SATPC0039363 Tab 06 RDSS..pdf

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER

RECOMMENDATION AND DETERMINATION TO SOLICIT FROM ONE SOURCE

OR BRAND NAME

PICK ONE

Sole Source:

☒I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with Ideal Vacuum Products only for Purchase of a custom vacuum chamber. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance is Feb 28, 2026.

OR

Brand Name Justification:

☐I recommend that NASA, NASA Shared Services Center negotiate with only with vendors who can provide the subject band name from Manufacture Name for Enter Supply or Service to be procured.

The total estimated cost of this effort is Enter Dollar amount and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is Date.

This recommendation is for the acquisition of supplies or services determined to be reasonably available from only one source/only one manufacture. Competition is impractical for the following reasons (please answer the questions below):

1. What are the reasons for soliciting only the suggested source/suggested brand name? Please provide the unique characteristics of the items or services along with the supporting rationale and the market research performed to substantiate your reason for the suggested source/brand name.

After reviewing the different companies that could provide custom vacuum chambers, we identified Ideal Vacuum Products as the most reputable company with unique parts and customization that would meet our needs. Ideal Vacuum Products specializes in a line of custom modular vacuum chambers. The chamber we designed with their support uses several custom parts that uniquely meet our requirements.

These include off-the-shelf 12” x 12” square windows with frames made of all stainless steel. The all-stainless steel was chosen for compatibility with nitric oxide used in our research. The 12”x12” square modular vacuum cube ports are required because they will maximize the viewing area since our cameras have square and rectangular form factors. Using similarly sized round window ports would crop the corners off our images decreasing the image quality and scientific results. Larger round windows could be used but those are more expensive than these square windows, and they could not be placed as close to the corners as these standard square windows, reducing scientific value. These window frames/ports have a unique patented design only sold by Ideal Vacuum Products that makes them easier and safer to install than the competition. These windows can also be swapped with blanks as needed. Ideal Vacuum Products will also provide custom-designed tall rectangular windows based on the same design required for our application for laser-sheet-based measurements. These windows (both the stock and custom ones included in the SOW) are unique to IVP according to our market research. A cubic (rather than a cylindrical) design was required to support the window locations needed. Our requirement is for a turnkey vacuum chamber. Their patented software also provides needed pressure monitoring and control. Dozens of manufacturers build vacuum chambers and vacuum components, but Ideal Vacuum was the only one we found that met all of our combined requirements (36” on a side cube, mounted on a stand, specific UV window ports, square and rectangular glass ports, a hinged door, high flowrate pump, instrument feedthroughs, vacuum gauges, and a single controller for pumps, gas purge, venting and pressure measurement, as detailed in the specifications). Our market research also indicated that Ideal Vacuum Products is cost competitive.

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2. What is the impact to the government if another vendor/brand is used? Include any dollar, schedule, or compatibility impacts if possible.

While it is possible that these components could be assembled from other vendors, additional costs and schedule delays would result if the government was to design and assemble the system on its own.

Additional time would be required to design, procure, and assemble these different parts. Obtaining key components from different vendors might lead to incompatibility in assembly or function, which would require additional purchases, increasing costs and incurring schedule delays. Instead, the system being procured will be designed, built, and tested by Ideal Vacuum Products. It will be turn-key, reducing costs to the government. Additionally, NASA already has some Ideal Vacuum components such as windows that will be used with this system. Procuring the custom vacuum chamber from Ideal Vacuum will save the government money since parts from the new system would be interchangeable with other preexisting vacuum hardware at NASA Langley.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

none

Technical User Name Date

Title

Office