ROD, WELDING

CONTACT INFORMATION|4|N743.45|WVL|717-605-3353|sylvia.sentz@navy.mil| ITEM UNIQUE IDENTIFICATION AND VALUATION (MAR 2022)|19|||||||||||||||||||| HIGHER-LEVEL CONTRACT QUALITY REQUIREMENT (NAVICP REVIEW FEB 1991)(FEB 1999)|1|See specification sections C and E| INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES--FIXED-PRICE (AUG 1996)|2||| INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE - SHORT VERSION|8||x||x||||| INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF SUPPLIES|26||||||||||||||||||||||||||| INSPECTION/ACCEPTANCE POINT|6||||||| TIME OF DELIVERY (JUNE 1997)|20|0001|128|275 days|||||||||||||||||| GENERAL INFORMATION-FOB-DESTINATION|1|B| WIDE AREA WORKFLOW PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS (DEC 2018)|16|Stand-Alone Receiving Report - Certifications Combo-Receiving Report & Invoice - Material |n/a|tbd|N00104|tbd|N39040 - Certifications, S4306A - Material|N50286|tbd|133.2|n/a|n/a|S4306A - Material|n/a|n/a|See DD 1423|PORT_PTNH_WAWF_NOTIFICATION@NAVY.MIL| NAVY USE OF ABILITYONE SUPPORT CONTRACTOR - RELEASE OF OFFEROR INFORMATION (3-18))|1|| EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (SEP 2016)|2||| WARRANTY OF SUPPLIES OF A NONCOMPLEX NATURE (JUNE 2003)|6|one year from date of delivery|one year from date of delivery||||| WARRANTY OF DATA--BASIC (MAR 2014)|2||| BUY AMERICAN --FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS--BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM - BASIC(DEVIATION 2020-O0019) (MAR 2022))|3|||| ALTERNATE A, ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (NOV 2020)|13|||||||||||||| BUY AMERICAN-FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS-BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE (DEVIATION 2020-O0019) (JUL 2020))|3|||| BUY AMERICAN-BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE-BASIC (NOV 2014)|1|| ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (MAY 2022)|13|333992|1,250|||||||||||| NOTICE OF PRIORITY RATING FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE, EMERGENCY PERPARDENESS, AND ENRGY PROGAM USE (APRIL 2008))|2||x| This amendment is issued to update remarks and to re-instate DCMA NSEO QARGovernment Source Inspection for this requirement. The following is a replacement for Paragraph 3 Quality Assurance Requirements: This contract provides for the performance of Government Quality Assurance at source. The place or places of performance may not be changed without the authorization of the Procurement Contracting Officer. Upon receipt of this order, promptly notify the Government representative who normally services your plant so that appropriate planning for Government inspection can be accomplished. If you do not have an assigned Government representative, notify the nearest Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Office. In the event that a local Government representative or DCMA Office cannot be located, our purchasing agent should be notified immediately. The following is a replacement for Subcontractor Inspection Requirements: When the Government elects to perform source inspection at the subcontractor's facility, applicable purchase documents shall be annotated with the following statement: "A Government inspection is required prior to shipment from your plant. Upon receipt of this order, promptly notify the Government representative who normally services your plant so that appropriate planning for Government inspection can be accomplished. If you do not have an assigned Government representative, notify the nearest Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Office. In the event that a local Government representative or DCMA Office cannot be located, our purchasing agent should be notified immediately. The following remarks are removed from the solicitation: FAR 52.232-25(a)(5), entitled Prompt Payment, Constructive Acceptance is changed from 7 days to 45 days after delivery of the supplies in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. This requirement has no Government source inspection. Inspection and Acceptance will occur at destination/destination. Reference: (a)Email dated 31 May 2025 1.Reference (a) requests to waive paragraph 3.4 Welding Electrode Strip Heaters. Reference (a) provides clarifications and details of weld testing for the subject solicitation. In response, the request to waive the use of strip heaters as required by section 3.4 of the subject solicitation is approved for the subject solicitation and subsequent contract, if awarded to Surface Engineering and produced and tested as described in reference(a). Test results must meet all requirements of the subject solicitation and subsequent contract. All other terms and conditions remain the same. For PCO use only (ER-56463) \ 1. The offer due date is updated to 30 May 2025. \ 1. The offer due date is updated to 29 November 2024. \ 1. The offer due date is updated to 12 November 2024. \ 1. The offer due date is updated to 18 October 2024. 2. The TDP is updated from Version No.: 002 to Version No.: 003. 3. The quantity is increased to 500. 4. The POC is updated to Amanda Bailey, amanda.l.bailey50.civ@us.navy.mil. \ The offer due date is extended to 9 January 2023. \ 1. Data Item A001 (inspection and Test Plan) may be waived if already on fileat NAVSUP WSS Mech. 2. NAVSUP WSS Mech will be considering past performance in the evaluation ofoffers. See Clause 252.213-7000. 