A02_-_Simplified_Acquisition_Sole_Source_Justification_--_Redacted.docx

JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

Programs/Equipment: One (1) Gleeble 3800 Thermo-Mechanical Physical Simulator

Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e) (2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) - Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial items as implemented by FAR 13.5.

Amount: [Redacted]

Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition.

Program Manager:

[Redacted]

Legal Counsel:

Control No: JA-19-Adel-339 Contractor: Dynamic Systems Inc.

Supply/Service:

FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN

FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION

1. Contracting Activity: US Contracting Command – Aberdeen Proving Ground, Adelphi Contracting Division, (ACC-APG-CCAP-SCA), 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20783.

US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD), Manufacturing Science Technology Branch (FCDD-RLW-UD), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005.

2. Description of Action: Approval is requested for a firm fixed price contract with small business Dynamic Systems Inc., 323 NY 355, Poestenkill, NY, 12140 (CAGE: 24345 DUNS: 002073047) . The Government projects award for August 2019, and Fiscal Year 2019, RDT&E funds type will be used (Funds Expiration Date: 30 September 2019).

_X_ An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement either does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i), or is an R&D acquisition and does not meet the definition of services in 10 U.S.C. 2330(c)(2).

3. Description of Supplies/Services: The proposed acquisition consists of one (1) Gleeble 3800 Thermo-Mechanical Process Simulator that is capable of physically simulating and forming forging processes used in metals production and processing. The Gleeble is a commercial item that can be used to determine how a material will behave during manufacturing. The system must also meet the following ARL minimum requirements:

1. Thermal Capabilities:

c. Maximum Quenching Rate: 10000 °C/sec

d. The system will have to be able to heat the sample using either resistive heating (using the sample as the heat source) or induction heating; the unit must be capable of both.

2. Mechanical Capabilities, Force:

3. Mechanical Capabilities, Stroke:

4. Process Simulation Capabilities:

a. Continuous casting

b. Mushy zone processing

c. Hot rolling

d. Forging

e. Extrusion

f. Weld HAZ cycles

g. Upset butt welding

h. Diffusion bonding

i. Continuous strip annealing

j. Heat treating

k. Quenching

l. Powder metallurgy/sintering

m. Synthesis (SHS)

5. Materials Testing Capabilities:

a. Hot/warm tensile testing

b. Hot/warm compression testing

c. Uniaxial compression

d. Plane strain compression

e. Strain Induced Crack Opening

f. Stress vs. strain curves

g. Melting and solidification

h. Nil strength testing

i. Hot ductility testing

j. Thermal cycling/heat treatment

k. Dilatometry/phase transformation

l. Stress relaxation studies

m. Creep/stress rupture

n. Fatigue (Thermal, Thermal/Mechanical)

o. CCT and TTT curve creation

p. Model validation

q. In situ microstructure monitoring

r. High Temperature Torsion Testing

s. Weldability testing

6. Capable of testing samples either under vacuum or in an inert atmosphere

Total Value: [Redacted]

4. Authority Cited:

41 U.S.C. 1901(e) (2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Simplified Procedures for Certain Commercial items as implemented by FAR 13.5.

5. Reason for Authority Cited: The Materials and Manufacturing Science Division (MMD), Manufacturing Science Technology Branch (MSTB) within the Weapons and Materials Research Directorate (WMRD) at the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires use of a Gleeble 3800 Thermo-Mechanical Process Simulator.

The MSTB, and ARL, currently lack the capability to properly evaluate the properties of strategic high strength steels (17-4PH, FeMnAl, Eglin steels, etc.) The previous Gleeble1500 was originally purchased back in 1986 and has been upgraded multiple times to meet changing research needs from the past. However, for new MSTB requirements, this unit is no longer possible to be upgraded because the manufacturer (DSI Inc.) has discontinued support of this model. Current new MSTB missions require advanced development and manufacturing techniques which requires the ability to field advanced materials (high strength steels and other alloys). Only the newer supported Gleeble 3800 has the capability to meet ARL’s new levels of analyzing metallic samples. Furthermore, there is a lack in the ability to experiment, with the various processing and forging procedures used in industry to develop the material properties necessary for optimal soldier protection. The acquisition of a new Gleeble 3800 would enable high temperature material testing which includes tensile and compressive experimentation as well as process simulation (welding, rolling, etc.) for ada[ption of high strength steels for anlysis and testing to be accomplished in-house.

