Braiding Machine

NASA's Shared Services Center seeks quotation for a vertical braiding machine, brand name or equivalent, with quotes due August 7 at 7:00 a.m. Central Time. This procurement is set aside for small business and restricted to authorized resellers only.

Place of performance is NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. The machine must be a single-head vertical system with sixteen carriers, 80–120 mm horn gear plate diameter, capable of processing carbon nanotube yarns, synthetic fibers, carbon fiber, glass fiber, basalt fiber, and composite materials. Required specifications include round braid production with preference for flat and other braid shapes; round fiber feeding capability for 30–250 micrometer fibers; variable horn gear speed of 60–100 rpm; precise tension control from approximately 10 grams to 450 grams; motorized take-off system; yarn carriers with ceramic eyelets; controllable core feeding hardware for pre-twisted yarn, straight filaments, thin tube, or solid wire; and a programmable controller storing 10 or more processing recipes. The system must display critical run parameters (time and meters produced), provide fault indicators for open-door, tangling, and yarn depletion, include standard safety guards and interlocks with emergency stop, and operate on 480 V/3-Phase/60 Hz (preferred) or 208 V/3-Phase/60 Hz. Acceptable equivalent systems include Steeger K80-16, Ratera 16/80 Electronic Version, or Herzog KF 1/16-100 with winder. Delivery lead time shall not exceed six months from receipt of order. Quotes must include CAGE/UEI code, FOB Destination pricing, leadtime, and two points of contact. Award will be made on lowest price technically acceptable basis to a responsible offeror. Questions are due August 6 at 11:00 a.m. Central Time via email only to Shanna L. Patterson at Shanna.l.Patterson@nasa.gov. Quotes remain valid for 30 days. NAICS 334516; PSC 6695. Bidders must be registered at sam.gov and reference tracking number 80NSSC26937545Q-1 in the email subject line.