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JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION Programs/Equipment: One (1) graphite-heated, s... JUSTIFICATION REVIEW DOCUMENT FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION Programs/Equipment: One (1) graphite-heated, single-ended, molybdenum retort furnace, vacuum and controlled atmosphere system, including flammable gas, to be installed and integrated with government owned 2-port glovebox. Authority: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. Amount: $[REDACTED] Prepared by: [REDACTED] Phone: [REDACTED] Materials Engineer Date: 3/16/2021 Email: [REDACTED] Contracting Officer: Lee Troope Phone: 301-394-1090 Contracting Officer Date: 3/16/2021 Email: lee.e.troope.civ@mail.mil Technical: [REDACTED] Phone: [REDACTED] Materials Engineer Date: 3/16/2021 Email: [REDACTED] Requirements: [REDACTED] Phone: [REDACTED] Materials Scientist Date: 3/16/2021 Email: [REDACTED] Reviews: I have reviewed this justification and find it adequate to support other than full and open competition. Program Manager: FAR PART 13 SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION JUSTIFICATION AND APPROVAL FOR OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION 1. Contracting Activity: Adelphi Contracting Division, Army Contracting Command- Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG), 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, Maryland 20783-1138. 2. Description of Action: [REDACTED] requests a new, noncompetitive, Firm Fixed Price (FFP) type contract to procure one (1) graphite-heated, single-ended, molybdenum retort furnace, vacuum and controlled atmosphere system , including flammable gas, to be installed and integrated with government owned 2-port glovebox from Oxy-Gon Industries, Inc. (CAGE Code: 0DRY4; DUNS: 190746008; Small Business; located at 42 Old Rte 28, Epsom, NH, 03234-4115, United States) in support of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory. The Government projects an award date in August of 2021 and fiscal year (FY) 2020-2021, Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds will be used for the issuance of the award. X An acquisition plan is not required because this procurement either does not meet the threshold at Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 207.103(d)(i), or is an R&D acquisition and does not meet the definition of services in 10 U.S.C. 2330(c)(2). 3. Description of Supplies/Services: The Government requires one (1) graphite-heated, single-ended, molybdenum retort furnace, vacuum and controlled atmosphere system , including flammable gas, to be installed and integrated with a two-port glove box for operation at 1700°C degrees (°) Celsius(C), under a variety of atmospheres including vacuum, inert or flammable gases. This retort furnace will be installed in the lab and integrated with an in-house glovebox (Inert PureLab He, two gloves). [REDACTED]will provide Oxy-Gon with a glove-box side panel to enable the modification of the furnace to integrate with the glove box. Additionally, the requested furnace must be 4 feet in width, 4 feet in length and 7 feet in height before integration with the glove box. The power available for the furnace is 480 volt (V), 3 phase, 60 Hertz (Hz) facility power. Delivery no later than 6 months after contract award (ACA). Total Value: [REDACTED] 4. Authority Cited: 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), implemented by FAR 13.501(a) -- Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. 5. Reason for Authority Cited: [REDACTED] requires requires one (1) refractory metal retort furnace to act as the primary method for sulfurizing and sintering ceramic discs measuring up to 1 inch diameter, quarter-inch thick used for materials research, testing, and evaluation of transparent windows, which have applications in [REDACTED] Furthermore, this furnace system must be capable of operating in a vacuum and atmospheres such as flowing inert gases and flammable gases in a safe and interlocked system. Finally, the system must ensure that the specimens will not be exposed to oxygen or carbon when at the operating temperatures. Retort funaces are primarily used in industrial and laboratory heat treating, sintering, and brazing applications, and are capable of high temperatures and vacuum characteristics not commonly associated with other furnace structures. A few of these characteristics are: combination of thermocouple and pyrometer to measure the full operating temperature range, high level of vacuum and the ability to operate under flammable and toxic gases. Finally, the geometry of the furnace system itself must fit into the space available in the laboratory. The benefit to a retort furnace in this application is the ability to completely isolate the flammable and/or toxic gases with a sealed stainless steel enclosure around the furnace. [REDACTED]. No other furnaces at [REDACTED] are able to process ceramic materials at the listed temperature or in the designated gases. [REDACTED] Furthermore, no other company is capable of designing this custom furnace with the required level of safety interlocks. The materials to be developed using this system can only be done safely and precisely with this custom designed furnace and the combination of interlocks, in-situ monitoring and temperature controls. Additionally, the geometry of the retort is a tube with an opening on one side, which enables the furnace to be integrated with a glove box, to further prevent the samples from exposure to oxygen. The safety interlocks and retort design are required to prevent human exposure to toxic and flammable gases. These gases are so harmful, that any inhalation can cause severe damage to health. Another issue is the flammability, any spark around these gases can lead to an explosion, risking human life and government property. Other applications of this machinery include diffusion bonding, degassing, annealing, and glass processing studies that require a flammable and/or toxic gas environment. Based on the market research efforts, which will be further discussed in Section 8 of this document, there are five (5) additional manufacturers who produce industrial grade furnaces which were identified for this effort. Further investigation into these sources confirmed that only Oxy-Gon Industries, Inc. provides the compatible equipment with the required specifications necessary for this effort. No other company offers a product that can meet all of the specified salient characteristics. Each of the companies, other than Oxy Gon, which were identified during the market research phase failed to meet one or more of the minimum requirements. Specifically, the furnaces offered by other companies were not retort-style furnaces that can integrate with a glove box, could not meet the lab space requirements, could not meet the atmosphere requirements, could not meet the temperature requirements, or could not meet the chamber dimension requirements. Each of these characteristics are required to satisfy the technical needs of [REDACTED], and no other manufacturers offers a product that can do them all. Lastly, [REDACTED] already has several Oxy-Gon equipment, and therefore already have spare parts and technical experience running and servicing these systems. Having another Oxy-Gon system will allow for compatibility with other systems [REDACTED] already has online and would allow for sharing of spare parts when items fail or need replacement. 