Health Monitoring of Roller Bearings Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy(RUS)
Awarded Limited / Sole Source Justification Posted
- Solicitation number
- FR26RDI2000000003
- Agency
-
Federal Railroad Administration
Department of Transportation
- Set-aside
- No set-aside
Opportunity facts
- Contract number
- 693JJ626C000014 Federal contract award
- Awardee
- Aerovironment, Inc.
- NAICS code
- 541715 Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)
- PSC
- AS11 Transportation R&D Services; Surface Transportation, Public Transit, And Rail; Basic Research
- Place of performance
- Simi Valley, California 93065, United States
- Points of contact
Notice details come from SAM.gov. Updated .
About this opportunity
The Federal Railroad Administration intends to award a sole-source contract to BlueHalo, a division of AeroVironment, for development of a handheld railcar wheelset bearing defect detection tool using resonant ultrasound spectroscopy, with a contract value of $750,000.
The justification cites FAR 12.201-1 and congressional mandate under 49 USC 20108(a), 49 CFR 1.88(b), and 49 CFR 1.89(f) for railroad safety research. BlueHalo previously developed the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) technology under a 2024 Broad Agency Announcement and is identified as the only source readily available to continue this development. The RUS technique imparts vibrations into a specimen and measures natural frequencies; defects cause frequency variations that trigger an alarm. The device is deployable at manufacturing or reconditioning facilities and in the field before train departure to prevent catastrophic bearing-caused derailments. The FRA determined that modifying the requirement to increase competition would result in significant mission delays, and procuring an alternative solution would require duplicative development costs. No other sources have expressed written interest in the acquisition. The contracting officer determined fair and reasonable cost based on market research and price analysis using FAR Subpart 15.404-1 techniques, with no fee offered. A notice of intent will be posted on SAM.gov per FAR 5.301 and 6.305(a).
Notice text
Awarded contract 693JJ626C000014 to unknown vendor for unknown amount on 2026-06-23.
Files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| 16a. BlueHalo_HealthMon_RUS SoleSourceJust_FAR_12.201-1_DBrabbSigned.pdf |
Notice history
| Notice | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| This notice | Limited / Sole Source Justification | |
| Health Monitoring of Roller Bearings Using Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy(RUS) | Special Notice |
Similar open opportunities
| Opportunity | Agency | Set-aside | Responses due |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 26 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) - Federal Railroad Administration | Federal Railroad Administration | No set-aside |
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