Sources Sought for one (1) tungsten resistance heated, top-loading, vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnace system for operation up to 2800 degrees Celsius (°C).

Sources Sought Template:

(1) Action Code :      SOURCES SOUGHT

This is a Sources Sought Notice only. This is not a request for proposal, but a survey to locate potential sources.  This Sources Sought does not constitute an Invitation for Bids, Request for Proposals, or a Request for Quotations, and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue an order or otherwise pay for the information solicited, nor is it a guarantee of a forthcoming solicitation or contract. It is for market research purposes only. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.

The purpose of this Sources Sought Notice is to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities, and qualifications of various members of industry, to include the Small Business Community: Small Business, Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB). The Government must ensure there is adequate competition among the potential pool of responsible contractors. Small business, Section 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, & EDWOSB businesses are highly encouraged to participate.

(2) Date : 01/09/2020                     

(3) Classification Code : 44           

(4) NAICS Code: 333994

(5) NAICS Size Standard: 500 Employees

(6) Contracting Office Address:     2800 Powder Mill Road
Bldg. 601
Adelphi, Maryland 20783

(7) Subject:  Sources Sought for one (1) tungsten resistance heated, top-loading, vacuum and controlled atmosphere furnace system for operation up to 2800 degrees Celsius (°C).

(8) Proposed Solicitation Number:  W911QX20Q0025

(9) Sources Sought Closing Response Date: 01/16/2020

(10) Contact Point: Douglas Dennard, douglas.c.dennard.civ@mail.mil, (301) 394-3371

A. Objective:

To find sources that are qualified to meet the supplies/services as listed in section 11B. Note that the specific requirements in section C are subject to change prior to the release of any solicitation.

B. Salient Characteristics

The 2800°C Top Loading Furnace shall be the primary method for the sintering of large (9 inch (”) diameter x 8” tall hot zone) ceramics, ceramic composites, and high temperature materials in both vacuum and inert atmospheres. The ability to sinter green bodies up to 9” diameter will allow 4”x4” plates to be sintered. The 2800°C Top Loading Furnace is critical and will support current and future mission programs within the Ceramics and Transparent Materials Branch (CTMB).

High Temperature Furnace

• The high temperature furnace and control console/power supply system shall not exceed the following dimensions: 6 feet (’) Length (L) x 6’ Width (W) x 7’ Height (H)
• The high temperature furnace and control console/power supply system shall include a top loading, counterbalanced top cover
• The high temperature furnace and control console/power supply system shall include a floor-mounted control/power supply console having dimensions of less than 23”W x 26” Diameter (D) x 78”H
• The high temperature furnace and control console/power supply system shall include a furnace having dimensions of less than 28”W x 28”D with the door 42” off the ground/floor.

Hot Zone

• The furnace must have a 2800°C operating temperature.
• The usable hot zone shall have a diameter of 9” and a height of 8”.
• The hot zone shall be tungsten weave resistance heating element with a minimum of seven (7) tungsten and three (3) molybdenum 0.010” layers as insulation.
• The hot zone shall include top and bottom shields with a minimum of 12 tungsten and three (3) molybdenum 0.010” layers as insulation.
• The hot zone shall be multi-wavelength (not two (2) color) optical pyrometer for temperature measurements between 900°C and 3200°C.
• The hot zone shall include retractable thermocouple on wielded stainless steel bellows with pneumatic action and cross over controlled by the Eurotherm 3504 controller.
• No water cooled water jacket shall be included on the hot zone.

Instrumentation

• The high temperature furnace shall include thermal cycles programmed by a Eurotherm 3504 temperature controller.
• The high temperature furnace shall include the Eurotherm iTools software.
• The high temperature furnace shall include the Eurotherm 3216i over temperature controller with the ability to disable hot zones also included.
• The high temperature furnace shall include the PLC controller programed for valve sequencing and interlocks.

Power and Cooling

• The high temperature furnace shall have power capabilities up to 200 amps, using 480 Volts (V), 3 phase, 60 Hertz (Hz) facility power.
• The high temperature furnace shall include a water-cooled transformer operating up to a 125 Kilovolt Amp (kVA), 480V 3 phase, 60 Hz.
• The water-cooled transformer shall be mounted in the control console.
• Water cooling system will have solid state flow and temperature switches for each circuit, individual ball valves on each inlet circuit, inline Y strainer and a check valve on drain manifold.

Atmosphere control

• The high temperature furnace shall include the BOC Edwards, model Turbo and Instrument Controller (TIC) with wide-range vacuum gauge (WRG-S) vacuum and turbo pump controller (no hot filament ion tube).
• The high temperature furnace shall include the Edwards Dry Roughing pump (Scroll pump), Model nXDS15i.
• The high temperature furnace shall include a vacuum of at least 5 x 10-6 Torr in a clean, dry and empty chamber operating at 21°C.
• The high temperature furnace shall include a BOC Edwards model nEXT400D ISO 160 flanged turbo pump with a minimum speed of 400 l/sec.
• The high temperature furnace shall include a pneumatically controlled isolation gate valve and stainless steel roughing and backing valve.
• The high temperature furnace shall include an inert gas system for nitrogen and argon with a manual roto style flow meter.
• The high temperature furnace shall include a 19” rack mount Gettering gas purifier in console with less than 10-4 PPB outgoing oxygen is required.

Spare Parts

• Two (2) sets of heating elements
• Two (2) sets of top, bottom and side heat shields
• Two (2) thermocouples
• One (1) set of fuses
• One (1) set of O-rings
• One (1) titanium gettering charge

Additional Requirements

• The high temperature furnace shall include a standard 19” rack mount design
• The high temperature furnace shall include data acquisition with output to a computer and USB/SD card
• The high temperature furnace shall pass a Factory Acceptance Test to witness testing up to 2800°C.
• Delivery to CCDC-ARL a 6300 Rodman Road FCDD-RLW-ME, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD
• Three (3) days on site service for Set up and training of complete system
• Support of system for a minimum of 10 years.
• Free phone support.
• On-site technician available within 24 hours.

C. Responses:

All interested parties should notify this office in writing, mail, fax, or e-mail within the posted date.  Responses shall include:

1. To what extent each of the specifications can be met.
    
2.  Include your type of business (i.e. commercial, academia), whether your organization is classified as a large or small business based on the 500 employee size standard that accompanies NAICS code 333994. If a small business, you must also list any small disadvantaged status you hold [HUBZone, 8(a), Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), etc.].
    
3. Past experience/performance through the description of completed projects.
    
   (12) Responses to this sources sought are due no later than 11:59 AM eastern standard time 01/16/2020. Submissions should be emailed to Douglas Dennard, douglas.c.dennard.civ@mail.mil, (301) 394-3371.
    
   Questions concerning this sources sought may be directed to Douglas Dennard at douglas.c.dennard.civ@mail.mil or (301) 394-3371.  Please be advised that .zip and .exe files cannot be accepted.
    (13) Place of Contract Performance: Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), MD 21005
   (14) Estimated Delivery Timeframe or Period of Performance: No later than (NLT) three (3) months after contract award (ACA)