Inactive

The United States Mint (Mint) is seeking sources with the capabilities of designing and manufacturing precut tamper evident secure seals for our bullion packaging which can be automatically consumed b... The United States Mint (Mint) is seeking sources with the capabilities of designing and manufacturing precut tamper evident secure seals for our bullion packaging which can be automatically consumed by Mint equipment. The Mint will be using the responses to this RFI, in addition to market research, to develop a pool of responsible potential vendors for an anticipated Request for Proposal (RFP). The RFP is anticipated to result in an awarded Indefinite Quantity Indefinite Delivery (IDIQ) contract to design and produce seals for a period of time that is not expected to exceed five years. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information solicited. Responses to this Request for Information, will be treated as information only. It shall not be used as a proposal. Background The United States Mint (Mint) was created by Congress in 1792 and became part of the Department of the Treasury in 1873. It is the Nation's sole manufacturer of legal tender coinage and is responsible for producing circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The United States also produces numismatic products, including proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins; Congressional Gold Medals; and precious metal bullion coins. Bullion coins issued by the Mint are congressionally authorized and are intended to provide investors with a convenient and cost-effective way to invest in precious metals. These coins are primarily valued by their weight and metallic content rather than denomination, design, or collectability. Bullion coins offered by the Mint are subject to change based on legislation. Current Mint bullion coin offerings are grouped into the product families below based on weight and metal content: American Buffalo One ounce 24 karat gold American Eagle One ounce 22 karat gold One-half ounce 22 karat gold One-quarter ounce 22 karat gold One-tenth ounce 22 karat gold One ounce platinum One ounce palladium One ounce silver America the Beautiful Five ounce silver Bullion coins are made available for sale in functional packaging consisting of tubes, caps, cartons and inserts. Packaging parts use shared sizes and shapes when possible to create a system of parts that can yield multiple products within the same form factor and to facilitate automated packing. The custom injection molded plastic parts provide durable, space efficient, x-ray transparent, controlled weight packaging. Tubes and their matching caps encase a specific count of coins while cartons and their inserts encase a specific count of tubes. Business Need Bullion coins are not sold directly to the public, rather they are distributed through a network of wholesalers, brokerage companies, precious metal firms, coin dealers, and participating banks known as Authorized Purchasers. The Mint has identified a potential benefit to its primary market (authorized purchasers) as well as a secondary market (public) resulting from a tamper evident seal (a.k.a. sticker, or label) being applied to caps and tubes during package assembly. This tamper evident seal could offer assurance of a “factory fresh” condition for a tube’s contents until deliberately broken by an end customer, whether the customer is on the primary market or a secondary market. The Mint is retrofitting existing equipment to automatically apply a seal as part of the package assembly process. The Mint expects to apply a seal to many of its bullion products for the foreseeable future. Seal Design Potential sources shall show their capability to design and produce technical features for the intended tamper evident seals. Technical features include: Those that ensure bond strength at initial application and throughout the lifecycle of the seal (10 years or more). Those that force the seal to be deliberately removed or broken to open the sealed tube. Those that prevent the seal from being reused after it is removed or broken. Any elements (such as specific inks, additives, printing substrates and similar) required to be able to achieve a specific required aesthetic feature. Technical features are intended to be well documented and repeatable as the Mint intends to reuse technical requirements and specifications to support competitive solicitations as necessary. A selected source shall be capable of producing an accurate technical drawing to support documentation of technical features. Potential sources shall show their capability to design and produce aesthetic features for the intended tamper evident seals. Aesthetic features include: Overt features that deter counterfeit seal production (such as microprinting, serialization, and holograms). Covert features that facilitate authenticating seals (such as the use of additives and processes that result in elements that are visible only with specific light wavelength, light intensity, or viewing angle). Features that are revealed when the label is removed or broken. Aesthetic features may be proprietary to the suppling vendor, and if proprietary shall not be expected to be provided to another vendor for reproduction. It will be the vendor’s responsibility of notifying the Mint of any propriety or trade secret information. Aesthetic features are expected to incorporate text and images supplied by the Mint. Seal Manufacture Potential sources shall show their capability to manufacture seals without subcontracting. Production orders are anticipated to require quantities exceeding 100,000 seals per order but not exceeding 2,000,000 seals per order. Orders are anticipated once or twice per year. Deliveries (date, time and location) are executed per the instruction of the site consuming the seal. Manufacture of seals is expected to be executed in accordance with an accepted design incorporating the technical and aesthetic features designed by the vendor. Potential sources shall show their capability to ensure that materials, processes and