Call for Solutions-PANRSA26P0000040599.pdf

CALL FOR SOLUTIONS

AUTOMATED PARTS HANDLING FOR PLATING IN SOD

Project Number PANRSA-26-P-0000 040599

Army Open Solicitation (AOS) Number W9124P-26-S-C001

Call for Solution Title Automated Parts Handling for Plating in SOD

Issued By Army Contracting Command – Redstone Arsenal (ACC-RSA) Redstone Services & IT Solutions Branch

(CCAM-CAC-B)

Submission Instructions To respond to this Call for Solution, please refer to Section 7 of this Call for Solution

*Solution Briefs Due Date/Time (Suspense)

9 September 2026 at 12:00 PM Central Daylight Time (CST)

Point of Contracts (POCs) for Solution Brief Submission

Contracting Officer: Stephanie Dillon Contract Specialist: Benjamin Hymas Email: usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil

NOTE: Please advise the cognizant Contracting Officer and Specialist as soon as possible via the emails above if your organization intends to submit a Solution Brief in response to this Call for Solution.

*Any submissions that are received by the Contracting Officer after the suspense date/time listed above will be deemed late and not evaluated. It is the sole responsibility of the company to ensure that its submission is received in the email inboxes listed above before the deadline specified.

This Call for Solutions may result in the Government awarding Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contracts In Accordance With (IAW) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Subpart 212.70 – Defense Commercial Solutions Opening. Any contract awarded under this Call for Solutions shall be a fixed-price type contract.

mailto:usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil mailto:usarmy.redstone.acc.mbx.acc-rsa-advm-cso@army.mil

1. BACKGROUND

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) is a military industrial Depot specializing in overhaul and fabrication of military assets, which may include application of electroplating or conversion coatings on certain assets. Workload is generally subject to the robust requirements of various Military Specifications.

TYAD seeks to automate and modernize its Plating Shop operations. Current TYAD Plating Shop operations are fully manual; however, the repetitive nature of the operations lend themselves well to an automated process, with benefits to automation encompassing areas of quality, safety, and efficiency.

The Plating Shop at TYAD consists of at least 12 different lines/processes with parameters that can vary based on substrate, customer requirements, and other demands. Tank sizes range between approximately 36”x36”30” (LxWxD) and 144”x48”x64” (LxWxD). There are currently 5 runways, with 2-3 overhead bridge cranes on each, which are able to function over most of the tanks. The crane capacities range from 1 to 2 tons.

This CSO encourages participation from nontraditional defense contractors, industrial automation firms, and companies developing emerging technologies.

2. PROBLEM STATEMENT

TYAD Plating Shop operations are currently outdated and fully manual, lacking in the advantages that modern, automated technology can furnish.

The benefits of implementing automation within plating operations include reduction of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals, increased quality of final products, increased throughput, decreased operational costs, digital recipe management, and addition of safety and alarming systems to alert personnel in the event of system malfunction.

An appropriate solution would incorporate automated processing for all current TYAD plating lines, a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) platform to oversee and control Plating Shop operations, options for manual override and adjustments, records keeping capability, automated alarming, user access levels, Safety features (to include appropriate electrical systems), and more. Automated operations must be able to consistently produce coatings which meet or exceed Military Specifications.

All equipment and processes must be designed to minimize Safety and Environmental concerns and should take into account Local, State, and Federal laws and regulations (e.g. EPA, DEP, OSHA, and NFPA regulations).

3. DESIRED SOLUTION OBJECTIVES

The Government seeks a comprehensive, fully functioning solution consisting of a suite of hardware, automated parts handling equipment, and open-architecture SCADA software to perform all aspects of chemical electroplating, conversion coating, and automated shop operations. Proposing vendors are expected to provide a complete solution that includes the design, hardware procurement, installation, validation, systems integration, and operator training necessary to achieve a fully automated end state.

