Ultrasonic Welding and Residual Stress Measurements

NASA's Shared Services Center has issued a Special Notice for Ultrasonic Welding and Residual Stress Measurements services, intending to award a sole source contract to Wichita State University. The procurement is valued under the simplified acquisition procedures of FAR Parts 12 and 13, with performance to be conducted at NASA's Glenn Research Center. NASA has determined that Wichita State University is the sole provider capable of delivering these specialized services. The notice falls under NAICS code 611310 for Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, reflecting the academic research nature of the requirement. The procuring agency is seeking to acquire commercial items and services for what appears to be a research and development effort.

The objective of this procurement is to manufacture and analyze ultrasonically welded composite material test specimens, including up to 72 ultrasonic welds using various AS4/PEEK and hybrid composite panels provided by NASA. The work encompasses comprehensive testing including C-scan analysis, photomicroscopy, residual stress measurements using optical strain analysis, and temperature validation through thermography. Interested organizations must submit written capabilities and qualifications by 2:00 p.m. Central Standard Time on August 14, 2025, to be considered for potential competition of this requirement. The government will evaluate these submissions solely to determine whether to conduct the procurement on a competitive basis, though the decision to maintain sole source award authority remains at NASA's discretion. The project is expected to complete by February 2026 and will produce 36 test specimens for various analyses to evaluate ultrasonic weld quality and characteristics.