Grip System for Mechanical Testing

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS-AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2005-58. 1352.215-72 INQUIRIES (APR 2010) Offerors must submit all questions concerning this solicitation in writing to Andrea Parekh, Contract Specialist, with copy to Cheryl Rice, Contracting Officer. Questions should be received no later than 7 calendar days after the issuance date of this solicitation. Any responses to questions will be made in writing, without identification of the questioner, and will be included in an amendment to the solicitation. Even if provided in other form, only the question responses included in the amendment to the solicitation will govern performance of the contract. The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334519 with a small business size standard of 500 employees. This requirement is unrestricted and all vendors may quote.*** ***The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking to purchase Grip System for Mechanical Testing. ****All interested Contractor's shall provide a quote for the following: BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Materials Performance Group of the NIST Metallurgy Division conducts research into the constitutive properties of engineering materials. One component of that research measures material properties under standard test conditions, and under conditions in which the direction of force is reversed during the test. The test equipment described in this procurement document will enable NIST to extend its test capability to higher forces in ordinary testing, and to implement a reversed loading capability using existing tensile testing equipment. NIST has a need to acquire two independent sets similar hydraulically actuated test specimen grip systems. One will be for ordinary tensile testing, and one will be used as part of a planned test bed for reversed loading. Line Item 0001: Grip Systems for Mechanical Testing. The systems must meet or exceed all of the minimum specifications identified herein. All equipment must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. The system must meet or exceed the following minimum specifications: SCOPE OF WORK The Contractor shall provide and install the hydraulically actuated tensile test specimens grips and hardware and software necessary to ensure their accurate alignment with capabilities as described below. a. Item 1 Grip system #1 capabilities Grip system #1 will be used for ordinary tensile testing of sheet, flat and round specimens on testing machine #1. Grip system #1 shall: (a) Be hydraulically actuated. (b) Be capable of testing specimens at forces up the full capacity of the testing machine frame (100 kN static load). (c) Include wedges to permit testing of sheet, flat and round specimens with the following dimension ranges: Flat specimens (0.0 <= t <= 12.7) mm t: thickness Round specimens (0 < d < 12.7) mm d: diameter of gripped end. (d) Include all hardware necessary to attach the grip set to the existing testing machine and test specimens at the rated forces. The current machine is a hybrid servo-hydraulic system consisting of a retrofitted MTS load frame and a 250 Kn load cell and an Instron control system. (e) Include hardware that allows high precision angularity and concentricity adjustments to the load train, under the maximum rated load, and permit the load train to meet the Type 2 alignment requirements of ASTM E1012. (f) Include all hydraulic lines and connections necessary to use and actuate the grip system. (g) Allow the user to set and control the grip clamping force. (h) Include installation and commissioning at NIST in the test machine (NIST tag 598306). The current machine is a hybrid servo-hydraulic system consisting of a retrofitted MTS load frame and a 250 Kn load cell and an Instron control system. b. Item 2 Grip set #2 capabilities Grip system #2 will be used to grip specimens in an under-construction tension/compression (reverse loading fixture). Grip system #2 shall: (a) Be hydraulically actuated. (b) Be configured to apply the grip clamping force by symmetric motion of the grip faces, and prevent the application of side loads to the test specimen during gripping. (c) Be capable of gripping test specimens that will be loaded in tension, compression, and fully stress-reversed cyclic loading with constant forces up to 50 kN or up to 245 kN (the rated capacity of the testing machine) (d) Include wedges to permit testing of sheet, flat and round specimens with the following dimension ranges: t: thickness; d: diameter of gripped end. flat specimens (0.0 <= t <= 12.7) mm round specimens (0.0 < d < 12.7) mm (e) Include all hardware necessary to attach the grip set to the existing testing machine. (f) Include hardware that allows high precision angularity and concentricity adjustments to the load train, under the maximum rated load, and permit the load train to meet the Type 2 alignment requirements of ASTM E1012. (g) Include all hydraulic lines and connections necessary to use and actuate the grips. (h) Allow the user to set and control the grip clamping force. (i) Include installation and commissioning at NIST in the testing machine (NIST