3. All contractual documents (i.e. contracts, purchase orders, task orders,delivery orders, and modifications) related to the instant procurement are considered to be "issued" by the Government when copies are either deposited in the mail, transmitted by facsimile, or sent by other electronic commercemethods, such as email. The Government's acceptance of the contractor'sproposal constitutes bilateral agreement to "issue" contractual documents asdetailed here in. 4. The following proposed delivery schedule applies: Submission of all certification data CDRLS 20 days prior to delivery. PNSY review/acceptance of certification CDRLS 6 working days after receipt Final delivery of material (275 days) 5. FAR 52.232-25(a)(5), entitled Prompt Payment, Constructive Acceptance is changed from 7 days to 45 days after delivery of the supplies in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract. 6. This requirement has NO Government Source Inspection and will be inspected/accepted at destination/destination (PNSY). 1. SCOPE 1.1 The material covered in this contract/purchase order will be used in a crucial shipboard system. The use of incorrect or defective material would create a high probability of failure resulting in serious personnel injury, loss of life, loss of vital shipboard systems, or loss of the ship itself. Therefore, the material has been designated as SPECIAL EMPHASIS material (Level I, Scope of Certification, or Quality Assured) and special control procedures are invoked to ensure receipt of correct material. 2. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS 2.1 Order of Precedence - In the event of a conflict between the text of this contract/purchase order and the references and/or drawings cited herein, the text of this contract/purchase order must take precedence. Nothing in this contract/purchase order, however, must supersede applicable laws and regulations unless a specific exemption has been obtained. 2.2 Applicable Documents - The document(s) listed below form a part of this contract/purchase order including modifications or exclusions. 2.2.1 "Document References" listed below must be obtained by the Contractor. Ordering information is included as an attachment to this contract/purchase order. 2.2.2 Specification Revisions - The specification revisions listed under "Documents References" below are the preferred revision. Older and/or newer r evisions are acceptable when listed within Contract Support Library Reference Number CSD155 in ECDS (Electric Contractor Data Submission) at: ht tps://register.nslc.navy.mil/. This is to allow Contractors to use certain acceptable older specification revisions to purge their existing stock of material certified to those older revisions or to use newer specification revisions when material is certified to newly released revisions,without requiring the submittal of waiver/deviation requests for each specification revision on every contract. Revisions of specifications reflecting editorial and/or re-approval (e.g. E2009, R2014, etc.) are considered inconsequential, but are acceptable when their revisions are listedwithin CSD155 or elsewhere within this contract. DOCUMENT REF DATA=AWS A5.01 | | | |930101|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=AWS A5.28 | | | |200630|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=ISO_9001 | | | |081115|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=ISO10012 | | | |030415|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=ISO/IEC 17025 | | | |050515|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=MIL-I-45208 | | |A |810724|A| 1| | DOCUMENT REF DATA=MIL-STD-45662 | | |A |880801|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=ANSI/NCSL Z540.3 | | | |130326|A| | | DOCUMENT REF DATA=T9074-AS-GIB-010/271 | | |1 |140911|A| | | 3. REQUIREMENTS 3.1 Manufacture and Design - The item furnished under this contract/purchase order must meet the requirements as specified in AWS-A5.28, except as amplified or modified herein. AWS-A5.28 ordering data information is provided below: A. American Welding Society Specification AWS-A5.28; Low Alloy Steel filler metals for gas shielded arc welding. AWS Classification - ;ER80S-B3L; Size, Diameter - ;3/32; Spool Size, Weight - ;N/A; Cut Length - ;36 Inches; B. American Welding Society Specification AWS-A5.01; Filler Metal Procurement Guidelines. Lot Classification - Class S2 Intensity of Testing - Schedule J 3.2 Testing Certification - Certifications are required for the following tests on the items listed below. Additional testing (if any) per applicable specifications is still required, but certifications are only required as listed below. Test - ;Quality Conformance/Compliance Inspecton (Includes chemicals and mechanicals); Item - ;Rod, Welding; Performance - ;AWS A5.01 and AWS A5.28; Acceptance - ;AWS A5.01 and AWS A5.28; 3.3 Container Size - Welding Electrodes must be supplied in ;10; pound containers. 3.4 Welding Electrode Strip Heaters - Electrical resistance rod-type or pad-type heaters (i.e. strip heaters) that are controlled automatically by thermocouples or manually by an on-off switch must be used to maintain preheat/interpass temperatures within the required range before and during welding of the usability (i.e. soundness) test plate and the mechanical property (when required) test plate. The test plate must be insulated or separated from the work bench. OXY-FUEL heating of any test plate is not permitted. 