Agile sheet metal manufacturing capabilities

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes. This is not a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), the US Government (USG) does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery, other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to thesenotices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will be handled accordingly. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Based on the results of this RFI, the USG may seek to establish Cooperative Research and Development Agreement(s) (CRADA) and/or Other Transactional Agreements (OTA’s) with potential responder(s).

INFORMATION REQUESTED: DEVCOM Armaments Center, Picatinny, NJ is

conducting market research to identify domestic sheet metal manufacturers with proven capabilities to fabricate production-quality steel ammunition containers using agile manufacturing methods such as laser cutting, laser welding, rapid tooling fabrication, and other modern production methods enabling rapid, flexible sheet metal production.  The goal is to reduce prototype and Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lead times in support of the 6.8mm ammunition packaging development effort.

Multiple variations of a lightweight steel outer container for 6.8mm ammunition have been designed by DEVCOM Armaments Center.  A representative drawing of these designs is included in Figure 1.  Design variation details will be shared upon completion of this RFI and primarily include small differences in sheet gauge thickness of each component as shown in Table 1.  We are seeking prototype capabilities to fabricate approximately 50 (total) sheet metal prototypes of 3 to 5 designs by June 2026 and approximately 100 final prototypes by January 2027.  Additionally, we are seeking capabilities to manufacture approximately 10,000 containers per month, with the first delivery due in Q4FY27.  Minor design changes may be recommended to accommodate novel manufacturing processes.  All container prototypes and production units must be capable of achieving a +/-3 psig seal, which will rely on proper placement of the hasp on the container body, and quality control measures to ensure uniform gasket compression across the closure surface.