procedures, used to create the seal, particularly those related to covert features, have minimal risk of being exposed and used to produce a counterfeit seal. Intended Product The final seal used by the Mint is expected not to exceed the cost of 5¢ per unit. Production seals are expected to have the features listed below. Static text produced in one color (black). Text is expected to be supplied by the Mint. Text is anticipated to be representative of the Mint or of the product line Hologram Image and text is expected to be supplied by the Mint Use of a unique hologram designed by the vendor that does not necessarily incorporate Mint supplied text and artwork is acceptable. “Leave behind message” Text and/or image to be deposited on the cap and tube when the seal is peeled away. Short cure time Bond between the cap/tube and the label achieved in 24 hours or less It is understood that the final seal may incorporate features that are not broadly available from multiple sources. Potential additional features considered by the Mint may include: Use of materials revealed by use of light outside the visible spectrum (including but not limited to additives and materials identified by application of infrared or ultraviolet light). Use of revealed by use of specific tools (including but not limited to magnetic ink, and taggant additives) Use of materials revealed by use of light more intense than daylight (including but not limited to additives and materials identified use of a laser) Use of materials revealed by use of a specific viewing angle (including but not limited to color changing inks, holograms revealed by use of intense light being displayed on a surface where the light and surface are at a specific angle relative to each other) Serialization, unique numbering, random numbering Microprinting Existing Prototype The Mint has worked through its equipment manufacturer to develop a working prototype that successfully passed a factory acceptance test and a site acceptance test for automatic final product assembly. The prototype is pictured below and included the following features: Size: 3.75 x 3/8” Shape: Rectangle with rounded corners Aesthetics: 1 color printing (black); hologram; micro printing Paper liner (web) for automatic labeler application S246 adhesive on micro embossed (MET) metalized paper film to produce 2D holographic image (purchased material) Fasson® FasPrismTM Print and apply gloss varnish Paper label shreds and tears leaving adhesive and torn paper behind when removed It is understood that this prototype may not be ideal for all of the expected and optional features listed in the section titled “Intended Product”. Response Responses are due no later than close of business Friday, September 8, 2020 Required Response Vendors seeking to be considered for the vendor list, Not exceeding one (1) page total: Complete Point of Contact information, Capability Statement, Statement of Interest a. shall include adequate detail to show that the vendor is already capable of and experienced in the effort required to design and manufacture seals. b. include at least one example where the vendor has completed a similar design effort and c. one example where the vendor has completed a similar manufacture effort. It is acceptable for both efforts to be illustrated by the same example. No page limit - Vendors are encouraged to supply: Questions that need to be answered by the Mint during a solicitation to produce a proposal/quote. Suggestions for qualifications, certifications and experience that would indicate an expert company during an evaluation of a proposal. Questions, whose answer would be in addition to the information already provided in this sources sought notification, which need to be answered to facilitate seal design. Reference The information below is supplied as it may be considered related to the effort supplied by potential vendors. Material Restrictions The following general restrictions are followed for US Mint packaging. Exception is allowed on a case by case basis. The following items have been identified as potentially damaging to coins and therefore shall be restricted from any element of the produced product. The United States Mint reserves the right to request from the Vendor, at no cost to the United States Mint, laboratory analysis performed by a third-party that confirms or denies the presence of restricted materials. Any materials shall have a sulfur content of less than 0.0008%, and a soluble chlorides content of less than 0.05%. Materials used shall not change the appearance of the coins by causing discoloration, tarnish, or corrosion. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shall not be used. Plastic Resins The information supplied below describes the materials used to produce Mint caps and tubes to which a seal may be affixed. It should be noted that the tube have a highly polished surface to which it can be difficult to affix seals. Only virgin resins shall be used for molding. The use of recycled or reground material is unacceptable. Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is required for the fabrication of tubes. The material shall be uncolored and translucent. It is intended that requiring an uncolored, translucent plastic will allow visual validation of the contents of the tube, identifying a void or a slug, without requiring removal of the cap. Mtegrity LDPE LD500 has been used in the past and has been found to meet the Mint’s requirements for this material. Polypropylene (PP) is required for the fabrication of caps and carton parts. The material shall be colored and opaque. It is intended that the colored parts will match and provide visual identification as to the contents of the assembled parts. Colors shall match to the description provided in the section titled “Color”. Braskem PP D115A has been used in the past for the manufacture of caps and has been found to meet the Mint’s requirements for this material. Pro-fax 8523 has been used in the past for the manufacture of cartons and inserts and has been found to meet the Mint’s requirements for this material.