B-1 Wheel, Heat Shield Sources Sought

This announcement is a Sources Sought Synopsis and is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP) or an Invitation for Bid (IFB), nor is it to be construed as a commitment by the Government. The Government does NOT intend to contract on the basis of this request or otherwise pay for any information solicited herein. This synopsis is to notify interested contractors that the Government intends to procure a minimum of 86 each "B-1 Wheel Heat Shields" as part of a follow-on Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract for continued development of the B-1. The B-1 Wheel Heat Shields are considered highly specialized because the geometry, materials and processing requirements have been optimized as part of the of the brake system. Brake systems are designed to let the heat out a certain way so that things cool quickly without causing some of the surrounding components (brake housing, wheels, etc.) to get too hot which would result in a failure. If the wrong materials, processes, and geometry are used for the B-1 Wheel Heat Shield it could be either ineffective, unreliable or both. That is why it needs to be qualified with the rest of the system. These parameters are limited to the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) with the designs, data, and drawings created at Meggitt Aircraft Braking System's own expense. Since the data required to manufacture the B-1 Wheel Heat Shields are limited to Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems, interested vendors would have to be willing to invest the time, funding, and manpower required to reverse engineer the entire B-1 wheel and brake package at their own expense. It should also be noted that the current B-1 Wheel Heat Shields (NSN 1630-01-228-3644/Part Number 5008532) are undergoing Wheel and Brake System Improvement (WBSI) with a projected implementation of NOV 2013 through FEB 2015, making the current B-1 Wheel Heat Shields obsolete. Interested sources that have provided a similar item or this exact item for other government agencies should submit a Source Approval Request. (SAR) The Government does not have rights to the data for this requirement. Contractors who believe that they can meet the aircraft design specifications to manufacture this part should contact the Government official listed in this synopsis. NSN: 1630-01-228-3644 Part Number: 5008532 Noun: Wheel, Heat Shield System: B-1 Quantity: 86 PR: Multiple Purchase Requests as Required