--Environmental Test Chamber

The U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Natick Contracting Division, representing the Soldier System Center in Natick, Massachusetts, is set to award a purchase order to Thermotron Industries for an Environmental Test Chamber. This procurement is conducted under the Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 13.5 Test Program for Certain Commercial Items. Thermotron Industries, located in Holland, Michigan, is uniquely qualified to supply a chamber that meets strict dimensional and functional requirements necessary for conducting ISO 11092 testing, which measures the thermal and water vapor resistance of textiles using the Sweating Guarded Hot Plate Test. The chamber must have an internal workspace of 38 inches in width, height, and depth to accommodate the guarded hot plate, while maintaining a compact overall size to fit spatial and access constraints. Thermotron Industries is the only supplier able to meet these specific size and performance parameters, which gives it sole-source status for this contract. The Environmental Test Chamber will enable precise testing of textile materials crucial for soldier systems. The contracting office is located in Natick, MA, and questions about the acquisition can be directed to Mr. Kevin Bassler. The announcement for this contract opportunity expired at noon on June 19, 2008. This procurement aligns with the defense sector’s NAICS code 334512 and signifies a critical acquisition to support testing capabilities within the Army’s Soldier System Center.