Portable Readiness Food Production Equipment - (PRFPE)

Synopsis: October 5, 2011 Request for Information - Portable Readiness Food Production Equipment - (PRFPE) The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support is seeking proposals from interested parties to develop a concept for an un-determined quantity of portable shelf stable readiness MRE/UGR (Meals Ready-to-Eat/Unitized Group Rations) production equipment. This project is in support of the Operational Rations Program, for War Readiness Surge Capability, for portable field MRE/UGR fill/seal equipment and retorts. Portable readiness field equipment MRE/UGR/Retort for production may be installed in multi-modal 40 foot cargo containers (aka sea vans). In order to qualify, your firm must have experience in supporting the food processing business for shelf stable products, manufacturing, or design equipment via the retort processes. Please indicate your experience or provide related government contract numbers with a brief description of items supplied when replying to this announcement. The equipment must be placeable and easily removed from multi-modal 40 foot cargo containers. The design is for a domestic application only. Wheels that can lock in place or a motorized dolly system might be included for the specific pieces of equipment installed within the containers. These containers will be used to transport the manufacturing equipment. Multi-modal containers with expandable telescoping sides or drop down doors to allow equipment inside to be operated without removal will be considered. The minimum requirements are: - Two (2) gentle motion retorts that fit within the container with auto loading capabilities - Two (2) sets of carts with two (2) sets of racks for MRE plus two (2) sets of racks for UGR tray retort placement - One (1) MRE linear continuous motion fill/sealer with ultrasonic seal heads capable of producing 300-500 pouches per minute automatically or 60 pouches if hand fed - One (1) UGR poly tray fill/sealer capable of producing 8-10 trays/minute Product specifications for the end food items can be found at the following web link: http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/support/specs/procure.asp Current FDA and pressure vessel requirements must be maintained. This is a Phase 1 developmental concept requesting ideas to achieve performance in a portable environment. Developed concepts need to address the following elements at a minimum: 1) Functional design of multi-modal container layout. Equipment shall be arranged in a manner which maintains food production and processing flow if used within the containers, if possible. If no production occurs within the container, the design needs to address ease of unloading and setup of equipment. 2. Feed line concepts or conveyor systems for product on input and /output need to be designed if equipment is used within the containers. 3) Interior HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) is required if equipment is used within the containers. 4) Adequate task lighting is required in the containers. 5) Design concepts should include ideas for practical layout of the equipment within the containers for transportation. Tie-down points, blocking and bracing of equipment should be considered. 6) If equipment is used for production within the containers, abilities to work on the line must be identified. Adequate walkways must be maintained, allowing for operator safety and ease of entry and exit. 7) Design must meet and maintain necessary federal standards (i.e. OSHA regulations) for personnel safety while operating the equipment, if it is used within the containers. 8) Design of containers for ease of equipment movement in and out with minimal lifting capacity (i.e. standard forklift only) if equipment is not permanently installed within the containers. 7) If equipment is to be removed from the containers, include ideas for locking wheel application or motorized system for movement in/out of trailers (electric, hydraulic, etc.). 8) Recommend model types of production equipment to be purchased and/or supplied along with throughput of pouches/trays per hour. Rates listed above are estimated and desired. 9) Design needs to accommodate one production type at a time, either MRE pouches or Poly trays. 10) Recommended support equipment such as electric generator, vacuum pump, air pump or other machinery in additional container. All items should be to US specifications for power and all controls identified in American English. Equipment should be capable of easy movement in/out of the container for set-up in a food processing facility and/or capability for running product within the container at a food processing facility. If equipment is operated within the container, it should have all the necessary connections accessible from the outside (including but not limited to power, water, air and data). If items are to be removed from the containers, it shall require minimal installation within a plant facility. Connections should be designed for easy and quick assembly and disassembly. The design for the equipment should allow movement into and out of the container with only a standard forklift. Please provide a statement which describes in detail a concept of how your firm could design a system to achieve the goals listed above within the confines of a portable system. DLA Troop Support wants to maintain flexibility to allow for a rapid deployment of the system to support readiness events thereby maintaining a quick ability to supplement a vendors' existing capacity. Phase 1 is a concept phase for developing ideas and practical application to real life manufacturing problems. Based on a review of the results by DLA Troop Support Subsistence Industrial Base Planning personnel, a Phase 2 award might be funded for $20,000.00 for additional design and developmental work. Phase 2 funding would allow for further development of concepts. A possible Phase 3 could include funding for the construction of a prototype based on the responses to the general requirements listed above Proposals may be submitted electronically at any time to Peter LaVerghetta at peter.laverghetta@dla.mil by the closing date of Friday, December 30, 2011. Please e-mail or call Peter LaVerghetta at (215) 737-7502 for general questions on how to respond to this announcement. Technical questions can be directed to Joe Fedeli at joe.fedeli@dla.mil or 215-737-8460 Submit a hard copy of your proposal to: Pete LaVerghetta, FTG, 6B151 DLA Troop Support 700 Robbins Ave Phila PA 19111 Primary Point of Contact: Pete LaVerghetta peter.Laverghetta@dla.mil Phone: (215)737-7502 Fax: (215)737-4115