6. Efforts to Obtain Competition: The following companies were identified through internet searches that manufacture high temperature furnaces: (1) Oxy-Gon (2) Thermal Technologies; (3) Centorr Vacuum Industries; (4) Sentro Tech, (5) Keith Controlled Vacuum and (6) CM Furnaces. Only one vendor, Oxy-Gon, was able to meet the salient characteristics provided. Contracting Officer published a synopsis notice required by FAR 5.201 on 23 March 2021 and, no bids or proposal were received from interested and capable vendors. 7. Actions to Increase Competition: ARL attempted to identify multiple sources for the required equipment by consolidating industry knowledge and expertise from Army Materials Scientists as well as contacting subject matter experts within the materials processing community. Based from the companies listed above who manufacture high temperature furnaces, they all would need to be redesigned as a lab-scale retort furnace similar to what Oxy-Gon Industries manufactures. The sources listed (Thermal Technologies; Centorr Vacuum Industries; Sentro Tech, Keith Controlled Vacuum and CM Furnaces) that manufactures furnaces would also need to meet both temperature and size requirements, but to date, Oxy-Gon is the only known source for such equipment. If it is found that another vendor is capable of providing the required furnance without any need for for Government compromise or deviate from their existing specifications, then ARL will not hesitate to procure such equipment competitively. Breakout is not feasible because product requires seamless integration of program elements already in place by the Government. 8. Market Research: Market research was conducted by [REDACTED], from April 2020 through June 2020. Market research efforts included consulting collaborators in related fields, such as [REDACTED] – who have over 35 years of experience between the two (2) of them. Additionally, Internet searches of all the furnace companies identified in “Efforts to Obtain Competition” were reviewed. In some cases, interchange meetings and presolicitation conferences were held in order to gain a better understanding of the required equipment and the nature of the work to be performed with said equipment. The SMEs also explored the websites of the following companies and found the following information with regards to the requirement: (1) Thermal Technologies: Does not manufacture a retort-style furnace that can integrated with a glove box. Additionally, Thermal Technologies cannot meet the lab space requirements. (2) Centorr Vacuum Industries: Manufactures a tube furnace, but not a retort furnace. Also cannot meet the lab space requirements and the atmosphere requirements. Does not manufacture a retort shaped geometry. (3) CM Furnaces: Manufactures mostly air-fire furnaces, which is not acceptable for this action. Also only manufactures tube furnaces, not retort-style furnaces. (4) Sentro Tech: Only manufactures furnaces that operate under vacuum or inert atmosphere. The chamber dimensions do not meet our requirement. The furnace is also a box furnace, not a retort style. (5) Keith Controlled Furnaces: The maximum operating temperature listed on their website is 1300°C, which is significantly lower than the required target temperature. Also does not meet the lab space requirements as their furnaces are primarily designed for manufacturing. Market research identified the End Loading, Retort Furnace from Oxy-Gon Industries as the only product/vendor that offers a suitable solution that meets the Army’s requirements. The furnace from Oxy-Gon is the only furnace identified that has the end loading capability and meets the space and power requirements, flammable gas safety interlocks, as well as general temperature requirements – all of which are outlined in the salient characteristics. 9. Interested Sources: In accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Procedures, a Synopsis was posted to SAMbeta.gov on 23 March 2021 under solicitation number W911QX-21-Q-0067 for 8 calendar days, with a closing date of 31 March 2021 in an effort to seek for additional sources for potential competition. This Synopsis posting resulted in zero (0) interested vendor responses with no written interest in this requirement. 10. Other Facts: a. Procurement History: There is no procurement history as this is a first time procurement. Given that there is no procurement history and the action is above the SAT, SBA suggested we must first consider utilizing the socioeconomic small business contracting programs (SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB) IAW FAR 19.203(b). 11. Technical Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signer’s Title: Materials Engineer 12. Requirements Certification: I certify that the supporting data under my cognizance which are included in the justification are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signer’s Title: Materials Scientist 13. Fair and Reasonable Cost Determination: I hereby determine that the anticipated cost or price to the Government for this contract action will be fair and reasonable. This determination will be made using the following: __ Cost analysis X Price analysis __ Should-cost __ IGE __ Audit: __ Other: As a part of this basis, certified cost or pricing data: will be required. X will not be required and the following exception applies (FAR 15.403): __ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on adequate price competition. __ Prices that will be agreed upon are based on prices set by law or regulation. X A commercial item is being acquired. __ A waiver has been granted by the head of the contracting activity (HCA) in accordance with DFARS PGI 215.403-1. __ The contract action is a modification to a contract or subcontract for commercial item(s). __ The estimated cost of the contract action is less than the threshold for certified cost or pricing data. 14. Contracting Officer Certification: I certify that this justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. Approval Based on the foregoing justification, I hereby approve the procurement of one (1) graphite-heated, single-ended, molybdenum retort furnace, vacuum and controlled atmosphere system, including flammable gas, to be installed and integrated with government owned 2-port glovebox. for operation up to 1700 °C., for an estimate of $[REDACTED], on an other than full and open competition basis pursuant to the authority of 41 U.S.C. 1901(e)(2), subject to availability of funds, and provided that the services or supplies herein described have otherwise been authorized for acquisition. (End of Justification)