Flexible Film Materials Testing System - Brand Name Instron Model 68TM-5 or Equal

The Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service seeks one Flexible Film Materials Testing System (Brand Name Instron Model 68TM-5 or Equal) with quotations due August 17, 2026, at 5:00 PM Central Time. This is an unrestricted commercial items procurement under FAR Part 12 with no small business set-aside; all responsible sources may submit.

Place of performance is Manhattan, Kansas at the USDA-ARS Center for Grain and Animal Health Research. Delivery is required within 60 days after award, F.O.B. destination, with all shipping and freight costs included in pricing.

The system must be a fully integrated 5 kN universal materials testing system capable of testing food packaging materials including woven bags and thin films for elongation, penetration resistance, tensile strength, seal strength, and puncture resistance per ASTM standard methods. Required specifications include load measurement accuracy of 0.5% down to 1/250th of load cell capacity and 1.0% down to 1/500th of capacity; displacement accuracy of 0.02 mm or 0.15% of displacement (whichever is greater); and reliable operation from -25 to 55°C at 10–90% humidity. The system must comply with ASTM eF, BS1610, DIN 51221, ISO 7500-1, EN 100002-2, JIS B7721, JIS B7733, and AFNOR A03-501 standards. The dual-column load frame requires 1172 mm vertical distance between table and crosshead (expandable to 1651 mm), speed range of 0.05 to 1016 mm/min, precision ball screws with preloaded nuts, at least two 25 mm diameter ground guidance rods, AC servo motor with closed-loop control, and emergency stop and collision mitigation features. The vendor must provide factory installation, ASTM verification, on-site training for up to three operators, a complete illustrated operators manual, and a 10-year mechanical warranty. All items must demonstrate clear traceability to the Original Equipment Manufacturer with a Certificate of Conformance per FAR 52.246-15. Offerors providing "or equal" items must include descriptive literature demonstrating equivalency.

Evaluation follows lowest price technically acceptable criteria, with award to the lowest priced, technically acceptable offeror with acceptable or neutral past performance. The NAICS code is 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing) with a size standard of 1,000 employees. Buy American requirements apply per FAR 52.225-1 and 52.225-3.