High Temperature Controlled Atmosphere Furnace Suite

The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at China Lake seeks a High Temperature Controlled Atmosphere Furnace Suite comprising two separate chambers, an Engineering Design Package, and associated deliverables, with proposals due August 21, 2026. This procurement is a total small business set-aside designated for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) with 100 percent HUBZone preference; the NAICS code is 333994 (Industrial Process Furnace and Oven Manufacturing) with a 500-employee size standard.

Place of performance is China Lake, California. The furnace suite must deliver two integrated chambers—one operating at 1,300 degrees Celsius with interior dimensions of 14.8" × 11.8" × 11.8", and another at 2,200 degrees Celsius with a 12" × 12" × 12" interior—plus two vacuum systems, a combined chiller, NEMA-1 enclosed control cabinets with PLC and HMI controls, and critical spare parts. Vacuum pressure specifications are 10^-5 torr for the 1,300°C unit and 10^-3 torr for the 2,200°C unit. The system operates on 480V three-phase 60 Hz power (up to 250 kVA), incorporates copper water-cooled power feedthroughs, maintains exterior surfaces below 60 degrees Celsius via shared chiller, and includes a Windows 10 HMI with 24" touchscreen and eight programmed recipe capacity. All suite components except the chiller must fit within a 20 ft × 12 ft footprint with height under 10 ft.

The Engineering Design Package (Line Item 0001) is due February 1, 2027, and the Furnace Suite (Line Item 0002) is due September 30, 2027, both delivered FOB destination to China Lake. The contractor must demonstrate capability in high temperature controlled atmosphere furnace engineering for at least ten years and provide two days of factory training and up to three days of on-site training. Amendment 0001 issued August 13 clarified power allowance, vacuum pressure specifications, and requirement for two separate chambers and systems. Evaluation prioritizes technical capability to meet the Performance Work Statement and delivery schedule, followed by past performance (minimum "Satisfactory" rating preferred), then price. A Cyber Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 1 (FCI Self) is anticipated.