3.4.1 Holding fixture - During welding, the mechanical property test plate must be held in place by a fixture built in accordance with "HOLDING FIXTURE FOR MECHANICAL PROPERTY TEST PLATES", (CSD005 in the ECDS (Electronic Contractor Data Submission) system at: https://register.nslc.navy.mil/) The strip heaters required above must be placed against the back side of the test plate, between the test plate and the base plate of the test fixture. The length and width of the test plate must be dimensioned so as to be adequately held in place by the fixture. 3.5 Radiography - Radiography is required for test weldments and must be performed in accordance with T9074-AS-GIB-010/271 as modified by AWS-A5.28. Acceptance criteria must be AWS-A5.28. 3.6 Configuration Control - The Contractor must maintain the total equipment baseline configuration. For items of proprietary design, Contractor drawings showing the latest assembly configuration must be provided to the Government inelectronic (C4) format. Definitions are provided elsewhere in the Contract/Purchase Order. 3.6.1 Waivers/Deviations - All waivers and deviations, regardless of significance or classification require review and approval by the Contracting Officer. Waivers and Deviations must be designated as Critical, Major, or Minor. Requests must include the information listed below. a. A complete description of the contract requirement affected and the nature of the waiver/deviation (non-conformance), including a classification of Critical, Major, or Minor. b. Number of units (and serial/lot numbers) to be delivered in this configuration. c. Any impacts to logistics support elements (such as software, manuals, spares, tools, and similar) being utilized by Government personnel or impacts to theoperational use of the product. d. Information about remedial action being taken to prevent reoccurrence of the non-conformance. 3.6.2 Requests for Waivers/Deviations for NAVSUP-WSS Contracts must be submitted using the ECDS (Electronic Contractor Data Submission) system at https://register.nslc.navy.mil/ 3.6.3 ECPs - The Government will maintain configuration control and change authority for all modifications or changes affecting form, fit, function, or interface parameters of the Equipment and its sub-assemblies. The Contractor must submit an Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) for any Class I or II changes that impact the Equipment covered by this contract. ECPs must be prepared in Contractor format, and must include the following information: a. The change priority, change classification (Class I or Class II), and change justification. b. A complete description of the change to be made and the need for that change. c. A complete listing of other Configuration Items impacted by the proposed change and a description of the impact on those CIs. d. Proposed changes to documents controlled by the Government. e. Proposed serial/lot number effectivities of units to be produced in, or retrofitted to, the proposed configuration. f. Recommendations about the way a retrofit should be accomplished. g. Impacts to any logistics support elements (such as software, manuals, spares, tools, and similar) being utilized by Government personnel in support of theproduct. h. Impacts to the operational use of the product. i. Complete estimated life-cycle cost impact of the proposed change. j. Milestones relating to the processing and implementation of the engineeringchange. 3.7 Mercury Free - Mercury and mercury containing compounds must not be intentionally added or come in direct contact with hardware or supplies furnished under this contract. Mercury contamination of the material will be cause for rejection. 3.8 Certificate of Compliance - (SPECIAL EMPHASIS MATERIAL) The Contractor must prepare and submit a certificate of compliance certifying that the items/components furnished under this contract comply with the requirements of the procurement document, including any/all invoked specifications and drawings. ^ QUALITY ASSURANCE REQUIREMENTS ^ 3.9 Quality System Requirements - The Contractor furnishing items under this contract/purchase order must provide and maintain a quality system in accordance with ISO-9001 as amplified or modified herein, with the calibration system requirements of ISO-10012 or ANSI-Z540.3 with ISO-17025. A Quality System in accordance with MIL-I-45208, with the calibration system requirements of MIL-STD-45662, is acceptable as an alternate. 3.9.1 The Contractor's quality system and products supplied under the system are subject to evaluation, verification inspection, and acceptance/nonacceptance by the Government to determine the system's effectiveness in meeting the quality requirements established in the Contract/Purchase Order. 3.9.2 The Contractor's quality system must be documented and must be available for review by the Contracting Officer prior to initiation of production and throughout the life of the contract. The Prime Contractor must, upon notification, make his facilities available for audit by the contracting Officer or his authorized representative. 3.9.3 See CDRL DI-QCIC-81110 (Inspection System Procedures) - All suppliers of Level I/SUBSAFE (LI/SS) material are required to submit a copy of their current documented quality system procedures to the Procurement Contracting Officer (PCO) prior to award of any contract/purchase order. Suppliers that have a copy of their current quality system procedures on file at the Procuring Activity may request the PCO waive this requirement. 