tag 526234 S/N 556) c. Item 3 Grip alignment tools The vendor shall supply the necessary hardware and software to align the grips in the load train using the hardware described in requirement (e) and (f) above. Testing Machine #1 description Frame: MTS 810 NIST Tag 598306 Pump: 505.07 3000 psi 7 gpm Frame Capacity 100 kN Serial # 1064825 Location 223:B239 Testing machine #2 description Frame: MTS frame 312.31 NIST Tag 526234 Frame Capacity 245 kN Serial # 556 Pump: Instron model +1 (555) 000-0000 S/N CH9745003 NIST Tag 627094 Pump supply pressure: 3000 psi The contractor shall provide training on the proper and safe operation and maintenance of the high-rate test system for up to two users designated by the Government. The Contractor shall provide a one (1) year warranty on all labor and parts and unlimited telephone technical support for the mechanical testing systems procured under this requirement. Operation and maintenance manuals The contractor shall provide operation and maintenance manuals. The manuals shall describe the operation and capabilities of the grip systems and grip alignment tools as well as maintenance procedures and corresponding verification checks to ensure proper calibration and operation of all components. Safety Plan/Manual The Safety plan shall describe the safe and proper use of the equipment and any hazards associated with its use. Installation The system shall be installed by the Contractor and meet contract specifications no later than 30 days after receipt of the system at NIST, Gaithersburg. Installation, at a minimum, shall include uncrating/un-packaging of all equipment, set-up and hook-up of the system, demonstration of all specifications, validation, testing and removal of trash. Onsite installation and demonstration shall be done at NIST, Gaithersburg, MD. The contractor shall, at the time of installation, demonstrate the safe and proper use of the grip systems 1 and 2. Following the safety demonstration, the contractor shall conduct a tensile test, using a mutually satisfactory specimen that meets the requirements specified above for size and shape, to demonstrate the specified system capabilities. Training The contractor shall conduct one (1) training session for up to six (6) users at NIST. The training shall provide a thorough demonstration of all system/solution functions, safety features and operation, maintenance, data administration, and basic troubleshooting. The training may be completed at NIST immediately after installation/set-up and on-site measurements demonstrating that no damage or misalignment issues arose during transportation and installation, but shall be completed no later than 30 days after installation. ***The Contractor shall provide a minimum one (1) year warranty on all components including parts, labor, travel, telephone support, software updates. The Contractor shall be responsible for the system during transit. All costs including parts, labor, travel, and other expenses necessary to repair any machine equipment will be borne solely by the contractor at no additional cost to the U.S. Government. *** ***Delivery shall be provided not later than 140 days after receipt of an order. Delivery shall be FOB Destination. FOB Destination means: The contractor shall pack and mark the shipment in conformance with carrier requirements, deliver the shipment in good order and condition to the point of delivery specified in the purchase order, be responsible for any loss of and/or damage to the goods occurring before receipt and acceptance of the shipment by the consignee at the delivery point specified in the purchase order; and pay all charges to the specified point of delivery. The contractor shall deliver all line items to NIST, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640. *** Award shall be made to the Contractor whose quote offers the best value to the Government, price and other factors considered. The Government will evaluate quotations based on the following evaluation criteria: 1) Technical Capability factor "Meeting or Exceeding the Requirement", 2) Past Performance, 3) Experience and 4) Price. Technical capability, past performance, and experience, when combined, shall be approximately equal to price. If Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Experience are equivalent, price shall be the determining factor. Technical Capability: Evaluation of Technical Capability shall be based on the information provided in the quotation. NIST will evaluate whether the offeror has demonstrated that its proposed equipment meets or exceeds all requirements. Quotations that do not demonstrate the proposed equipment meets all requirements will not be considered further for award. Quoters shall also include product literature which addresses all specifications & clearly documents that the product offered meets or exceeds the specifications identified herein. Note: If an offeror does not indicate whether its proposed equipment meets a certain technical requirement, NIST will determine that it does not. Past Performance Past Performance will be evaluated to determine the overall quality of the product & service provided and the Contractor's history of meeting delivery schedules for prior