Cold Crucible Arc Melting Furnace (UW-MAD)[18-0033]

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, located in Dane County, is seeking bids for a Cold Crucible Arc Melting Furnace and Casting Module through a Request for Bid (RFB) issued by its Purchasing Services Department. The procurement is specifically for the Grainger Center for Engineering and requires a furnace with specific capabilities, including tilt cast functionality for material amounts up to 500 grams, suction cast capability, an electromagnetic stirrer, and a modular design capable of accepting additional components like a gas atomizer. Bidders must have a minimum of five years of experience providing laboratory furnace items and services and must be either an original manufacturer or an authorized distributor with service and repair capabilities. The solicitation requires three client references from comparable institutions. Written questions were due by December 11, 2017, with sealed bids required by December 18, 2017, at 2:00 PM CST. Bids can be submitted via hard copy (two copies), fax, or email, with delivery specified as FOB Destination and installation at 1550 Engineering Drive in Madison, Wisconsin.

The procurement includes several set-aside preferences for certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBE), Woman-Owned Businesses (WBE), and Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (DVB), which will factor into the evaluation criteria. Evaluation will also consider timeliness of delivery, life cycle costs, and overall best interest of the University. Bidders must provide pricing that reflects governmental and educational discounts, and the contract includes specific insurance requirements, including $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance. Payment terms are Net 30 days following acceptance, and bid prices and terms will remain firm for 60 days from the bid opening date. Acceptance testing will occur within 30 days of installation, with the warranty period beginning upon successful completion of those tests. The University reserves the right to conduct product demonstrations and site visits at its discretion. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the procurement is for a specialized scientific equipment piece with comprehensive installation and support requirements.