Specifications.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

PURCHASE DESCRIPTION

CHEVRONS, USCC CADET

Jan 2015

GENERAL INFORMATION

Chevrons are intended to be worn on the dress uniform coats and overcoats by cadets of the United States

Corps of Cadets attending the United States Military Academy. Close adherence to shape, dimensions, centering, spacing, and stripe width is critical.

GOVERNMENT FURNISHED PROPERTY

1. The Government will provide a sample chevron to interested offerors upon request. Interested offerors are to contact the USMA Directorate of Contracting for sample.

2. The Government will provide to the successful offeror:

a. Embroidery pattern files on compact disk.

b. Sufficient yardage of the wool Melton backing cloth in gray and black to complete the contract.

i. Backing cloth shall be provided at the following rates:

1. Gray cloth per Dress Coat chevron: approximately 0.145 yards each.

2. Gray cloth per Overcoat chevron: approximately 0.03 yards each.

3. Black cloth per Full Dress Coat chevron: approx. 0.145 yards each.

EMBROIDERY

1. Machines: The Contractor shall embroider the chevrons on multihead machines. These machines shall have at least three (3) colors that can change automatically, and shall have electronically controlled (stepper motor) embroidery frames. Older embroidery frames with mechanical linkages may not be used.

2. Passes: All embroidering shall be accomplished in one (1) pass.

3. Full Dress Coat Style: The metallic embroidery yarn shall be size #40 metalized with five percent

(5%) pure silver support and uniformly wrapped on polymide. The metallic embroidery yarn shall be fast to oxidation, washable to one hundred forty (140) degrees Fahrenheit and to dry cleaning.

4. Dress Coat and Overcoat Styles: The rayon embroidery yarn shall be size #40 (NM75/2) continuous filament and bright. The rayon embroidery yarn shall be washable to two hundred three (203) degrees

Fahrenheit and dry cleanable.

5. Cotton Yarn: The cotton yarn shall be size #30 (NM50/2) gassed and mercerized. The cotton yarn shall be washable to two hundred three (203) degrees Fahrenheit and dry cleanable.

6. Underlay: Each embroidered element of each design shall be underlayed with cotton yarn with stitches of a sufficient length and density to accomplish a heavy pad for the cover stitches.

7. Underlay Yarn: The underlay cotton yarn shall be a color match to the face yarn.

8. Face Yarn: The face yarn shall cover the underlay stitching and background fabric to preclude any bleed through.

9. Stitches: The minimum numbers of stitches per lineal inch is five hundred thirty (530) stitches

(machine revolutions), which includes the underlay and cover stitches.

10. Cutting Line Stitches: In addition to underlay and cover stitches, there shall be cutting line stitches.

These stitches shall be closely spaced and placed at the prescribed distance from the embroidered elements. The cutting stitch line serves as a guide for cutting the finished chevron from the raw fabric.

11. Framing: The fabric to be embroidered shall be framed in an embroidered hoop. The fabric shall be securely fastened as to prevent any pulling or distortion.

12. Backing: The fabric shall be backed during the embroidery operation with a heavy breakaway non-woven.

13. Bobbins: Pre-wound nylon or polyester bobbins shall be used.

FINISH

1. Face Side Float Threads: All float threads (jump stitches) on the face side of the chevron shall be completely trimmed off. No stumps or brushes at the entry and exit points of the jump stitches are permitted.

2. Reverse Side Float Threads: All float threads (jump stitches) on the reverse side of the chevron shall be neatly trimmed, leaving approximately one eighth (1/8) of bobbin thread at the entry and exit points.

3. Breakaway: The breakaway non-woven shall be neatly removed up the edge of the embroidered elements.

4. Cut: The finished chevron shall be cut precisely from the raw fabric by hand using the embroidered cutting line as a guide. The embroidered cutting line must be completely removed in the cutting process.

5. Appearance: The finished chevron shall be wrinkle and pucker free and shall lay flat.

BACKING

1. Initial lamination: A three (3) MIL polyvinylchloride film shall be bonded to the reverse side of the fabric prior to embroidering with sufficient heat and pressure to cause the film to melt and bond to the fabric. The film used shall be able to withstand temperatures in excess of three hundred (300) degrees

Fahrenheit in an alkaline solution, and shall be non-soluble in commercial laundering fluids. The film shall not be chlorine retentive, nor shall it emit toxic gases when subjected to heat.

2. Second lamination: After the chevrons are embroidered and prior to being cut out, another layer of three (3) MIL polyvinylchloride film shall be bonded to the reverse side of the embroidered chevrons and fabric with sufficient heat and pressure to cause the film to melt and bond to the embroidered fabric.

