RWP - Extreme Loads Tire Force Machine (ELTFM)

The Department of the Air Force, through the Headquarters Air Force Test Center (AFTC/PZ), is seeking a prototype for an Extreme Loads Tire Force Machine (ELTFM) to replace a legacy system that cannot meet current high vertical and lateral load requirements for military aircraft heavy-tire qualification. This high-capacity dynamic test machine is designed to bridge the operational gap between static load presses and high-speed dynamometer force testing. The project involves the design, modeling, manufacture, and installation of a multi-axis dynamic load frame integrated with a high-capacity table, precision sensors, and a LabVIEW-based real-time data acquisition and control system. The final system will be installed and commissioned at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, specifically within Building 31A Area B. This acquisition is conducted under Other Transaction Authority (OTA) pursuant to 10 U.S.C. § 4022, targeting small businesses, nonprofits, or nontraditional defense contractors. The project is structured into two primary phases: Prototype A, focusing on the design and interface architecture, and Prototype E, covering physical assembly, factory and site acceptance testing, and operational commissioning. Pricing is hybrid, utilizing firm-fixed-price for base design milestones and unpriced, unfunded optional milestones for the execution phase based on rough order of magnitude estimates. Evaluation will be based on key performance parameters, system attributes, and interface commonality with the Joint Multi-Purpose Dynamometer. Due to the nature of the work, performers must comply with CMMC Level 2 and CUI cybersecurity requirements and provide a formal statement regarding Government Purpose Rights for intellectual property.