66 -- Automated Scuffing Load Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (SLBOCLE)

The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division plans to procure a single Automated Scuffing Load Ball-on-Cylinder Lubricity Evaluator (SLBOCLE) along with associated test rings, test balls, and operating and maintenance manuals. This acquisition will be conducted as a sole source contract under FAR Part 13, because the only automated SLBOCLE meeting the ASTM D 6078 standard for evaluating diesel fuel lubricity is manufactured by PCS Instruments of London, England. Petroleum Analyzer Company, LP (PAC), based in Houston, Texas, is the exclusive U.S. distributor for PCS Instruments and thus the only valid source able to supply the equipment that meets the Navy’s specific requirements. The procurement falls under NAICS Code 334519, which pertains to Physical Properties Testing and Inspection Equipment Manufacturing, and is a Small Business Set-Aside acquisition. Although no formal solicitation or request for proposals currently exists, the Navy will consider timely statements of capability and cost submitted by responsible sources. The contract will be managed through the Naval Air Warfare Center in Patuxent River, Maryland, with designated points of contact available to address inquiries. This effort supports the Department of Defense’s need for precise and ASTM-approved fuel lubricity testing equipment.