New actuator system for MTS Load Frame

NASA's Shared Services Center has published a Special Notice for a sole source procurement of a new actuator system for an MTS Load Frame at NASA Glenn Research Center. The agency intends to award the contract to MTS Systems Corporation under FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) authority, having determined that MTS is the sole provider capable of supplying the required actuator system. This procurement falls under NAICS code 334519 for Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing and will utilize commercial acquisition procedures under FAR Parts 12 and 13. The contract will support performance at NASA Glenn Research Center and involves the acquisition of commercial items and services. The procurement is not set aside for small businesses and represents a direct acquisition from the original equipment manufacturer.

The primary objective is to replace the existing actuator on the Extreme Cyclic Environmental Load (XCEL) Test Rig's MTS 312.21 load frame with an upgraded system capable of higher performance specifications. The new actuator must integrate with existing equipment, apply loads up to 15 kN, provide 150mm stroke length, and operate at 4 Hz under specific load conditions while maintaining compatibility with the current SilentFlo model 515.20 pump. Interested organizations have until 12 p.m. Central Standard Time on July 3, 2025, to submit written capabilities and qualifications demonstrating their ability to perform this work. The government will evaluate these submissions solely to determine whether to conduct the procurement on a competitive basis, though the final decision to maintain sole source acquisition remains at the government's discretion. The procurement includes installation, checkout, calibration, and any necessary additional fixturing or sensors, with the goal of increasing the test rig's cyclic rate from 1 to 4 cycles per second.