PWS 22Q0087.doc

Performance Work Statement (PWS)

TA Instruments Maintenance Service Contract for Thermogravimetric Analysis - Mass Spectrometry (TGA-MS) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) systems

17 March 2022 C.1 Background

Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires instrumental analysis systems for thermal characterization of materials of relevance to mission and customer programs in the Weapons and Materials Research Directorate. The specific systems are:

· Thermogravimetric Analysis - Mass Spectrometry (TGA-MS), with which the mass of a sample is monitored as a function of temperature (under heating dynamic conditions), or time (under isothermal heating conditions) and volatile products are detected and analyzed based on their mass spectra. The hybrid technique is extremely useful for studying desorption, pyrolysis and combustion products of various materials of Army interest.

· Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), with which heat flow is monitored as samples are heated dynamically or isothermally with the purpose of identifying the temperature at which thermal transitions (melting, crystallization, evaporation, decomposition, etc.) occur. In addition, the enthalpies associated with these transitions can be measured.

Comprehensive proper maintenance and calibration of the equipment is essential to ensure reliability of data collected using the systems, as well as the proper functioning and long service life of sophisticated and valuable equipment. The maintenance service contract requested will be for a one (1) year base service contract with one (1) option twelve (12) month option and one (1) ten (10) month option to maintain equipment performance.

C.2 Objective

The objective of this effort is to obtain a new maintenance service contract for one (1) year with one (1) twelve (12) month option and one (1) ten (10) month option to provide quality and timely service with certified parts to maintain operation of the following critical ARL-owned laboratory equipment:

· TA Instruments First (1st) Generation Discovery TGA-MS (Serial Number (SN): TGA1-0287) interfaced to TA Instruments/MKS Instruments mass spectrometer (SN: MKS-0614011092B)

· TA Instruments First (1st) Generation Discovery DSC (SN: DSC1-0310)

C.3 Requirement

C.3.1 The Contractor shall provide one (1) year of maintenance service that includes parts, on-site labor, travel, and one (1) preventive maintenance service call for the equipment listed below. The Contractor shall ensure that each individual system component is functioning in accordance with the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specifications approved by ARL at time of procurement.

C.3.1.1 The ARL-owned equipment are as follows:

· TA Instruments First (1st) Generation Discovery TGAMS (SN: TGA1-0287) interfaced to TA/MKS mass spectrometer (SN: MKS-0614011092B)

· TA Instruments First (1st Generation Discovery DSC (SN: DSC1-0310)

C.3.2 The Contractor shall provide accessory support for the DSC system (listed below in Section C.3.3). The Contractor shall install an existing ARL-owned ultraviolet (UV) curing accessory to the ARL-owned DSC system as a part of the accessory support.

C.3.3. The service hours for preventive and corrective maintenance (Repair Service) shall be carried out by Contractor from Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM local time. Routine access of contractor personnel to Government-controlled facilities is NOT required. Access to Government-controlled information systems is NOT required. The Contractor shall be escorted at all times when on site for yearly and on-demand service and will thereby be in compliance with HSPD-12 standards. National Agency Check with Inquires clearance or higher is not required. The purchase does not involve Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) Publication (PUB) 201. compliant products and service components.

The contract will not involve the issuing of Government issued identification and building passes other than “escort-required” badges when on-site for yearly and on-demand service. National, religious or other special holidays observed by the Federal Government are excluded.

C.3.4 Options. The Government intends to award a contract with one (1) base year plus (1) option twelve (12) month option and one (1) ten (10) month option to maintain equipment performance. The Contractor shall perform and comply with the full scope of this PWS for each of the option periods, if exercised.

C.4 Non-Personal Services

The contractor, as an independent contractor and not as an agent of the Government, shall provide the necessary resources (except those furnished by the Government) to accomplish tasks of the type set forth in the Performance Work Statement.

Contractor employees performing services under this contract shall be controlled, directed and supervised at all times by management personnel of the contractor. The contractor's management shall ensure that employees properly comply with the performance standards outlined in this Performance Work Statement and as required by the contracting officer or the contracting officer's representative (COR). Contractor employees shall perform independent of and without the supervision of any Government official. Actions of contractor employees may not be interpreted or implemented in any manner that results in any contractor employee creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating the appropriated funds of the U.S. Government, overseeing the work of Federal employees, providing direct personal services to any Federal employee or otherwise violating the prohibitions set forth in Parts 7.5 and 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). The Government shall control access to the facility and shall perform the inspection and acceptance of completed work and tasks.

C.5. Distribution Statement

The Contractor shall adhere to the following distribution statement with regards to the PWS and the information generated under this effort:

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A: Distribution approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Contracting Officer: