PROJECT/EQUIPMENT: Illinois Waterway, Lockport Lock, Positioning System Upgrade AUTHORITY: 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 1. CONTRACTING ACTIVITY: US Army Corps of Engineer, Rock Island District, P.O. Box 2004, Clock Tower Building, Rock Island, IL 61204-2004. 2. DESCRIPTION OF ACTION: Sole Source Service and Supply Contract with Rockwell Automation for the Positioning System Upgrade, Illinois Waterway, Lockport, IL. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES: Replacement of existing rotating cam limit switches on the lower gate machinery with new resolvers, associated I/O, conduit, cabling, and programming updates as necessary to upgrade positioning system. 4. AUTHORITY CITIED: 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1) as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. 5. REASON FOR AUTHORITY CITED: The existing PLC-based navigation control system for the lock facility is an existing Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley ControlLogix system. * The hardware to be installed into existing Allen-Bradley equipment is proprietary required to be manufactured by Rockwell Automation or be compatible with Allen-Bradley equipment as provided by Partners of Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley as indentified above. * Rockwell Automation replaced the PLC-3 processor in calendar year 2004 to upgrade equipment to a ControlLogix L5 PLC and provide software and programming changes upgrading to be compatible with a ControlLogix L5 PLC. This upgraded the PLC control platform to a state-of-the art system, ControlLogix, and it modified the navigation control system to include resolvers on the upstream lift gates and changed the existing I/O modules and programming for the new resolvers to include graphical interfaces. * A PLC software programmer with demonstrable experience with the controls and operations of the existing navigation lock control system and having demonstrable experience in the last 5 years with Allen-Bradley ControlLogix L5 PLC-based system with a ControlLogix platform that dates back to calendar 2004 is required to ensure that risk of equipment failure is minimized and that there are no unauthorized interruptions to navigation traffic. Any changes made to the Lockport Lock navigation lock control system are required to be made between tow boat lockages and otherwise made within twelve hour shutdown for which the Government has authorization to close the lock to navigation (i.e. navigation lock chamber shut down). * Rockwell Automation successfully complied with 2 hour shut down requirements in a 2004 upgrade contract. * Government personnel do not have the technical knowledge of the ControlLogix PLC and existing navigation control program necessary to prevent programming changes that could shut the lock down for an extended period of time. * New AMCI 1761 Expansion Interface Cards built for Allen-Bradley 1756 I/O racks and Rockwell Automation Allen- Bradley 1771-ASB series D cards are required for the two new resolvers to communicate with the existing Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC control system, and for the Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley Model 1756 I/O racks to be able to communicate correctly with the existing Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC. * Other manufacturer's I/O hardware is not compatible with the existing Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC system and its I/O racks. 6. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: In accordance with Regional PARC Memorandum (RPM) 09-03 Posting of Sole Source Award Notices, a notice of intent to award a sole source must be transmitted/posted to the GPE for a total of 15 days, before the actual sole source award can be executed (not including commercial requirements which can be posted for less than 15 days). A Notice of Intent to Sole Source was posted to ASFI/FEDBizOpps on 01 June 11 and requests for capability statements were due by 2:00pm CDT on 15 June 11. No firms submitted a capability statement and supporting documentation by the response date of 15 June 11. Based on the information in paragraph five above, competition for this action is not appropriate. 7. ACTIONS TO INCREASE COMPETITION: As service requirements similar to this one come up in the future, all existing service providers will be considered and if more than one is capable of providing the required service, open competition for the project will occur. 8. MARKET SURVEY: Based on this project requirements attempts to use other vendors will result in a substantial costs to the Government related to the new vendor producing equipment that is compatible with the existing PLC-based navigation control system. 9. INTERESTED SOURCES: To date, no other sources have written to express an interest in this procurement by submitting a capability statement and supporting documentation by the response date of 15 June 11. 10. OTHER FACTS: None applicable to this procurement action.
