Redacted Simplified Acquisition Sole Source Justification.pdf

Control No: JA-20-Adel-520 Contractor: Specialised Imaging, Inc.

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera

REDACTED JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Programs/Equipment: The procurement of one (1) SIMXD32 Ultra High Speed Framing Camera

Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

Amount: REDACTED

Prepared by: REDACTED DSN: REDACTED Research Chemist Date: 7/1/2020 Email: REDACTED

Contracting Officer: Christopher Moy DSN: 290-2021 Contracting Officer Date: 7/8/2020 Email: Christopher.r.moy.civ@mail.mil

Technical: REDACTED DSN: REDACTED Research Chemist Date: 7/1/2020 Email: REDACTED

Requirements: REDACTED DSN: REDACTED Supervisory Chemist Date: 8/5/2020 Email: REDACTED

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR

OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity:

Adelphi Contracting Division, Army Contracting Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783-1138.

2. Description of Action: The United States (U.S.) Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Weapons and Material Research Directorate (WMRD) requests a Firm-Fixed Price (FFP) contract with Specialised Imaging, Inc. (40935 County Center Drive Suite D., Temecula, CA, 92591-6005) The Government projects award for September 2020 and fiscal year 2020-2021 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used.

_X_ An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement either does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i), or is an R&D acquisition and does not meet the definition of services in 10 U.S.C. 2330(c)(2).

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The proposed contract action is to procure one

(1) Specialised Imaging SIMXD32 Ultra High Speed Framing Camera. The SIMD32 Ultra High Speed Framing Camera shall have 16 channels that incorporate 16 ICCDs producing 32 frames of 1360 x 1024 pixels at all frame rates. The camera shall also have P46 phosphor tubes for >36 Ip/mm spatial resolution producing exposure times from 3 ns to 10 ms and interframe times from 1 ns to 10 ms in 1 ns steps with adjustable gain from Unity to 10,000X. The camera shall also be capable of two (2) sets of 16 frames at up to 1 Billion frames per second. With Nikon Bayonet lens mount, with built in electro-mechanical iris, capping shutter, in fitted case. Ethernet control shall be available.

Estimated Delivery Date: REDACTED Total Value: REDACTED

4. Authority Cited: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited:

The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD), requires the purchase of one (1) SIMXD32 Ultra High Speed Framing Camera from Specialised Imaging, Inc. The Detonation Science and Modeling Branch (DSMB) within WMRD currently conducts research to capture images of fast energetic events such as detonation dynamics of high explosives.

The current design of weapons systems that deliver energy on target requires precise knowledge of the rate of energy released by the explosive contained in the munition.

This rate has two (2) parts that can be measured. A fast part, which is a solid state

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera chemistry corresponding to a detonation changing a solid material to a gas and a slow part, which is the expansion of gases formed by the detonation. The challenging part of determining performance that DSMB faces is measuring the fast part, or the detonation dynamics. Detonations in solid chemical explosives can travel at speeds approaching 10 millimeters per microsecond. Detonation reaction zones are a fraction of a millimeter in thickness. To freeze, or capture, an image of a detonation front requires temporal resolution approaching tens of nanoseconds. Techniques to measure the velocity of the “detonation front” exist but provide only point measurements.

All major scientific camera manufacturers recognize this need, and have used several approaches to attempt to satisfy this need, ranging from high speed rotating mirrors to expose an array of cameras or film, to a single or group of intensified digital cameras capable of taking high resolution images based on a common trigger.

To date, the fastest of these camera systems is the Specialised SIMXD32 high speed camera. This camera system is capable of taking 32 consecutive one (1) megapixel images at a rate of one (1) billion frames per second (FPS). It is the fastest high speed digital framing camera available commercially. The SIMXD32 also has an excellent reliability record and is the camera of choice at all DoD and National Laboratories involved in characterizing fast energy release by explosives

Additionally, imaging explosive events on such a fast timescale require external lighting.

For the past several years, the proposers have assembled an explosive imaging lighting system based on the SILux diode laser illuminator, also manufactured by Specialised Imaging, Inc. This illumination system is manufactured to integrate with software used to control the proposed SIMXD32 camera system. If an ultra high speed camera is purchased from any other company than Specialised Imaging, Inc., the corresponding illumination lasers (on-hand and Government owned) would also have to be replaced/modified. This would cause an unnecessary delay of up to REDACTED months of mission critical research and an exorbitant duplication of cost of over REDACTED to replace all interlinking Governmnet-owned cameras and imaging software.

