Request_for_Information-Sources_Sought_-_Thermomechanical_Analyzer.docx

Request for Information / Sources Sought

Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) – Elastomers Improvement Program Lab

DESCRIPTION OF INTENT:

This is a Request for Information (RFI). No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, nor is it a request seeking contractors to be placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this RFI is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this RFI and any follow-on information requests. Data submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned. No solicitation document exists at this time, and calls requesting a solicitation will not be answered.

DISCLAIMER:

Reference herein to any specific commercial company, product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or the Department of the Army (DA). The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or the DA, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this RFI questionnaire is to provide information to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) on the availability of a non-developmental, commercially available, Thermomechanical Analyzer, including installation, for the Elastomers Improvement Program (EIP) Lab.

Potential future contracting actions may solicit for procurement of the following:

1 (each) Thermomechanical Analyzer (TMA) with installation (includes calibration with a traceable standard and a certificate of calibration), and training.

The minimum equipment specifications are as follows:

· Temperature range of -150 to 1000°C

· Temperature precision of ±1°C

· Measurement precision of ±0.1%

· Sensitivity of 15nm

· Nationally recognized Testing Laboratory certified

· TMA accessory kit to include a coefficient of expansion calibration standard, a temperature calibration standard, a standard expansion probe, a penetration probe, a macro-expansion probe, and a quartz sample stage.

· TMA shall be provided with a flexure kit and a digital mass flow controller.

· TMA module shall include software for complete experimental control of all thermal modules.

· 120V Isolation Kit for electrical power.

· Mechanical cooling capability.

RESPONSES:

Each initial response to this RFI is requested to include:

1. A brief company description (no more than ½ page) summarizing the organization’s history and pertinent defense industry experience, CAGE code, business size, GSA Schedule number (if applicable), and contact information.

2. An executive summary (no more than two pages) of the information submitted in response to this RFI. Explain your company’s ability to provide the required services and hardware.

3. Point(s) of Contact (POC) with associated contact information.

4. Please answer yes or no if your company is able to provide the Thermomechanical Analyzer with installation referenced in the above objective.

RESPONSES DUE:

Responses to this RFI are due by 12:00 PM EST, 10/5/2018. Please submit all responses and any questions prior to full response via email to marie.a.drager.civ@mail.mil. Please format the subject line of the response email as follows: “[Organization Name] response to “Request for Information –Thermomechanical Analyzer”.

RESPONSE FORMAT:

Only electronic responses are requested. Please provide e-mail responses in PDF format to the Government POC(s) listed below. If you submit multiple e-mail messages, please make sure the subject lines include, for example, “message 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3,” as well as [Organization Name]. All interested entities (e.g. companies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutes), regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this request for information. All material submitted in response to this RFI must be unclassified and properly marked.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this RFI. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. §1905 to protect information qualifying as “Confidential” under this statute. [To avoid possible confusion with the meaning of the term “Confidential” in the context of “Classified Information,” we will use the term “PROPRIETARY.”] Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any PROPRIETARY (e.g., trade secret) restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following:

1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data with the restrictive legend (all caps) “PROPRIETARY” with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected.

2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly proprietary (excessive breadth in marking inappropriate data as “PROPRIETARY” may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting, or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are protected.

3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data.

4. Proprietary data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain the “PROPRIETARY” legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate, when only portions of an electronic file are proprietary, use the restrictive legends ‘PROPRIETARY PORTION BEGINS:” and “PROPRIETARY PORTION ENDS.”

5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text.

6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain proprietary information may receive only limited or no consideration since the respondent’s marking of data as “PROPRIETARY” will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and, therefore, will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain proprietary information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.

GOVERNMENT POINT(S) OF CONTACT:

Marie Drager, Contract Specialist Email: marie.a.drager.civ@mail.mil