SATPC0042730 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 North American Mfg Pros only for Procurement of L-PBF of DS Steels and Refractory Alloys. The total estimated cost of this effort is and the estimated period of performance or lead-time for delivery is 12 months ARO.

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 Vendor 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.

North American Mfg Pros (NAMPros) is the only known source with the specialized historical process knowledge, powder handling expertise, and dedicated machine availability required to execute laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) parameter development for NASA Glenn Research Center’s (GRC) dispersion strengthened (DS) steels and refractory alloys. This procurement directly supports the ongoing internal research and development (IRAD) ENACT project, requiring direct continuity with previous

NASA high-temperature material development campaigns. NAMPros previously co-developed and optimized L-PBF manufacturing processes for NASA’s oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloy, GRX-810, establishing proprietary powder preparation, handling, and parameter optimization workflows specifically engineered for complex dispersion-strengthened and refractory alloy systems. The technical requirements under this Statement of Work demand rigorous density benchmarks (>99.9% relative density), strict interstitial atmospheric control, and parameter optimization across highly challenging refractory compositions (such as Nb, Ta, Mo, and W-based alloys) and custom DS steels in compliance with NASA-STD-6030. NAMPros uniquely possesses the specialized operational protocols and dedicated EOS M280 industrial L-PBF platform capacity needed to fulfill the mandatory 432 hours/month developmental window without the need for unproven process exploration.

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

Awarding this effort to an alternative vendor would introduce severe technical risk, extensive development delays, and unacceptable schedule slippage to the IRAD ENACT project. Because the

ENACT project has already experienced a delayed start, maintaining the current aggressive milestone schedule is critical. Any alternative vendor lacks prior performance history in processing custom dispersion-strengthened and refractory alloys for NASA GRC and would be required to produce trial powder batches and L-PBF consolidated test materials at their own expense for NASA inspection and validation prior to award. This would necessitate a lengthy trial-and-error parameter development cycle, Page 2 V2.0 3-15-2017 introducing months of lead-time delays and jeopardizing project deliverables. Furthermore, because refractory and dispersion-strengthened alloys are exceptionally sensitive to feedstock morphology, oxidation, and laser energy coupling, utilizing an unproven supplier presents a high risk of microstructural cracking, porosity, and batch-to-batch variation that would invalidate established material baselines. Sourcing through NAMPros eliminates exploratory parameter development, leverages a proven manufacturing methodology directly derived from the GRX-810 development effort, and guarantees the requisite technical performance and delivery schedule

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

None.

8/24/2026

Technical User Name Date

Title

Office