AFPSL Load Cell Exchange

The Air Force Materiel Command Lifecycle Management Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, through its AFMETCAL facility in Heath, Ohio, intends to procure various load cells and digital indicators for the Air Force Primary Standards Lab (AFPSL) Load Cell Exchange program. This sole source acquisition will involve the purchase of Tovey Engineering load cells (CS Series models), 9150-2-300 digital indicators, adapters, and travel cases designed for use with the Tovey C3-100 Automated Vertical Force Press calibration system. The procurement is justified on the basis that Tovey is the original manufacturer and holds proprietary technology and software that cannot be disclosed to competitors, and switching vendors would result in substantial duplication of costs and operational disruptions. The government will evaluate submissions based on clear and convincing evidence of the respondent's ability to provide the required items in accordance with the Purchase Description, which specifies compatibility with the existing Tovey system and measurement uncertainty not exceeding 0.025% of reading. Interested sources must submit capability statements, proposals, or quotations in writing by April 30, 2026—fifteen days from the April 15, 2026 publication date—with electronic submissions directed to Christine Patterson at christine.patterson.1@us.af.mil.

This procurement carries no set-aside designation and is anticipated to be awarded to Tovey Engineering, Inc. (CAGE 1TY59), the incumbent sole source contractor. The contract will be structured as a Firm Fixed Price agreement under Simplified Acquisition Procedures in accordance with the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul Part 12 commercial products requirements. The anticipated requirement covers 175 units of various load cells and indicators over a five-year performance period from July 1, 2026 through September 30, 2030, with specific quantities identified for fiscal year 2026 including 125 load cell units and 50 adapter and case units. While specific dollar values are redacted in the published documents, the acquisition represents a multi-year commitment to maintain AFMETCAL's pool of 82 load cell kits that support 65 Air Force Primary Measurement Equipment Laboratories nationwide. A Sources Sought Synopsis was previously posted on July 24, 2025 and closed on August 25, 2025, with only one response received that indicated no competing vendor possessed the required capability.