3. Third lamination: In the separate and final laminating operation prior to cutting, a light weight soft non-woven shall be bonded to the back of the embroidered fabric.

4. Final Result: The first, second and third laminates shall be applied in such a manner as to preclude crushing, flattening or depressing of the embroidery, nor may there be any jump, float, and/or connecting stitch indentations or depressions in the embroidery caused by pressure during finishing.

The film bonded to the reverse side of the emblem shall completely coat all raised elements on the back of the emblem and fill all depressions. The back of the finished emblem shall be non-fusible.

BORDER OVERLOCK

1. Type: The overlock type border shall consist of the following:

a. Top Portion: two (2) separate ends of Tex 40 cotton wrapped – polyester core (equal to or better than Coats American dual duty).

b. Bottom Portion: two (2) separate ends of Tex 40 cotton wrapped – polyester core (equal to or better than Coats American dual duty) matching color to the top portion of the overlock. Clear monofilament is not permitted.

2. Edge: The overlocked edge shall be overlapped a minimum of three eighths of an inch (3/8”), and the overrun threads shall be securely fastened to the back of the emblem or pulled through the entire length of the overlap. Neither method should affect the appearance of the emblem after attachment or make the emblem difficult to attach. Securing overrun with tape or simply cutting it off is not permitted.

3. Border: The overlock border shall be applied in such a manner as to prevent it from pulling loose from the edge of the emblem. The border shall be of a density (22 to 26 SPI) sufficient to completely cover the fabric edge of the emblem, and after proper attachment to a garment, it will not curl after washing or dry cleaning.

4. Full Dress Coat Color: The color of the overlocked merrow edge thread shall be black.

5. Dress Coat and Overcoat Color: The color of the overlocked merrow edge thread shall be Coats

American Color #C-9653, Shadow for all dress coat and overcoat (gray) chevrons or an acceptable substitute color. To substitute another color thread for the overlocked merrow edge of these chevrons, the successful offeror shall submit a swatch sample(s) of the respective backing cloth overedged with the suggested substitute thread color or colors with the first article samples to the Directorate of

Contracting (see first article sample clause for instructions).

PACKAGING

1. Bundles: Finished chevrons shall be bundled in quantities of twenty (20) pieces, except for the last finished bundle, should the total finished quantity be of some multiple other than ten (10).

2. Packages: Bundles shall be packaged in plastic bags or plastic wrap and each shall be clearly marked with the quantity contained in the package.

3. Boxes: Packages shall be placed in sturdy corrugated boxes clearly marked with the chevron National

Stock Number (NSN), Style, Description and total quantity in the case. Marking shall be made using clear and legible printed labels with characters no smaller than one quarter inch (1/4”) in height. See

Case Marking Example #1.

FIRST ARTICLE TESTING

1. Visual Inspection: The Government will visually inspect the chevrons for:

a. Thread Colors: Proper embroidery thread and overedge/overlock thread colors.

b. Firmness: Sufficient firmness to retain shape while allowing easy pinning of chevron onto sleeves of cadet dress uniform coats and overcoats. Pins used are two inch (2”) ball headed pins. Pins are pushed through the chevron face-cloth (also interchangeably known as background fabric) and backing (not embroidery or overedge/overlock stitching), through the sleeve in two (2) separate locations and then again through the backing and face-cloth of the chevron.

c. Stitch Configuration: Proper embroidery stitch configuration, density, direction, and tension per pattern files, sufficient to not allow any bleed through of the background fabric.

d. Stitching: Proper raising, rounding and fullness of embroidery stitching above visible face-cloth material provided by the Government (1.0 to 2.5 mm).

e. Tails: Overedge / overlock thread chain “TAILS”.

2. Dry Cleaning: The Government will dryclean the chevrons five (5) times at the USMA laundry and dry cleaning facility under dry cleaning conditions used to clean USMA cadet dress uniform coats and overcoats (19 oz., 100% worsted wool shell cloth).

3. Visual Examination: After dry cleaning, the Government will visibly examine the chevrons for color fastness of embroidery, overedge/overall integrity of embroidery stitching, and overedge/overlock stitching and threads, which should not separate or break. Fewer than fifteen (15) breaks of embroidery threads caused by the typical abrasion found in the dry cleaning process will be acceptable. The Government will visibly examine the chevrons for over integrity of chevron backing material (behind face-cloth) supplied by the contractor for adhesion to face-cloth with no visible puckering. Firmness should remain the same as it was prior to dry cleaning.

CASE MARKING EXAMPLE #1

NSN: 8455001Y5001BL

Style: DRESS COAT

Descr: LT

QTY: 500