SPRDL1-23-R-0144_Redacted.pdf

JA-00677 – SPRDL1-23-R-0144

Previous J&A: Not available

JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL

FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

JA-00677 SPRDL1-23-R-0144

1. Contracting Agency: Defense Logistics Agency - DLA Land Warren.

2. Description of Action: DLA-WRN proposes to award a new Firm-Fixed-Price Indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to RH Sheppard Co., Inc., and Oshkosh Defense LLC, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) 78222 and 75Q65, for National Stock Number (NSN) 3010015800892, Gearbox Assembly, Steering, using Army Working Capital Funds (AWCF).

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The NSN 3010015800892, RH Sheppard part number M110PPR1 and Oshkosh part number 3859511, Gearbox Assembly, Steering, is used on the Palletized Load System (PLS) A1. The steering gear transfers the motion of the steering wheel to the axle. There are two axles in the front of the PLS and five in the back. There are two steering gears for all PLS A1 models, one for the front and another one for the back axle. QPEAA: 1. Density: 19967 PHASE OUT DATE: 12-31-2039 – An assembly of gears and bearings within a housing specifically designed to change the direction of rotary motion by angle of zero degrees up to three hundred sixty degrees. The deliverables for this contract are for a Guaranteed Minimum Quantity of 9 each, with an estimated five year maximum of 219 each. The total maximum value of this contract is .

Acquisition Method Code (AMC):

3 - Acquire, for the second or subsequent time, directly from the actual manufacturer.

Acquisition Method Suffix Code (AMSC):

R - The Government does not own the data or the rights to the data needed to purchase this part from additional sources. It has been determined to be uneconomical to buy the data or rights to the data. It is uneconomical to reverse engineer the part. This code is used when the Government did not initially purchase the data and/or rights. If only one source has the rights or data to manufacture this item, AMCs 3, 4, or 5 are valid. If two or more sources have the rights or data to manufacture this item, AMCs 1 or 2 are valid.

4. Authority Cited: The statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition for this effort is 10 United States Code (U.S.C.) 3204(a)(1) as implemented by the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: The manufacturer of the steering gear is RH Sheppard. However, the PLS was designed and tested by Oshkosh who owns the intellectual property for the truck. Oshkosh developed the system level requirements for the steering system and possess details regarding the design intent of this component.

JA-00677 – SPRDL1-23-R-0144

Previous J&A: Not available

8. Market Research: A Sources Sought Notice was posted to beta.SAM.gov on 6/15/2023 and was open for 15 days. No responses received.

The Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) Heavy Tactical Vehicle Sustainment Engineer performed the following internet searches on 5 June 2022 to find suitable competition for the RH Sheppard steering gear.

Keywords: steering gear, PLS steering gear, heavy truck steering gear, M110 steering gear.

Websites: https://www.boschautoparts.com/p/steering-gear;

https://www.rhsheppard.com/products-services/products/commercial-steering/iron-castings/m110/; https://www.knorr-bremsecvs.com/en/products_1/steering/standard_page__broad_6.jsp;

https://www.bendix.com/en/products/steering/steering_1.jsp;

https://www.zf.com/products/en/cv/products_64219.html;

https://www.haldex.com/en/na/power-steering-gears/

The RH Sheppard PN, M110PPR1, indicates that the part is in the M110 series of RH Sheppard steering gears. The M110 series is used in heavy-duty trucks. RH Sheppard’s specification sheet lists vehicle characteristics such as front axle rating, pressure rating, gear travel, and pump flow range. No information is available about the specific configuration used in the PLSA1 application. The configuration details, which are inaccessible to the Government, outline the difference between the product series, M110, and the particular assembly that is sold to Oshkosh for PLSA1 production, M110PPR1. The part configuration details include information about mounting locations on the vehicle and tolerances. The specification sheet does not include materials, dimensions, or performance requirements for internal components, or mounting details for the assembly on the vehicle chassis. Due to the lack of a TDP or in-depth technical specifications of the sole-source part, the validity of the researched valves is difficult to evaluate.

Steering gears offered by RH Sheppard, Bosch, ZF, and Knorr-Bremse were reviewed.

There is not enough information to determine if these options will fit on the vehicle and operate in the same manner as the sole-source part. Several manufacturers offer remanufactured steering gears, but this procurement is for new steering gears.

A visual comparison of the steering gear from the Army technical manual to the researched alternatives was conducted, but none of the commercially available parts appeared to be identical in mounting locations, size, or shape. Due to the internal components, even a part that looked the same may vary in performance, capability, or manufacturing.

When, or if, the technical information for the steering gear is made available to the Government, additional and specific market research can be conducted, and competitive procurement can be considered.