deliverables. Evaluation of Past Performance shall be based on the references provided and/or the quoters recent and relevant procurement history with NIST or its' affiliates. Offerors should provide a list of 3-5 references to whom the same or similar equipment has been provided. Experience The Contractor shall describe their experience performing similar/manufacturing, installing and servicing the same or similar system; explain how their experience is relevant to this project and how their experience will ensure successful completion of the project. NIST will evaluate the extent of the offeror's experience providing similar equipment and will consider the relevance of the offeror's experience to the current requirement. Specific experience includes number of similar systems successfully installed in the field and years of operation. Past Performance, Experience, and Price shall not be evaluated on quotes that are determined technically unacceptable in accordance with the Technical Capability Evaluation factor. *** The full text of a FAR provision or clause may be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/comp/far/index.html. *** *** The following provisions apply to this acquisition: 52.212-1 Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items; 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. *** *** Offerors must complete annual representations and certifications on-line at http://orca.bpn.gov in accordance with FAR 52.212-3 Offerors Representations and Certifications- Commercial Items. If paragraph (j) of the provision is applicable, a written submission is required. ***The following clauses apply to this acquisition: 52.212-4 Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items; 52.212-5 Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items including subparagraphs: 52.204-10, Reporting Executive compensation and First-Tier Subcontract Awards; 52.209-10, Prohibition on Contracting with Inverted Domestic Corporations; 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns; 52.219-28, Post Award Small Business Program Representation; 52.222-3, Convict Labor; 52.222-19 Child Labor - Cooperation With Authorities And Remedies; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52-222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-40, Notification of Employee Rights Under the National Labor Relations Act; 52.225-3 Buy American Act - Free Trade Agreements - Israeli Trade Act; 52.225-13 Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.232-33 Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration. Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level above the Contracting Officer is also incorporated. It can be downloaded at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm. *** This is an Open-Market Combined Synopsis/Solicitation for equipment as defined herein. The Government intends to award a Purchase Order as a result of this Combined Synopsis/Solicitation that will include the terms and conditions that are set forth herein. In order to facilitate the award process, ALL quotes shall include a statement regarding the terms and conditions herein as follows: The offeror shall state "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document without modification, deletion, or addition." OR The offeror shall state "The terms and conditions in the solicitation are acceptable to be included in the award document with the exception, deletion, or addition of the following: Offeror shall list exception(s) and rationale for the exception(s) ***All quoters shall submit the following: 1) An original and one (1) copy of a quotation which addresses all of the above line items; 2) An original and one (1) copy of the technical description and/or product literature; 3) Description of commercial warranty; 4) An original and one (1) copy of the most recent published price list(s), 5) Past performance references which must include the company/organizations name, contact person, phone number, and e-mail address. 6) Description of experience manufacturing, installing and servicing the same or similar systems with an explanation of relevance to this solicitation. ***All quotes shall be received not later than 3:00 PM local time, on August 10, 2012, at the National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition Management Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 301, Room B125, Mail Stop 1640, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-1640, Attn: Andrea Parekh. Any questions or concerns regarding this solicitation should be forwarded in writing via e-mail to the Contract Specialist (Andrea G. Parekh) @ contact@example.gov. E-mailed quotes are acceptable. Faxed quotes will NOT be accepted. Offerors' quotations shall not be deemed received by the Government until the quotation is entered into the e-mail address inbox set forth above. Because of heightened security, FED-EX, UPS, or similar delivery methods are the preferred method of delivery of quotes. If quotes are hand delivered, delivery shall be made on the actual due date through Gate A, and a 48 hour (excluding weekends and holidays) prior notice shall be provided to Andrea Parekh, Contract Specialist on +1 (555) 000-0000.