3.9.4 This contract provides for the performance of Government Quality Assurance at destination. The place or places of performance may not be changed without the authorization of the Procurement Contracting Officer. 3.9.5 Any changes made by the Contractor to a qualified quality system will require re-submittal to the PCO. 3.10 Contractor Inspection Requirements - The Contractor must maintain adequate records of all inspections and tests. The records must indicate the nature and number of observations made, the number and type of deficiencies found, the quantities approved and rejected and the nature of corrective action taken as appropriate. Inspection records must be traceable to the material inspected. 3.10.1 The supplier's gages, measuring and test equipment must be made available for use by the Government when required to determine conformance with Contract requirements. When conditions warrant, the supplier's personnel must be made available for operations of such devices and for verification of their accuracy and condition. 3.10.2 All documents and reference data applicable to this contract must be available for review by the Government. Copies of documents required for Government inspection purposes must be furnished in accordance with the instructions provided by the Government. 3.11 Subcontractor Inspection Requirements - The Government has the right to inspect at source, any supplies or services that were not manufactured or performed within the contractor's facility. Any purchasing documents to a subcontractor must cite the applicable portions of the contractually invoked quality system (e.g. calibration requirements), plus any product requirements that apply to the supplies being purchased. When the Government elects to perform source inspection at the subcontractor's facility, applicable purchase documents must be annotated with the following statement: "A Government inspection is required prior to shipment from your plant. Upon receipt of this order, promptly notify the Prime Contractor who will notify the PCO so that appropriate planning for Government inspection can be accomplished. 3.11.1 The prime contractor's program must include procedures to assess the capability of the prospective suppliers to produce the products or supply the services in accordance with the contract, prior to the issuance of any purchase document. 3.11.2 Each sub-tier supplier of material or services for items in Section 3 of this contract must be subjected to a periodic review or audit by the Prime to determine the continued capability of the supplier to control the quality of the products or services specified in the purchase order or contract. 3.11.3 The prime contractor must ensure that the purchased product conformsto specified purchase requirements and this contract. The type and extent of control applied to the supplier and the purchased product must be dependent upon the effect of the purchased product on the end item represented by this contract. 3.11.4 The prime contractor must evaluate the requirements of the contractand select suppliers based on their ability to supply the product in accordance with the prime contractor's requirements and the contract. Criteria for selection and evaluation must be established. Records of this effort must be available for review by the government. 3.11.5 The prime contractor's supplier quality assurance program must provide for a review of purchase documents to assure applicable quality requirements are included or referenced in the documentation for compliance by the supplier. 3.12 Government Furnished Material and/or Equipment (GFM/GFE) - When material or equipment is furnished by the Government, the Contractor must develop documented control procedures that require at least the following: 3.12.1 Visual examination upon receipt to detect damage during transit. 3.12.2 Inspection for completeness and proper type. 3.12.3 Verification of material quality received. 3.12.4 Periodic inspection and precautions to assure adequate storage conditions and to guard against damage from handling and deterioration during storage. 3.12.5 Functional testing, either prior to or after installation, or both, as required by the Contract to determine satisfactory operation. 3.12.6 Identification and protection from improper use or disposition. 3.12.7 Reporting to the Government, any GFM or GFE property found damaged, malfunctioning, or otherwise unsuitable for use. In the event of damage or malfunction during or after installation, the supplier must determine and record probable cause and necessity for withholding the material from use. 3.12.8 For GFE material, and as required by the terms of the bailment agreement, the supplier must establish procedures for adequate storage, maintenance, and inspection of bailed Government material. Records of all inspection and maintenance performed on bailed property must be maintained. 3.12.9 Material returned to the contractor must be handled as GFM. 3.13 Traceability and Certification Requirements - To assure that correct materials are installed in Level I/SUBSAFE systems, it is imperative that traceability be maintained from the material to the material certification test report and other required Objective Quality Evidence (OQE). The material certification report must completely and accurately reflect that the material supplied meets the specified requirements. Materials requiring Traceability and Certification Data are identified within Paragraph 3, Section C of this contract/purchase order. 