To allow for maximum procurement flexibility, scalability, and modular implementation, the technical requirements are structured around a unified COTS SCADA control platform capable of managing individual, automated plating lines and digital process recipes. Offerors must propose solutions addressing the complete automated overhaul of all plating lines, as detailed in Sections 1 and 3.1.

3.1 General Requirements

a. Automation of Plating Lines: Operation of plating lines must be automated to the fullest extent possible/practicable.

b. Interoperability with Existing Infrastructure: System must be able to control and monitor existing equipment (cranes, pumps, temperature gauges, rectifiers, ect.).

If interoperability with existing equipment is not possible/practicable, appropriate replacements must be sourced which will be compatible with other existing equipment/materials (such as the solution chemistries, existing tanks, plumbing and electrical facilities, existing water treatment plant, ect.).

c. Hardware and Software: Solution to include software and hardware components, as required for control of plating operations. To the extent possible, new hardware and software must be compatible with existing infrastructure (electrical facilities, ect.).

d. SCADA Platform: A SCADA platform must be available for control and overview of plating operations. Multiple access points must be available to accommodate connection by several users at one time. Measures must be put in place to prevent multiple users controlling an operation (i.e. plating line) at that same time.

e. Manual Override: Options must exist and be accessible to approved users for manual override and manual adjustments to standard parameters.

f. Records: A database must exist to capture and record the operation and select parameters for each run, to include a record of the operator (technician) and any overrides. Records must be easily referenced and printable in a concise, easy-to-read, and pleasing format.

g. Automated Alarming: Alarms and alerts must be built into the system to notify the operators in the event of equipment failure or parameters outside their setpoint range.

h. User Access Levels: Functionality must be tiered to restrict certain operations to select personnel (e.g. manual overrides should require Leader, Supervisor, or Engineering access).

i. Access for Adjustment of Parameters/Design of Processes: System must have the ability for ad hoc adjustment of automated parameters, as well as the ability to design and save new operational sequences, and archive/delete those that are no longer needed (digital recipe management). These functions must be restricted to certain users.

j. Safety and Environmental Features: All equipment and processes must be designed to minimize Safety and Environmental concerns and should take into account Local, State, and Federal laws and regulations. Reference Table 1 in Appendix A.1 for more information. Equipment and processes must not interfere with existing Safety and Environmental equipment (e.g. ventilation systems).

Physical and remote Emergency Stops must be available for each line and for all the lines at once. Lockout-tagout procedures/features to be included. Automatic shut down operations if dangerous conditions build.

k. Electrical Systems: All electrical must be explosion proof and able to be operated in an area that processes Class I, Division 1, Groups A through D chemicals, as defined in NFPA 70.

l. Coating Compliance: Automated operations must be able to consistently produce coatings which meet or exceed Military Specifications. Specifications include, but are not limited to MIL-DTL-5541, TT-C-490, MIL-PRF-8625, SAE AMS-QQ-P-

416, SAE AMS 2418, MIL-DTL-495, ASTM B 545, SAE AMS-QQ-N-290, SAE

AMS2700 and ASTM A967.

m. Maintenance Manual: Reference material must be provided with detailed breakdowns of the system (hardware and software) for the purpose of system maintenance.

n. End State Functionality: A fully functioning automated system that does not require outbound, external communication for autonomous communication.

System will be connected to the enterprise Industrial Control Network to allow for communication between components.

o. Configurable COTS Platform: The SCADA and digital recipe management systems must be built upon a widely supported, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture platform (e.g., Inductive Automation Ignition, AVEVA, or equivalent). The system must prioritize configuration over custom-coded software to ensure long-term, vendor-agnostic supportability and ease of modification by TYAD personnel.

Desired Attributes:

a. Quality Checks: Automation of some quality checks of the final product, which could include, but is not limited to plating thickness, average coating weight, and deposit purity. Quality checks that are desired for each line may vary.

b. On-Going Support: A plan for continued support after the system is operational.