The Gleeble 3800 Thermo-Mechanical Process Simulator is a lab scale tool that is capable of subjecting metallic samples to very high temperatures (room temperature up to 3,000oC maximum) very quickly (up to 10,000 °C/sec) and high loads (up to 20 metric tons) at rapid strain rates up to 2,000°C/sec), and very high amounts of strain. The thermal capabilities of the Gleeble unit is due to DSI’s patented technology that, through resistance heating, makes the test sample the heat source. This enables the Gleeble to simulate virtually any type of forming, forging, or welding needed to process metallic samples (i.e. steel, aluminum, magnesium, etc.). The thermal capabilities are needed to enable ARL research in welding, and Addictive Manufacturing simulation (they require very fast heating and cooling in the 1000C/s + range). The 3000C max temperature ARL requires is needed to cover all types of material families (metals and ceramics) for both mechanical testing and sintering experiments (sintering of Sic-B4C ceramic composites requires 2000C+). During welding, heating and cooling rates are commonly estimated (direct measurements are near impossible) in the 100s to 1000s of degrees per second. Even faster heating and cooling rates are needed to simulate laser based Additive Manufacturing microstructures. Due to DSI’s patented technology, only the Gleeble can physically simulate the material microstructures generated during welding or be used to simulate possible microstructures from AM processing. The Gleeble is a physical simulator, meaning that the processes are not computer modelled; the samples produced are real physical examples of the large, industrial scale processing used to produce metallic material.

The purpose of obtaining the Gleeble 3800 is to enable MSTB/ARL to develop the proper parameters needed by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for processing new high strength steel alloys developed with ARL. The Gleeble 3800 has been identified as the only tool on the market capable of handling the new alloys. Without the Gleeble 3800, it would not be possible to develop the parameters needed to process these high strength alloys to obtain the best possible mechanical properties that are needed for successful deployment in the field, for example, as armor plating on vehicles. Without proper processing and the best properties, any steel deployed as armor will not function as expected and will not have the stopping power needed to protect soldiers.

6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: In an effort to obtain competition a Notice of Intent was published in Fed Biz Ops (see Section 9) where the Government announced its that it would sole source their requirement to DSI, Inc. to purchase a Gleeble Thermo-Mechanical Process Simulator. The Fed Biz Ops publication did not produce any interested concerns to challenge the intent to sole source, however, market reseatch did identifytwo possible alternatives that were dismissed for failure to meet the Governments requirements. The first alternative is a Thermo-Mechanical Simulator made by Servotest Systems LTD (Egham Surrey, England). Their system is a lab sized hammer forge and is capable of doing rolling simulations, creep testing, heat treatments, and compression (mechanical testing and/or stress relaxation under a compressive load). These capabilities fail to meet ARL requirements, due to the fact it cannot do tensile testing (it can only squeeze, not pull material), something the Gleeble systems are designed to test. Tensile properties are essential for determining material strengths, elongation, and toughness. Thermally, the Servotest system is limited to a maximum temperature of 1200oC. Higher temperatures are needed when testing Army relative materials, for example tungsten (tungsten materials developed at ARL in the past have needed temperatures in excess of 1300oC to develop enough ductility to be workable) or very high strength steels. The maximum cooling rates for the Servotest system are advertised at 75oC/s by blasting the sample with an air/water mist. This fails to meet ARL requirements as 1) the cooling rate is insufficient for weld or AM simulations and 2) cooling the sample via direct application of coollant makes it impossible to attach strain gauges to the sample to measure size changes during cooling without damaging the gauges. Gleeble systems use a cooling system that cools the sample without directly applying coolant, enabling cooling rates that can simulate welding or AM while applying strain gauges (1000oC/s+). Based on these reasons, the Servotest system does not represent a suitable alternative.

