SATPC0040144 Tab 06 RDSS..pdf

Page 1 V2.0 3-15-2017

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 3-Dimensional only for Injection Mold Manufacturing for the xEMU Pressure Bubble. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is 14 weeks after award.

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.

3-Dimensional Services Group recently focused on understanding how to design the mold for an injection molded helmet, and complete gate flow analysis using polycarbonate material. Using their proprietary knowledge, a robust gating strategy was developed, leveraging CAE simulations to optimize polymer melt flow and minimize potential molding defects to achieve the high optical quality needed for the helmets. The detailed mold flow analysis, performed using the selected material's rheological data to predict and mitigate potential issues such as weld lines, air traps, and sink marks in the design. In addition, 3-Dimensional has previously provided similar injection molded helmet designs for spacesuit applications for a different spacesuit provider. 3-Dimensional Services Group's previous experience building spacesuit helmets, including similar injection molded designs, will significantly streamline the development process, resulting in considerable time and cost savings for this project. Their expertise directly translates to efficient and effective execution of building an injection molded pressure bubble for the Helmet Assembly supporting the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) government reference design. The helmet has very strict visible light transmission requirements and low tolerance for any visual defects. 3-Dimensional has a proven history of being able to meet those strict requirements on their equipment.

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

The government would need to re-execute work with another vendor to design a mold for the xEMU helmet and complete a mold flow analysis for the new design. In addition, the government would need to have a vendor prove their capabilities to produce an optically clear, tight-tolerance, and highly complex helmet shape using polycarbonate material. This would increase cost and increase the schedule significantly if another vendor was used.