Inactive

INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availabilit... INTRODUCTION This is a Sources Sought notice. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of qualified small business sources. This notice is strictly for market research and information purposes only. Your responses will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. NIST is seeking responses from all responsible small business concerns and products that are made in the United States that can meet the Government’s requirements below. Small businesses are defined under the associated NAICS code for this effort, 334516 (Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing)), with a small business size standard of 1,000 or fewer employees. BACKGROUND The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division (MSSD) studies the durability and service life of infrastructure materials (polymer, concrete, engineered composites) for resilience infrastructure applications. One of the key research focuses is to evaluate mechanical properties of these materials either as a qualification of achieved strengths or the degradation of properties due to some external influence. The core parameters are generally flexure, tensile, and compressive in nature. Nearly every ongoing program in this division have the need to investigate these properties at one point or another. As part of MSSD, the Infrastructure Materials Group (IMG) currently owns an MTS Criterion (Model 45) 100kN capacity screw operated universal testing machine. The existing UTM located is located on the NIST Gaithersburg, MD campus in Building 226 B337 and has largely been used for testing programs with relatively low load requirements. In addition to the existing UTM and low load limited fixtures, NIST currently has a 100kN load cell for use with the UTM but no fixtures having the connectivity or increased load capacity to fully capture the equipment’s capabilities and associated use of the 100kN load cell with the UTM. Therefore, in response to an increased number of ongoing critical investigations, there is an evident need to make use of the equipment’s full capacity and take advantage of the extended range of testing capabilities of the existing UTM and 100kN load cell. The purpose of this requirement is to procure a new set of wedge style grips and compression platens for increased load capacities of up to 100kN, in accordance with the minimum specifications described below. The new grips will extend the current capabilities of the existing UTM system and complement the existing lower capacity accessories. The existing UTM is manufactured and previously purchased by MTS Systems Corporation. The fixtures must be compliant with MTS connections and be compatible with the existing UTM and within the MTS Criterion (Model 45) UTM capabilities. The new grips must have the ability to test a wide variety of materials and sizes including widths of up to 5/8” (for materials such as FRP and some metals, sizes greater than this will likely exceed the capacity of the machine). No brand-name specifications are required. Scope of Requirement: NIST requires new wedge grips and compression platens that meets the following minimum technical requirements and specifications. Technical Specifications: 1) Wedge grips: 1. High performing grips having a static force capacity of 100 kN or greater 2. Grip wedge inserts to accommodate a range of material thicknesses up to 5/8” (16 mm) 3. Grip width with capacity of at least 2” (50 mm) 4. Ability to connect to current platform 5. Must include any adapters required to match the performance of the existing UTM and fixture requirements 2) Compression platens 1. Platens made of high strength case-hardened alloy steel 2. Must have etched concentric rings for ease of centering specimens 3. Must be 6” (150 mm) in diameter 4. A pair of platens is required: One fixed and one spherical seated. 5. Ability to connect through a mechanical joint that is compatible to current platform 6. Must include any adapters required to match the performance of the existing UTM and fixture requirement Maintenance Options Not applicable. Warranty Requirements The Contractor shall provide, at a minimum, a one-year warranty for the equipment. The warranty shall cover all parts, labor, and travel. The warranty shall commence upon successful completion of delivery. Delivery Requirements Delivery shall be made F.O.B. Destination within 30 days after Contractor receipt of order to the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the address identified below. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 100 Bureau Drive Building 301 Shipping & Receiving Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001 FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. Note: The NIST Gaithersburg, MD campus is a controlled-access facility and is also under limited access restrictions due to COVID-19. Deliveries are only accepted when arranged in advance. The Contractor shall request approval of delivery time with the NIST Subject Matter Expert (SME) in advance of shipment. Contractor failure to confirm delivery method and procedures and to receive SME approval prior to shipment shall release the Government of any liability and may result in payment being withheld until the campus access restrictions have been lifted and the item can be received and physically inspected. Installation Requirements Not applicable. Training Requirements Not applicable. Inspection & Acceptance NIST will inspect delivered products within ten (10) business days after delivery to ensure that they conform to the requirements identified in this Specifications document. The Government reserves the right to conduct quality assurance testing to confirm that a given instrument(s) meets the manufacturer’s and/or the Government’s performance specifications. NIST will inspect the Testing Fixtures to ensure conformance with the requirements identified in this Specifications document. The Testing Fixtures must operate in accordance with the specifications listed herein. If all other requirements are met, the product shall be accepted. QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE Questions regarding this sources sought notice may be submitted via email to Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov. Questions are due by or before 4:00 PM ET on August 7, 2023. Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS All responsible small business sources able to provide the services described above are asked to email a response to Hunter Tjugum, Contract Specialist, at hunter.tjugum@nist.gov, and Robert Cowins, Contracting Officer, at robert.cowins@nist.gov by or before 4:00 PM ET on August 10, 2023. Please include the following information in the response: 1. Name of company authorized to provide services, along with their address and a point of contact for the company (name, phone number, and email address). 2. The company’s primary NAICS, size classification, and socio-economic status (i.e., Small Business, Woman Owned Small Business, Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, etc.). 3. Brief description of capabilities in relation to the three key task areas identified in this sources sought notice. 4. Information on any GSA Federal Supply Schedules (FSS) or other Government-wide contracts through which the company offers these services, if applicable. 5. Any other relevant information that is not listed above which the Government should consider. Responses are limited to a maximum total of eight (8) pages in MS Word or searchable PDF format. IMPORTANT NOTES This notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotes. No award will be made as a result of this notice. The Government will not be responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response; however, NIST will recognize as restricted or proprietary data which is clearly marked such.