WMRD has determined the Specialised Imaging SIMXD32 ultra high speed framing camera to be the only commercially available camera that can effectively meet measurement requirements and interface to equipment already on-hand. Therefore the Government finds this sole-source procurement to Specialised Imaging, Inc. as fair and reasonable.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: Based on the market research performed and the lack of capable sources that responded to the aforementioned synopsis, the Governement was unable to provide any efforts to obtain competition. ARL requires a camera with an illumination system that can be integrated with WMRD’s current equipment. The current equipment utilizes software that can control the proposed SIMXD32 camera system. ARL requires a high speed digital camera that can be integrated with ARL’s current illumination equipment that already utilizes software that can control the proposed SIMXD32 camera system. There are no vendors other than Specialised Imaging, Inc. able to meet the Government’s requirements with current

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera software. Because this is a sole source action, effective competition is not applicable.

The estimated total for this requirement is REDACTED

7. Actions to Increase Competition: Since the SIMXD32 camera will be utilized to maximize performance energetic materials used in weapons systems, it is imperative that the equipment be the most efficient and capable in the market and sync with Government-owned software.

Settling for a less technologically advanced model would be unacceptable. If other vendors are capable of meeting the requirements of taking 32 consecutive one (1) megapixel images at a rate of one (1) billion frames per second (FPS), while interfacing to the Specialised Imaging illumination lasers already on hand and Government owned, they would be considered. ARL will continue to monitor the ultra high speed framing camera market for other potential sources to increase future competition for this requirement and any associated parts or repairs.

8. Market Research: Market research was performed by REDACTED, Team Leader Detonation Science, ARL and the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) for this effort.

REDACTED is currently employed by the ARL with over 36 years of experience in energetic materials research. Within the past 15 years, REDACTED has purchased other imaging devices from Cordin Imaging, Specialised Imaging, Shimadzu, Princeton Applied Research, etc. so he has experiencd familiarity with market offerings, and is usually contacted by the companies when new products become available. Market research was conducted from 01 July 2018 through 01 July 2020 by attending national and international conferences, contacting knowledgeable people or subject matter experts within Government and industry (M. Biss, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL); J. Densmore, LLNL; J. Gottfried, ARL; T. Weihs, Johns Hopkins University (JHU); N. Glumac, U. Illinois), and by reviewing catalogs and other generally available product literature published by manufacturers and distributors (Shimadzu, Cordin, Princeton Applied Research, Hadland Imaging). Cordin Scientific Imaging cameras have images that are not intensified, limiting exposure time. Stanford Computer Optics cameras have limited number of exposures. Shimadzu cameras did not have a high enough enough framing rate and the resolution of the individual images was too low (0.2 MPixel). . The Cordin Camera only offered 400 million FPS in a non-intensified format.

The Stanford Optics Camera did not meet the minimum requirement of at least 32 consecutive frames. Additonally, it was determined that the required camera must be fully-compatible with the Government owned illumination systems currently being used to conduct research. Specifically, no manufacturer other than Specialised Imaging is able to meet the Government’s minimum requirements of product features and specifications for the required ultra high speed framing camera. Market research has identified no authorized resellers of the Specialised Imaging, Inc., SIMXD32 ultra high speed framing camera. Based on the aforementioned, it was determined that only one vendor, Specialised Imaging, Inc., is capable of meeting the Government’s minimum requirement.

9. Interested Sources: An Intent to Sole Source Synopsis has been posted on Beta.SAM.gov from 13 August 2020 to 28 August 2020. To date, no sources have written to express interest in the acquisition other than Specialised Imaging.

10. Other Facts: N/A – There is no acquisition history as this procurement is a first time buy.

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Research Chemist

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: Supervisory Chemist

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

This determination will be made using the following:

__ Cost analysis _X_ Price analysis __ Should-cost

_X_ IGE

__ Audit:

__ Other:

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data:

__ will be required.

_X_ will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403):

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition.

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation.

_X_ A commercial item is being acquired.

__ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1.

__ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s).

__ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data.

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Supply: One (1) SIMXD32 Framing Camera

Approval

Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of one (1) SIMXD32 Ultra High Speed Framing Camera, for an estimate of REDACTED on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

9/9/2020

X Christopher Moy

Contracting Officer (KO) Signed by: MOY.CHRISTOPHER.RYAN.1285356217