3.13.1 The following provides the minimum requirements for maintaining material traceability and supplements the requirements specified in DI-MISC-81020 and elsewhere in the contract/purchase order. The Contractor must develop written procedures that implement the material control requirements stated herein and elsewhere in this Contract/Purchase Order. 3.14 Material Traceability - The certification data report must be identified through a unique traceability number, heat-lot number, or heat-treat number, as applicable, which must also be marked on the unit containers. This traceability marking must provide direct traceability to the material's chemical composition and mechanical properties certification data. Traceability must be maintained through all process operations including any subcontracted operations, to the finished component. 3.14.1 Permanent markings are not required for consumable material (weld filler material, etc.). Traceability must be by a label attached to each unit container. The unit container identification label must include, in addition to the contract number and the National Stock Number (NSN), all markings required for identity and traceability. Each container in the lot must contain material from the same traceability number or heat/lot, as defined in the applicable specification. Identification marking must be the Type designation in accordance with the applicable detail specification. 3.14.2 For covered welding electrodes, the Type designation or classification number must also be applied to the electrode covering within the space 2 1/2 inches from the grip end of the electrode. The marking must consist of at least one complete type designation or two or more partial type designations that can be read or positively interpreted as the intended designation. The two partial type designations must consist of at least the top portion and the bottom portion of the designation. 3.14.3 Individual cut length bare welding rods must be identified in accordance with the applicable commodity specification. In the absence of specific specification marking requirements, at least one legible type designation/classification number must be applied to each rod, either by stamping or by tagging (i.e. flag tagging). 3.14.4 Spool and Coil weld filler material must be identified in accordance with the applicable commodity specification. 3.15 Material Certification - In addition to the certification data requirements specified in the detailed specification invoked in this contract, the following material certification requirements apply: 3.15.1 See CDRL DI-MISC-81020 (QUALITY CONFORMANCE/REQUIRED TESTS) - Certification is required for each test performed under Quality Conformance listed in the applicable paragraph of the military specification. (or Table 5 of AWS specifications). 3.15.2 In addition to Quantitative Chemical and Mechanical Properties, (as required by the applicable specification), the material certification test reports must include the class, form, condition, grade, type and finish, as applicable, of the material supplied. 3.15.3 Material certification data forwarded by the manufacturer must contain a signed certification that the report results represent the actual attributes of the material furnished and indicate full compliance with all applicable specification and contract requirements. Transcription of certification data is prohibited. 3.15.4 Statements on material certification documents must be positive and unqualified. Disclaimers such as "To the best of our knowledge" or "We believe the information contained herein is true" are not acceptable. 3.15.5 If material is received without the required certification papers or with incorrect/missing data on the certification papers, the material will be rejected. 3.16 Final Inspection - The following inspections must be performed prior to Government inspection and acceptance: 3.16.1 All welding electrodes/inserts must be sample inspected in accordance with the applicable welding electrode/insert specification, except the unit containers must be 100% inspected for traceability marking and that the markings are legible. 3.16.2 All data concerning material verification (chemical and mechanical properties), traceability (material certifications to material/unit container marking) and nondestructive test (NDT) certifications for material must be 100% inspected. The certification test reports must be 100% inspected for completeness and legibility, and that there is a test report for each heat or lot of material being shipped. 3.17 See CDRL DI-MISC-80678 (Special Emphasis C of C) - The certificate of compliance must show traceability to the marking applied on each individual item, and must contain the following information: 1. Contractor's name, address and date. 2. The contract/purchase order number (for example: N00104-11-P-FA12) 3. The National Stock Number (NSN). The 18 character National Stock Number for Special Emphasis Material includes the two digit COG, the four digit FSC, the 9 digit NIIN, and the two digit SMIC (for example: 1H 4820 012345678 L1) ("N/A" when Not Applicable). 