to provide consistent, repeatable hardness measurements for coursework and sponsored projects.

c. This request is issued for the USAFA Department of Mechanical Engineering

(DFME). Anticipated award on or before 30 September 2026 (subject to availability of funds) as a firm fixed-price purchase order.

REQUIREMENT:

Line Item Description Quantity Unit of Issue

0001 WH574T Rockwell 574, Regular & Superficial Scales

The Wilson 574T Rockwell Twin Hardness Tester features both regular and superficial scale testing with a dead weight, selectable main load of 15, 30, 45, 60, 100, and 150kgf. Installation Requirements: • Power -

100-240VAC, 50/60Hz • Water - N/A • Air - N/A

Includes: • Preload of 3 and 10kgf and preload brake •

Accessory kit of 1/16 carbide ball indenter (with 4 additional balls), 2.5in [63mm] flat anvil • Vertical test capacity of 11.43in [289mm] • Specimen Lighting •

USB and RS232 data ports • Compliance with standards: ASTM E18, ASTM D785, ASTM B294, ISO 6508, JIS Z 2245, and GB/T 230 • CE Certified •

Dust Cover [Not Included: Installation (R1400054)]

2 Each

0002 9100407 Carbide Indenter, 1/4in 1 Each

¼” Carbide Ball Indenter w/1 additional carbide ball.

NVLAP Certificate

0003 9100401 Rockwell indenter, C, A, D scales, diamond 1 Each

Standard “C” brale diamond indenter, NIST traceable, NVLAP certification. Calibrated in compliance with

ASTM E18

0004 9202080W 70HRB, Rockwell Test Block, Carbide 1 Each

Wilson Hardness test block for Rockwell with A2LA certificate, calibrated to ASTM E18/ISO 6508-3.

Carbide ball calibration (W).

0005 9203151 Rockwell Test Block 1 Each

Hardness Test Block for Rockwell with A2LA certificate, calibrated to ASTM E18/ISO 6508-3, traceable to NIST scale.

0006 R1400054 Install-HRD Test Cal 4 Scales 2 Each

0007 R1400026 Install – Zone 7 (Over 351 Miles) HRD 1 Each

0008 R0004 Freight – Up to 500 lbs 1 Each

0009 Warranty 1 Each

A SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE POSTED. Based on market research conducted, the

Government intends to proceed with this sole source action. This synopsis is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for bids or proposals.

DO NOT submit a bid/quote at this time. IAW RFO 12.102(a), a separate Justification and

Approval will not be posted as this requirement is valued below the Simplified Acquisition

Threshold (SAT).

All responsible sources may submit a capability statement. Interested concerns must show clear and convincing evidence that competition of this requirement would be advantageous to the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed requirement is solely within the discretion of the Government.

Responses and questions regarding this notice of intent to sole source shall be submitted to wanda.farr@us.af.mil AND danielle.hyde.2@us.af.mil no later than 10:00 AM, MDT on 18

August 2026. Responses received after this will be considered late IAW RFO 52.212-1(c) and will not be answered. Contractors must have a current registration with the System for

Award Management (SAM) at http://sam.gov/. The Government bears no legal liability for any costs incurred by responding to this notice.

mailto:wanda.farr@us.af.mil mailto:danielle.hyde.2@us.af.mil http://sam.gov/