Ideal Instrument Co, Inc.

Ideal Instrument Co, Inc., a small business manufacturer based in Canton, Massachusetts, delivers precision-engineered defense components — primarily radio frequency absorbers, hydrophone syntactic discs, and autonomous underwater vehicle assemblies — to the Department of Defense as a prime contractor on 99% of recent awards, competing predominantly under full-and-open procurement without set-aside designation, though it has won two Total Small Business set-aside purchase orders.

The company's customer concentration is heavily tilted toward the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, which accounts for 147 awards and $1.5 million in combined potential value across a 208-award portfolio spanning the past several years. DLA Land and Maritime represents 93% of the vendor's award count and drives 41% of its combined potential value. The second and third largest customers — Department of the Navy Strategic Systems Programs (9 awards, $902 thousand) and Department of the Navy Naval Sea Systems Command (8 awards, $575 thousand) — rank high in dollars despite lower volume, reflecting larger individual delivery-order values for specialized hydrophone syntactic disc production. Defense Logistics Agency Aviation (18 awards, $368 thousand) and Department of the Navy Naval Supply Systems Command (12 awards, $234 thousand) round out the top tier. Across all agencies, Ideal Instrument holds three active indefinite delivery contracts: two $250,000 single-award IDCs with DLA Land and Maritime for RF absorbers (one expiring October 2023, the other live), and one $444,100 single-award IDC with Naval Strategic Systems Programs for TR-333 hydrophone syntactic discs running through February 2027.

The vendor's core capability portfolio centers on radio frequency absorbers — the dominant product line at 147 individual purchase orders and delivery orders from DLA Land and Maritime since at least 2001 — which support military testing, evaluation, and communications equipment maintenance. Complementing this are hydrophone syntactic discs (specialized acoustic components for Navy underwater detection and foreign military sales), autonomous underwater vehicle wing assemblies and sonar domes (supplied to the Office of Naval Research and U.S. Pacific Fleet Forces), and custom syntactic foam components. Representative work includes a $63,994 delivery order from Naval Strategic Systems Programs in March 2025 for hydrophone syntactic discs, a $23,505 purchase order from U.S. Pacific Fleet Forces in August 2024 for an AUV wing assembly, and serial RF-absorber purchase orders from DLA Land and Maritime ranging from $380 to $13,900. All work is performed at the company's Canton, Massachusetts facility.

Activity has averaged roughly 10 awards annually over the past five years, with a recent uptick to 15 awards in 2025 following lower volume in 2023–2024. The combined potential value across all 208 awards is $3.7 million, with $3.2 million (87%) already obligated. The vendor holds a single subcontracting relationship — delivering custom machined foam parts and components for the MK 18 Advanced Sensor Package (ASP) depot maintenance program to Arete Associates, a prime contractor, across three sub-awards since April 2024.

Ideal Instrument has maintained SAM.gov registration since May 2001 and competes as a straightforward small business prime, with no SBA certifications or set-aside program designations evident across its primary footprint. The vendor's award portfolio reflects a stable, long-term supplier relationship anchored to DLA Land and Maritime's recurring test-and-evaluation material requirements and Navy strategic systems programs.

SPECIALISTS / MACHINING & GRINDING / RF LOAD, DIELECTRIC, SYNTACTIC FOAM MATERIALS. ** ALTERNATE PHONE (617) 828-0038 **