4. Lubricants, sealants, anti-seize, and/or thread locking compounds ("N/A" when Not Applicable). 5. Certification that O-rings, packing, gaskets, or other elastomeric products were installed in a compressed state within an assembly or sub-assembly, prior to expiration of the shelf life ("N/A" when Not Applicable). 6. Manufacturer's compound number ("N/A" when Not Applicable). 7. When weld procedure submittal is required by the contract, a statement that the approval date of the qualification data precedes any production or repair welding performed on this Contract. ("N/A" when Not Applicable). 8. A statement to the effect that all items furnished on this contract are in full compliance with the specifications and requirements and list each contractually invoked conformance/compliance test performed by name and that it was performed satisfactorily. 9. Contractor's or authorized personnel's signature. 4. QUALITY ASSURANCE 4.1 Notes to the Contractor - 4.1.1 The Contractor for proprietary designs - Departures from Contractor imposed requirements, not specifically covered by the contract, must be judged individually on the basis of the effect, if any, on contractual requirements. The departure must be considered a nonconformance and be submitted to the PCO for disposition. 4.1.2 The Contractor for proprietary designs - All records of departures from Contractor imposed requirements must be maintained and available for review at the Contractor's facility. A record of these departures, traceable to the applicable part number and contract number must be submitted to the PCO. 4.1.3 The Contractor for proprietary designs - For proprietary designs, the contractor's part numbers are acceptable for reference only. The delivered material must conform to all drawings, specifications, and other contractual requirements. 4.1.4 The Contractor - The ECDS (Electronic Contractor Data Submission) system is available for certain data submissions, and to submit questions and clarifications, and waiver requests on Contracts and Solicitations. ECDS can be found at: https://register.nslc.navy.mil/ 5. PACKAGING 5.1 Preservation, Packaging, Packing and Marking - Preservation, Packaging, Packing and Marking must be in accordance with the Contract/Purchase Order Schedule and as specified below. MIL-STD 2073 PACKAGING APPLIES AS FOUND ELSEWHERE IN THE SCHEDULE 6. NOTES 6.1 Several definitions of terms that apply to CSI items are listed below. All terms may not apply to every item. 6.1.1 The ECDS (Electronic Contractor Data Submission) system is at: https://register.nslc.navy.mil/ This application will require advance registration using a PKI Digital Certificate on a CAC. A Vendor User Guide is available as CSD001 in the CSD (Contract Support Document) Library within ECDS. 6.1.2 Critical Safety Item (CSI) - Any ship part, assembly, or support equipment containing a critical characteristic whose failure, malfunction, or absence of which could cause a catastrophic or critical failure resulting in loss of, or serious damage to the ship, or unacceptable risk of personal injury or loss of life. 6.1.3 Critical Process - As determined by the TWH, any process, operation or action performed on a Ship CSI that serves to establish a critical characteristic (such as welding, soldering, machining, polishing, cleaning, or assembling) or confirm that a critical characteristic is within drawing or specification compliance (such as, testing, measurement, or non-destructive evaluation). 6.1.4 First Article - Pre-production models, initial product samples, test samples produced to ensure a manufacturer's capability to meet full specification requirements. 6.1.5 First Article Test (FAT) - Contractually required testing and inspection of a supplier's pre-production, production, or "production representative" specimens to evaluate a manufacturer's ability to produce conforming product prior to the Government's commitment to receive subsequent production items. First Article Testing is product specific and does not assess manufacturing process controls nor does it assure the effectiveness of the manufacturer's quality program. 6.1.6 Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) - The quantitative and qualitative data of all mechanical, chemical, and performance tests performed (as required by the applicable specification, drawing, or purchase document) to prove that he material supplied conforms to the specified requirements. 6.1.7 Surface Discontinuity - Any surface irregularity, marking, or localized change in physical character of the surface, other than dimensional, that exists infrequently at one or several places. (Examples: burrs, dents, nicks, scratches, gouges, pits, center-punches, scribes, and tool marks). Surface discontinuities less than 0.005-inch in depth are acceptable provided they do not violate any other design requirements specified in this Contract/Purchase Order. 6.1.8 Traceability Code - A code or number providing traceability to the actual chemical and mechanical properties of the specified heat, batch, or form from which the material originated. 6.1.9 Verification - An examination performed to determine compliance with a specific requirement. 6.1.10 A nonconformance is defined as affecting or violating the following: - The requirements of this contract/purchase order. - Contractually invoked drawings (i.e. envelope dimensions, interface dimensions with mating parts/equipment, ce...