AFPSL Furnaces

The Air Force Materiel Command Lifecycle Management Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base seeks to procure three metrology furnaces for use by the Air Force Primary Standards Laboratory (AFPSL) in calibrating standard platinum thermometers. This acquisition will be conducted as a sole source Firm Fixed Price contract under Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Part 12 for commercial products. The furnaces must be compatible with proprietary fixed-point tin and zinc cells currently in use, and only Isotech North America's furnaces can meet this requirement without substantial duplication of costs. The Government will evaluate interested sources based on their capability to provide the required items and clear, convincing evidence of their ability to meet specifications outlined in the purchase description. Interested parties must submit capability statements, proposals, or quotations in writing within fifteen (15) days of the publication date of March 20, 2026, with technical questions directed to Megan Moretti at megan.moretti@us.af.mil.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and is anticipated to be awarded to Isotech North America as the sole source vendor. The contract will cover three-unit upgrades over a one-year period, with the existing furnaces at AFPSL being over twenty years old and no longer supported by their original manufacturer. The Government did not disclose a specific contract value; however, cost estimates were obtained from competing vendors such as Fluke and Pond Engineering to justify the sole source determination. The furnaces are classified under NAICS 334513 (Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables) and PSC 6625 (Electrical and Electronic Properties Measuring and Testing Instruments). The approved Justification and Authorization document supports the determination that Isotech furnaces provide the best value to the Government, with their interchangeability between annealing and fixed-point cells offering operational flexibility for the Air Force's calibration requirements.