Support may include: on-site troubleshooting, recommendations for substitution of obsolete parts used in the system, technical questions, system updates, correction of bugs/glitches, etc.

c. Materials Availability: Where possible, use of modular, commercial-off-the-shelf, and/or open-source components may be desired. Use of readily available parts without known obsolescence is highly desired. Obsolescence/life-cycle plans with requirements for substitution may be desired.

Not in Scope:

a. Custom-coded, bespoke SCADA or MES applications written from scratch that do not utilize a standard, commercially supported COTS industrial automation platform.

b. Software architectures that utilize proprietary data protocols or restrict the Government’s ability to modify screens, database connections, or recipe parameters without the original developer's intervention.

4. AWARDING INSTRUMENT

The Government anticipates awarding a FAR-based, Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contract as a result of this Call for Solutions. This Call for Solutions will utilize Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) procedures. Use of a CSO in accordance with Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) subpart 212.70 is considered to be a competitive procedure for the purposes of 10 U.S.C. chapter 221 and RFO FAR subpart 6.101.

5. CALL INSTRUCTIONS AND NOTES

5.1 Overview of Submission Phases

This Call for Solutions utilizes a multi-phased evaluation approach:

a. Phase 1: Solution Brief: Interested vendors submit a concise written brief outlining their proposed capability, integration approach, and commercial viability.

Vendors must propose solutions addressing the automation of all required plating lines and highlight how their SCADA and hardware baseline natively scales to future plating shop requirements.

b. Phase 2: Pitch (If Invited): Selected vendors from Phase 1 may be invited to provide a virtual or in-person pitch and technical discussion with Government subject matter experts.

c. Phase 3 – Request for Solution Proposal (RFSP (If Invited): Highly rated vendors from Phase 2 will receive a formal RFSP to submit a full technical and price proposal.

5.2 General Notes:

a. Offerors are reminded that all awards are subject to the availability of funds and the Government reserves the right to make multiple awards, a single award, or no award as a result of this Call.

b. Only a Contracting Officer has the authority to enter into, modify, or execute a binding instrument on behalf of the United States Government. All payment obligations are subject to Congressional appropriations.

c. In order to be eligible for award, offeror must:

i. Possess a Unique Entity ID (UEI) and be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) prior to award, and maintain active registration throughout the period of performance.

ii. Register in the prescribed government invoicing system (e.g., Wide

Area Work Flow).

iii. Accurately represent their small business size and status as required.

iv. Be determined responsible by the Contracting Officer and not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise prohibited from receiving an award.

v. Disclose any actual or potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs) to the Contracting Officer prior to award.

d. Offerors are responsible for monitoring SAM.gov for any amendments or updates to this Call.

e. Notice to Offeror(s): The Government reserves the right to cancel this open Call, either before or after the closing date. If the Government cancels this open Call, the Government has no obligation to reimburse an offeror for any costs.

6. SOLUTION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief

6.1.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Content

To be considered for evaluation and potential selection under this Call for Solutions (CfS), offerors must submit a complete Phase 1 package (collectively referred to as the 'Solution Brief') consisting of two (2) separate PDF files: (1) Attachment 1: Quad Chart, and (2) Attachment 2: White Paper.

ATTACHMENT 1: QUAD CHART FORMAT

Project Title:

Company Name:

Objective & Description Graphic or Illustration

Objective: (1-2 sentence description of the goal.)

Description of Effort: (Brief description of the proposed solution and method.)

Commerciality: (Brief statement on why this is a commercial solution)

(Insert a compelling photograph, diagram, or graphic illustrating the concept or technology.)

Benefits & Challenges Execution Plan

Benefits: (Brief statement on the advantages of the proposed solution over current practices.)

Challenges: (Bulleted list of key technical or commercial hurdles.)

Maturity: (Description of the current maturity of the concept/technology, e.g., TRL/MRL.)

