Highly Accelerated Stress Test (HAST) System for Reliability

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), under the U.S. Department of Commerce, is seeking to sole source a Highly Accelerated Stress Test (HAST) System for use in its CHIPS Metrology program to accelerate and analyze moisture-induced failures in semiconductor packaging. The procurement is being conducted under Solicitation Number AMDTCNOI2601459, with a response deadline of May 21, 2026, and is intended to result in a firm-fixed-price purchase order awarded exclusively to ESPEC North America, Inc., due to the absence of other qualified sources. The system must meet specific technical requirements including a cylindrical vessel with at least 21 liters of capacity and a 290mm interior diameter, dual stainless steel shelves, a touch-screen controller with Ethernet interface, operational ranges of 105–162°C temperature, 75–100% relative humidity, and 0.020–0.392 MPa pressure, along with automatic water supply, 12 bias terminals, remote monitoring capabilities, email alarm notifications, and integrated safety features such as overpressure, overheat, and door lock interlocks. A valid certificate of calibration is required as part of the deliverables. Delivery is to be made FOB Destination to Building 220 in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with an eight-week lead time from order receipt, and acceptance will occur at that location by the Government. Responses must be submitted via email to Jennifer Lohmeier and must include a capability statement demonstrating the offeror’s ability to meet all technical specifications, along with business information such as Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and active SAM.gov registration. The NAICS code associated with this procurement is 334519, with a small business size standard of 600 employees, and no set-aside provisions are being applied. No formal FAR clauses, evaluation factors, packaging requirements, or contract administration details are included, as this document serves as a pre-solicitation sources-sought notice and intent to sole source, not a formal contract or competitive solicitation.