A Request For Information (RFI) - Rapidly modify an HMMWV suspension to improve ride quality, handling, safety, and durability

THIS IS A MARKET SURVEY REQUESTING INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF THE FOLLOWING POTENTIAL REQUIREMENT. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an announcement of a forthcoming solicitation, nor is it a request seeking contractors to be placed on a solicitation mailing list. Response to this survey is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this market survey and any follow-on information requests. Data submitted in response to this market survey will not be returned. No solicitation document exists at this time, and calls requesting a solicitation will not be answered. TOPIC: The US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is conducting a market survey to identify potential sources with the expertise necessary to rapidly modify a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) suspension to improve ride quality, handling, safety, and durability throughout the range of vehicle weights, weight distributions, and center of gravity (CG) locations of the current HMMWV fleet (7,100 lbs. to 16,500 lbs.). The suspension components that satisfy all of the requirements below may be evaluated via modeling and simulation, and have the potential to be purchased and tested in a lab or on a HMMWV of the Governments choosing. Emphasis should be placed on ready to field, low cost solutions that have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 7 or higher currently. Suspension enhancements must be applicable and adaptable to the military environment. This environment includes extreme ambient operating conditions from -40'C to 60'C (-40 to 140 Fahrenheit), storage conditions of -51'C to 71'C (-60 to 160 Fahrenheit), as well as extreme shock and vibration outlined in MIL-STD-810. Both our soldiers and vehicle components must be capable of operating effectively within this environment. TARDEC is requesting information on proven suspension technologies in the area of springs, dampers, swaybars, and jounce stops that require little to no changes to the vehicle to integrate, and that can be purchased now or quickly modified and purchased within 6 months, using existing manufacturing processes, of this request. Responders to this survey should clearly and briefly address the category as well as address the ADDITIONAL INFORMATION requested below. QUESTIONS: Proven suspension technologies in the area of springs, dampers, and swaybars Objectives: - To evaluate and analyze proven suspension technologies that could be used to improve HMMWV ride quality and handling safety throughout the Family of Vehicles (FoV) weight range. Responders to this market survey should clearly and briefly address: - Proven Suspension Technologies - Describe available solutions. - Provide any test or analysis results/reports quantifying improvement in ride quality, handling, off-road mobility, safety, and durability throughout the range of vehicle weights, weight distributions, and center of gravity locations of the current HMMWV fleet (7,100 lbs. to 16,500 lbs.) - Describe any additional work/modifications required to implement if it's not a direct one for one swap/replacement. - Approximate cost for a vehicle kit. UNCLASSIFIED: Dist A. Approved For Public Release Does your company have currently developed suspension spring, damper or swaybar technology that can be integrated onto existing HMMWV vehicles ranging in weight from 7,100 lbs to 16,500 lbs.? Does your company have currently a suspension spring, damper or swaybar technology demonstration HMMWV vehicle that you have already integrated your technology into weighing from 7,100 lbs to 16,500 lbs? Notes: Existing suspension systems do not have the ability to manage the weight range of the HMMWV FoVs robustly, TARDEC would like to investigate simple modifications that can improve the vehicle's robustness to weight change and capabilities. Further, the designs and materials must be suitable to: i. Withstand all shock and vibration tests specified in MIL-STD-810 ii. Operate in the temperature range of -40'C to 60'C (-40 to 140 Fahrenheit) iii. Have a minimum technology readiness level (TRL) of 7 without additional testing or development. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 1. Each response is requested to include: a) A brief (no more than one page) company description, history, and industry experience. b) An executive summary (no more than one page) of the information submitted in reply to this market survey. c) Point(s)-of-Contact (POC) with associated information. d) A brief narrative of any internal or external programs that may be leveraged to assist in the R&D of the described technology e) A brief outline of the technologies function and supporting calculations regarding the technologies ability to support the weight range of the HMMWV mentioned above. f) A brief plan for the application of a systems engineering approach as outlined by DoD Directive 5000.1. 2. Each response is requested to document any prior related government work experience. 3. Each response should be no more than 10 pages in total. 4. Each response should include a completed version of Attachment A. RESPONSES DUE: Responses to this Market Survey are due by November 28th, 2012. Please submit all responses and any questions prior to full response to Mr. Geoffrey Bossio via email at contact@example.gov. Please format the subject line of the response email as follows; "[Organization Name] response to Market Survey - High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) Suspension Enhancement Investigation" UNCLASSIFIED: Dist A. Approved For Public Release RESPONSE FORMAT(S): Only electronic responses are requested. Please provide responses in any of the following formats: Microsoft word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power Point. Please do not send Zip Files or hard copies via mail. The maximum size of each e-mail should be not more than three and one-half (3.5) megabytes. You may use multiple e-mail messages. The subject line must include message 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3 etc., as well as [Organization Name]. All interested entities *e.g. companies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutes, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this request for information. GENERAL INFORMATION: The Government appreciates the time and effort taken to respond to this survey. The Government acknowledges its obligations under 18 U.S.C. - 1905 to protect information qualifying as "CONFIDENTIAL" under this statute. Pursuant to this statute, the Government is willing to accept any trade secret or confidential restrictions placed on qualifying data forwarded in response to the survey questions and to protect it from unauthorized disclosure subject to the following: 1. Clearly and conspicuously mark qualifying data as trade secret or confidential with the restrictive legend (all caps) "PROPRIETARY" with any explanatory text, so that the Government is clearly notified of what data needs to be appropriately protected. 2. In marking such data, please take care to mark only those portions of the data or materials that are truly trade secret or confidential (over breadth in marking inappropriate data as "PROPRIETARY" may diminish or eliminate the usefulness of your response - see item 6 below). Use circling, underscoring, highlighting or any other appropriate means to indicate those portions of a single page which are to be protected 3. The Government is not obligated to protect unmarked data. Additionally, marked data that is already in the public domain or in the possession of the Government or third parties, or is afterward placed into the public domain by the owner or another party through no fault of the Government will not be protected once in the public domain. Data already in the possession of the Government will be protected in accordance with the Government's rights in the data, 4. Confidential data transmitted electronically, whether by physical media or not, whether by the respondent or by the government, shall contain any restrictive legend, with any explanatory text, on both the cover of the transmittal e-mail and at the beginning of the file itself. Where appropriate for portions only of an electronic file, use the restrictive legends PROPRIETARY PORTION BEGINS:" and "PROPRIETARY PORTION ENDS". 5. In any reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions, the government shall also reproduce the asserted restriction legend and any explanatory text. 6. The Government sometimes uses support contractors in evaluating responses. Consequently, responses that contain proprietary information may receive only limited or no consideration since the respondent's marking of data as "PROPRIETARY" will preclude disclosure of same outside the Government and therefore will preclude disclosure to these support contractors assisting in the evaluation effort. The Government will use its best efforts to evaluate those responses that contain proprietary information without using support contractors consistent with the resources available.