The second alternative would be to build a system that would encompass all of the Gleeble’s capabilities. While a mechanical test frame (either an Instron or MTS system) could be used for either compression or tensile testing, they lack the control needed to do more sophisticated tests, such as the multiple-hit type testing needed for rolling simulations. Typical furnaces used for mechanical testing with an Instron or MTS system have a clam shell design and max out at a furnace temperature of 1200oC but a sample temperature of 900oC. Furthermore, the clam shell design limits the type of tests (i.e. application of strain gauges) that can be run, while the temperature maximums are insufficient for testing of some Army relevant materials (tungsten, high strength steels). Due to being a furnace, cooling rates are going to be extremely low as a quench system could not be used without either removing the sample and using an external quench (which is too slow and prohibits cooling in a controlled atmosphere) or damaging the equipment. Designing a furnace that could reach the maximum temperatures of the Gleeble without melting or damaging the test frame is not possible without using resistive heating like the Gleeble; in the Gleeble resistive heating heats the sample directly without heating the test chamber or fixtures holding the sample. It would be extremely difficult and expensive (money and time) if not impossible to design a furnace that can heat a sample through resistive heating in a mechanical test frame. While a spark plasma sintering system can provide resistive heating capabilities, it would be a great challenge to redesign such a system to apply more mechanical stress states than compression. Based on the lack of feasibility, building a system from the bottom up is not a viable solution.

Due to DSI’s use of resistive heating and overall design of the Gleeble system, only a Gleeble unit can provide the maximum temperatures, heating and cooling rates needed to simulate Army relevant experiments in welding, sintering, and AM and only a Gleeble 3800 has the hydraulic capabilities to work high strength steels

7. Actions to Increase Competition: The Government will continue to perform market research to locate other sources capable of performing physical simulations of forming and forging processes. Furthermore, if in the future, other vendors develop technologies that prove capable of doing physical process simulations, they will be given full consideration for future projects and contract awards.

8. Market Research: Market research was conducted in February, 2019 Market research was conducted by internet searches, review of scientific and technical literature (various publications including Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, JOM, Materials Science and Engineering A, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance), discussions with vendors at conferences (SERVOTEST at the 8th International Conference on Physical and Numerical Simulation of Materials Processing (Seattle 2016), DSI at the 8th International Conference on Physical and Numerical Simulation of Materials Processing (Seattle 2016), MS&T 17 in Pittsburgh, 2017), and discussions with ARL subject matter experts (SMEs). The market research revealed that the only other Thermo-Mechanical Simulator available on the market is manufactured by Servotest Testing Systems Ltd. However, the Thermo-Mechanical Treatment Simulator (TMTS) system by Servotest Testing Systems does not meet ARL needed specifications, as their system lists a maximum temperature of 1200°Cwith a maximum heating rate of 10°C/sec and maximum cooling rates of 75C/sec. These specifications do not compare to the Gleeble 3800 which has a Maximum temperature of 3,000°C, Maximum Heating Rate of 10,000°C/sec, Maximum cooling rate of 10,000°C/sec and cannot accurately simulate welding processes.

9. Interested Sources: There was a request for information (RFI) under solicitation W911QX-19-R-0045 published in Fed Biz Ops on May 22, 2019 and closed on June 05, 2019 stating the Government’s intent to award a sole source to Dynamic Systems Inc. During the Fed Biz Ops posting there was no interest received in response to the notice of intent to sole source. This announcement was published as an attempt to locate any business concerns that could fulfill the requirement. The minimum requirement (salient characteristics) as listed in paragraph 3 was attached to the synopsis notice. As required by FAR 5.201, a notice will be publicized. Should any other bids or proposals be received, their information will be forwarded to the approving official for consideration.

10. Other Facts:

a. Procurement History:

This is a first-time buy therefore no procurement history exists. The previous procurement dating back to 1986 is too old to consider as a current procurement.

b. Other Facts:

This is not a Follow-on Contract.

The Period of Performance for this requirement is six (6) months after contract award.

11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: [Redacted]

[Redacted]

12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Signer’s Title: [Redacted]

[Redacted]

13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable.

This determination will be made using the following:

__ Cost analysis _X_ Price analysis __ Should-cost

__ IGE

__ Audit:

__ Other: Invoice/quotes for the same or similar item sold by the vendor to other parties.

As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data:

__ will be required.

_X_ will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403):

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition.

__ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation.

_X_ A commercial item is being acquired.

__ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1.

__ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s).

__ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data.

14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Approval Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of One (1) Gleeble Thermo-Mechanical Physical Simulator, for an estimate of [Redacted], on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(e) (2), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition.

(End of Justification)

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