A01_-_SOW.docx

Statement of Work Test Course Grooming Tool

C.1 GENERAL:

C.1.1 SCOPE. The Government has the requirement to procure a test course grooming tool, the single pass tillage tool will groom off road and soft soil test courses. The grooming tool will be mounted onto a farm tractor with a category 3 three-point hitch, for the Automotive Instrumentation Division of Aberdeen Test Center.

C.1.2 BACKGROUND. The Automotive Division of the Aberdeen Test Center (ATC) uses the test courses to conduct automotive performance tests of tracked and wheeled combat and tactical vehicles. The test courses are closely control by moisture and tillage to provide an area for soft soil test measurements. The test courses are located at two areas within ATC. The courses have different soil types and are maintained with surface contour profiles with no vegetation. The current course preparation is to use a trailered offset disc to remove vegetation and groom the surface.

The offset disc being trailer mounted has a lot of stress on the tongue and takes a fair amount of drawbar power and traction when working the soft soil. Depending on condition of the Mud Bypass and Four Course located at Perryman Test Area or the Abrasive Mud Course at Munson Test Area the tractor has become mired pulling the disc through the soft soil. Towed offset discs have been damaged and destroyed while removing vegetation off four course at Perryman Test Area. Course grooming has to be done all year round depending on test programs requirements.

C.2 REQUIREMENTS. The grooming tool shall be classified as a mounted stubble cultivator. The working width of the implement shall be greater than 13 feet and fold for transport. The required transport dimension shall be less than 10 feet wide. An interlock system will be utilized for safety during transport. During transport clearance lights and turn signals shall be furnished at the back of the machine. The implement shall have three distinct areas of tillage. The first shall be shank rippers to loosen the soil. The second stage shall be a row of leveling discs to break down the soil. The third tillage stage shall be a packer ring, this will smooth the soil.

C.2.1 Hitch. The mounted implement shall utilize a category 3 hitch. The lower 3-point hitch pockets shall be wide enough to fit category 4 width lift arms. ATC’s current tractor is a John Deere 8760 with category 4 hitch with bushings to use category 3 pins and implements.

C.2.2 Shank Ripper. The implement shall have 14 or more shanks distributed evenly in three rows. Shank spacing shall be less than 1-inches apart. The shanks shall have an overload protection against rocks and large debris in the soil. The protection devise shall consist of a coil spring that allows the shank and point to roll over the top of the large item in the soil and not bring it to the surface or damage the implement.

C.2.3 Leveling Disc. The leveling discs are pairs of scalloped discs. The scalloped edge shall cut and breakdown soil clods. The leveling discs shall be in pairs to allow the soil to be leveled after the ripper shanks. The implement shall have 8 or more leveling discs and an edging disc on each side.

C.2.4 Pack Ring Roller. The pack ring roller shall be made of rings with closed sided to not plug up with wet heavy soil. The rings shall be suited for work in wet ground with large amounts of organic material and rocks. The packer ring shall also be made up of 3 or more rings per foot.

C.3 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS AND AVAILABILITY.

C.3.1 Existing documentation will be made available to the contractor, to aid in their proposal development. Site visits can be arranged at the contractor’s expense and upon request to view the Test Course.

C.4. DELIVERABLES. Grooming tool shall be delivered to ATC The resultant contractor will coordinate scheduled delivery efforts with the Government technical points of contact and provide all documentation for all engineering and manufacturing/installation functions.