Major Goals & Milestones:

Bulleted list of key milestones Deliverables: (e.g., study, report, proof of concept) Proposed Funding: ($) Period of Performance:

Contact Info: (Name, Email, Phone)

ATTACHMENT 2: WHITE PAPER FORMAT

The White Paper shall be no more than five (5) pages, 8.5 x 11 inches, with one-inch margins, single-spaced, using 12-point Times New Roman font. It should expand on the information in the Quad Chart and include the following sections:

1. Project Title, Offeror, and Call for Solutions #:

2. Executive Summary: A brief overview of the project/solution, technology, and expected outcome.

3. Description of Effort: A detailed explanation of the proposed solution, the technical approach, the work to be performed, and why this is commercial in nature.

4. Benefits to the Army: An analysis of how the proposed solution meets Army needs and provides a significant improvement over existing capabilities.

5. Technical Challenges: A discussion of potential risks and a mitigation strategy.

6. Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM): An estimated cost and schedule for a potential prototype project/solution.

7. Corporate and Personnel Qualifications: A brief summary of the company's capabilities and the qualifications of key personnel.

8. Data Rights: A preliminary identification of any intellectual property, technical data, or computer software the offeror intends to furnish with restrictions on the Government's right to use, release, or disclose it.

Solution Briefs shall include the following at a minimum:

a. Title Page (does not count against page limit)

i. Company Name, Title, Date, Point of Contact Name, E-Mail Address, Phone, Address, and Call reference number. If registered in SAM.gov, include the Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) code.

ii. Specify identify the Call for which the Solution Brief is submitted.

b. Executive Summary (one page)

i. A brief overview of the proposing company and the proposed solution, clearly specifying whether the proposal covers the complete automated overhaul of all Plating Shop operations. The summary should also briefly state how the proposed architecture supports future growth, scalability, and digital recipe management.

c. High-Level Technology Solution/Concept

i. Describe the unique aspects of your solution/concept and its relevance to the respective Call/Topic.

ii. Explain whether the solution/concept is innovative and/or a potential capability.

iii. Describe how your proposed solution/concept solves a capability gap/problem and/or provides innovative technological advancements.

iv. Detail how the proposed equipment, SCADA platform, and automation architecture meet the baseline elements in Section 3.1.

Describe your high-level approach to project management, electrical integration (complying with Class I, Division 1 safety standards), physical installation within the existing plating facilities, and site acceptance testing for the automated lines. Explicitly describe how your proposed design remains modular and utilize a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture SCADA platform to ensure long-term adaptability and vendor-agnostic support.

v. Facility & Utility Requirements: Clearly state any specialized power, exhaust, plumbing, structural, or compressed gas requirements necessary for operation beyond standard utilities.

vi. Outline the capabilities and scalability of the solution/concept.

vii. Describe the benefits of your solution/concept as it applies to the respective Call/Topic.

viii. Explain how the proposed technical approach is feasible, achievable, and supported by a technical team with the expertise and experience to accomplish the proposed solution/concept.

ix. Commercial Viability & Schedule: Describe the commercial readiness (TRL/MRL) of the proposed equipment, estimated lead times for installation, and your strategy to provide ongoing lifecycle support.

d. Company Viability

i. Provide a brief overview of the company. Include a summary of current fundraising to date or a summary of top-line (gross sales/revenues).

ii. If CSO, provide a summary of product/solution commercialization and go-to-market strategy.

e. Intellectual Property Statement/Agreement/Disclosures (does not count against page limit)

i. As needed, include a separate disclosure for each company that would be a participant in the solution/concept.

The Government may be unable to evaluate the Solution Brief if a Company fails to provide the information requested above.

6.2 Phase 2 Oral Presentation / Demonstration (At Government’s Discretion)

Offerors whose White Papers are evaluated as meritorious may be invited to provide an oral presentation and/or demonstrate their solution to a panel of Government subject matter experts. This provides an opportunity to elaborate on the technical approach and business viability. The Government is not required to hold a Phase 2 evaluation and may proceed directly to Phase 3.

6.3 Phase 3 – Request for Solution Proposal (RSP)

Offerors who are successfully evaluated in the preceding phases may be invited to submit a formal, full written proposal in response to an RSP. The RSP will provide detailed instructions for the technical, price/cost, and contractual portions of the proposal. An award may be made upon a favorable evaluation of the full proposal.

