Micro Tensile Stage

NOTICE OF INTENT Micro Tensile Stage The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR 13.106-1(b) (1), with ADMET Inc located at 51 Morgan Dr, Norwood MA, 02062-5021 to purchase a micro tensile stage for single fiber fragmentation to exceed force limits of existing equipment. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Materials Science and Engineering Division (MSED) develops the measurement science, standards, technology, and data required to support the nation's need to design, develop, manufacture, and use materials. A dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer and tensile stage DMTA&TS is needed to measure thermodynamic properties and fracture mechanics of polymeric materials. The DMTA/TS covers a wide range of materials from commodity thermoplastics to high-performance composites, supporting numerous projects across NIST. To meet current mission requirements, the MSED needs to acquire one (1) Micro Tensile Stage for Fiber Fragmentation system that meets the following minimum technical requirements: - Instrument shall be compatible with existing equipment at NIST: MTESTQuattro Controller and MicroEP manufactured by ADMET. Compatibility includes but is not limited to: o Compatibility of electrical connections with existing MTESTQuattro Controller. o Compatibility of instrument software control and/or data analysis. o Rapid interchangeability with existing MicroEP ADMET load frame. Minimum speed of 0.025 mm/min or less, Maximum force of 1 kN, Total mass during testing 40 lbs or 18 kg, Linear displacement range (tensile) of 25 mm or wider, The instrument must hold test specimens horizontally such that a microscope can be directed at the gauge length of the specimen and scanned using a horizontal linear stage, The system must be capable of keeping a 5-micrometer fiber embedded in resin in focus and in frame using a 25x/.4NA objective during loading from 0 to 1 kN, Displacement resolution shall be 10 nm or better, Clamps to perform testing on existing NIST specimen geometries, Capability to export all measured, recorded, raw, and calculated data to any of the following formats: ASCII text, comma separated values (.csv), or Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), ? 5 workstation/user installs and usage of control and analysis software in the government's possession in perpetuity without incurring additional software licensing fees, Open access to raw signals for displacement and force, Ability to trigger pre-programmed displacements, ramps, and other strain-controlled profiles from external software or hardware, The system shall include an operations and maintenance manual covering proper operation, routine maintenance, and troubleshooting for the instrument and controlling software, One copy of manual in electronic format, The contractor may provide enhanced I/O Options for existing fully functional MTESTQuattro Controller, Installation of instrument and all associated components during business hours 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays, 1-year warrant on all parts, materials labor, beginning after acceptance by the government, Control software compatible with Windows 7 and 10 and updated to compatible as security fixes are released for Windows 7 and 10, Software and firmware updates that address, but are not necessarily limited to addressing, bug fixes and new or improved features, Telephone technical support included but not limited to: o Telephone technical support shall be available with a response time of one business day or less between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday o Telephone support shall include response to questions about operating practices, application use, and service issues that can be diagnosed and resolved over the telephone Training for up to 6 staff members included but not limited to: normal operation, troubleshooting, and routine maintenance Only the instrument from ADMET Inc. as stated above meet NIST's minimum requirements. Market research has shown that ADMET Inc. is the sole company who can provide this equipment to NIST. Given these facts, ADMET Inc, Inc is the only source reasonably available to provide the required equipment. The resulting purchase order will be a Firm-Fixed-Price purchase order. The NAICS Code is 334519 with a size standard of 500 employees. No solicitation package will be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however, interested parties who regard themselves as capable of fulfilling these requirements are invited to submit responses to the Government for consideration. Responses received by 10:00 am EST 9/4/2018, will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.