7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

7.1 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Basis of Evaluation

During Phase 1, the Government will evaluate Solution Briefs based on the following criteria, listed in descending order of importance:

a. Technical Merit: The degree to which the proposed solution effectively, modularly, and cohesively addresses the automation, hardware, and software requirements for the physical plating lines across the baseline elements in Section 3.1. This includes evaluating the solution’s design modularity, utilization of a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) open-architecture SCADA platform, and ease of digital recipe management to ensure a highly adaptable system that Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) personnel can modify and maintain with minimal lifecycle disruption.

b. Schedule and Integration Approach: The feasibility and practicality of the vendor’s strategy for project management, collaborative site layouts, equipment delivery, physical installation, safety integration, and system acceptance.

c. Company Viability and Support: The vendor's demonstrated capacity to successfully manage complex systems integration, provide comprehensive training, and deliver sustainable support (including perpetual licensing structures).

(Note: Price is not evaluated in Phase 1 but will be a factor in Phase 3 for invited offerors).

7.2 Phase 1 – Solution Brief Selection Process

Based on the evaluation, the Solution Brief will be categorized as Selected for Further Consideration or Not Selected for Further Consideration.

The selection of one (1) or more submissions into the next Phase will be based on the criteria listed above and funding availability. Solution Briefs considered not to have (1) sufficient merit or relevance to the topic, (2) a Government need, or (3) funds are not expected to be available, the submission may be declined without further review.

a. Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief has been determined to be of technical merit, represents an innovative solution, has achievable schedule, and viable maturity pathway. As such, the Government intends to invite the Company to participate in next phase should funding be available.

b. Not Selected for Further Consideration: The submitted Solution Brief does not represent either the necessary degree of technical merit, technical innovation, or relevance to agency priorities to warrant further proposal effort or consideration.

The Army anticipates Topics may routinely receive more Solution Briefs than resources to award. All submissions will be fairly evaluated, however, only select Solution Briefs will be invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. The Government reserves the right to limit the number of Companies invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3. As such, a Company’s solution may be evaluated to be of merit but not invited to Phase 2 and/or Phase 3.

Solution Briefs that are chosen for Phase 2 and/or Phase 3 will be notified in writing as soon as practicable. The Government reserves the right to bypass Phase 2 into Phase 3 to request a formal proposal should funding be available.

8. ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

Offerors must identify any potential Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCI) with their submission. If an offeror believes a potential OCI exists, they must submit a mitigation plan along with their Phase 1 Solution Brief.

9. SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE

All Contractor personnel performing under this requirement must comply with TYAD installation security policies and OSHA guidelines.

a. AT/OPSEC: Standard Army Antiterrorism (AT) and Operations Security (OPSEC) clauses will be incorporated into the final award.

b. Information Security: The Contractor will not require access to classified information to perform this work. All technical data generated or handled under this effort will be Unclassified / Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI).

10. APPENDICES

A.1 Regulations

Table 1: List of Relevant Regulations*

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

NFPA 1 Fire Code

NFPA 10 Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers

NFPA 13 Standard for Installation of Sprinkler Systems

NFPA 30 Flammable and Combustible Liquid Code

NFPA 34 Standard for Dipping, Coating, and Printing Processes Using Flammable or Combustible Liquids

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

NFPA 72 National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code

NFPA 79 Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC)

UFC 3-600-01 Fire Protection Engineering for Facilities

UL Solutions

UL 508A Standard for Industrial Control Panels

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

ANSI/A3 R15.06 Industrial Robots and Robot Systems – Safety Requirements

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA 1910.94 Ventilation

OSHA 1910.124 General Requirements for Dipping and Coating Operations

OSHA 1910.212 General Requirements for All Machines *List is not exhaustive. Additional regulations may be relevant and referenced during the evaluation and potential execution of the proposed automation solution. No attempt is made to list Local, State, or Federal Laws which may be relevant.