SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimeter
- Notice Date
- 5/24/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Midwest Area Office, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL, 61604
- ZIP Code
- 61604
- Solicitation Number
- 5114-4-0033
- Response Due
- 6/7/2004
- Archive Date
- 6/30/2004
- Point of Contact
- Rebecca Holzinger, Contract Administrator, Phone 309-681-6616, Fax 309-681-6683, - Georgetta Stonewall, Contract Specialist, Phone (309) 681-6624, Fax (309) 681-6683,
- E-Mail Address
-
rholzinger@mwa.ars.usda.gov, gstonewall@mwa.ars.usda.gov
- Description
- This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. Solicitation No. 5114-4-0033 is being issued as a Request for Proposal (RFP). This solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-23. The NAICS code applicable to this acquisition is 334516. For a company to qualify as a small business, the small business standard is 500 employees. The Food and Industrial Oils Research Unit (FIO), NCAUR, ARS, USDA, Peoria, IL requires a modulated differential scanning calorimeter. The instrument must be a research-grade DSC that provides accurate determination of sample temperature and heat flow with high baseline stability, sensitivity and peak resolution. The furnace must be constructed to provide a uniform thermal environment over a long lifetime. The instrument should be of the heat flux design whereby the sample and reference are measured on separate stages in the same furnace. The temperature detectors should be located directly beneath the sample and reference positions. THE SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS: The instrument must meet or exceed these minimum requirements: 1) The instrument should be designed to measure temperature and heat flow through a given sample as a function of controlled heating or cooling temperature or under controlled isothermal conditions; 2) The system should have a sub-ambient cooling capability and will require a cell designed for high pressure measurements. Both sealed and open-type sample and reference pans will be tested; 3) The instrument must have a user replaceable sensor or furnace to allow various groups to have their own cells for use on the same cell platform; 4) The instrument must be capable of determining heat flow using an equation with no less than four terms to measure and compensate for various factors within the heat-flow measurement. These terms should be determined from direct measurement of the following parameters: measured heat flow, thermal resistance imbalance, thermal capacitance imbalance and heating rate imbalance; 5) The instrument must be capable of incorporating a sample-pan contact resistance measurement to improve signal resolution. These capabilities are required to ensure accurate measurement of sample temperature and heat flow with high sensitivity and resolution; 6) The instrument must be capable of directly measuring heat capacity (Cp) from one experimental run through incorporation of the aforementioned equation; 7) The instrument must deliver data analysis for glass transition, melting point, crystallization time and temperature, peak temperature, heat of fusion, specific heat, oxidative stability, onset temperature, reaction kinetics, phase transitions and curing studies; 8) Data files must contain sample temperature, not calculated temperature; 9) The instrument must be capable of performing modulated thermal analysis to separate reversible (heat capacity related) and non-reversible (kinetic) heat flow events from data collected during one experiment; 10) The instrument must be capable of flow control that is programmable within the operating software and deliverable as a saved signal in the data file; 11) The instrument must include automated gas switching during the experiment; 12) The system must be automated via personal computer/controller. Results and data files should be exportable to office suites; 13) The instrument must be capable of running simultaneously off the same controller with dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA), thermo-mechanical analyzer (TMA), rheometer or another DSC; 14) The system must accommodate a user-installed and replaceable Pressure DSC cell for analysis of transitions or reactions under pressure; 15) The system must be capable of accommodating (as a future option) a photocalorimeter accessory (PCA) for study of ultra-violet (UV) induced chemical reactions; 16) The instrument must have the capability to modify a run in progress, including ability to add segments to an active run; 17) The system must allow local control at the module, including experiment start/stop and real-time display of sample temperature and experimental status; 18) Calibration constants must be stored in memory to eliminate re-calibration after power interruption; 19) The instrument must have capability to run kinetic software using models including Isothermal, Borchardt & Daniels and Variable Heating Rate (ASTM E698); 20) The system must come with installation including calibration with a traceable standard and training. CONVENTIONAL DSC CELL MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 21) Must allow temperature range of -75 to 550 degrees C with mechanical cooling; 22) Must be capable of cooling from ambient to -75 degrees C at a minimum rate of 5 degrees C per minute; 23) Must be capable of cooling from 500 degrees C to ambient in less than 10 minutes under controlled cooling; 24) Must have no operational issues with frosting as a result of sub-ambient operation; 25) Temperature accuracy plus or minus 0.1 degree C; 26) Temperature precision plus or minus 0.05 degrees C; 27) Calorimetric precision plus or minus 0.1% based on metal standards; 28) Maximum calorimetric sensitivity equal to 0.2 uW; 29) Sensitivity (TAWN Standard) equal or greater than 7; 30) Resolution (TAWN Standard) equal or less than 0.10; 31) Baseline curvature (50 to 300 degrees C) less than 10 uW maximum; 32) Baseline reproducibility equal to 10uW; 33) Baseline noise less than 1 uW (maximum peak to peak); 34) The instrument must come equipped with a robotic autosampler. AUTOSAMPLER MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 35) Must provide automatic analysis of no less than 50 sample and no less than 5 reference pans; 36) Must accommodate a variety of DSC pan types, including but not limited to standard, hermetic, open and high-volume pans; 37) Must employ automatic lid that removes all coverings from the DSC sensor; 38) Must unload existing and load new sample pan within 75 seconds; 39) Must employ mechanical finger type gripper, not suction device; 40) Must employ automated position calibration requiring minimal input from the users. Full auto-calibration should take no more than 5 minutes; 41) Must have controls on the instrument and by computer/controller. PRESSURE DSC CELL MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 42) Maximum pressure no less than 7 MPa (1000 psig); 43) Maximum vacuum no less than 1.3 Pa (0.01 Torr); 44) Atmosphere: Inert (nitrogen, argon, helium, etc.), reducing (hydrogen, carbon monoxide, etc.), and oxidizing (air, oxygen); 45) Dynamic purge up to 100 mL per minute; 46) Temperature range from ambient to 725 degrees C; 47) Temperature precision plus or minus 0.05 degrees C; 48) Calorimetric precision (metal standards) plus or minus 1 %; 49) Sample size range from 0.5 to 100 mg. OTHER MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 50) Controller/data analyzer must be IBM-compatible personal computer for full functional operation as a thermal analysis (or rheology) controller; 51) Computer: 2.4 GHz Pentium IV processor, 48X CD-Rom drive, CD-RW drive, 128 MB RAM, 1.44 MB floppy and 40 GB hard drive; 52) Operating system must be Windows XP Professional/2000; 53) System must include 17-inch flat panel color monitor and color printer; 54) Sample press with crimping and hermetic sealing die set, capable of crimping and sealing standard and hermetic pans. DESCRIPTIVE LITERATURE: Offerors shall submit 2 copies of the Descriptive Literature describing their proposed equipment in enough detail to ascertain whether the equipment meets the criteria listed above. REJECTION OF PROPOSAL: Failure to demonstrate compliance will be cause to reject the proposal without further discussions. All responsible sources may submit an offer which will be considered. The following provisions and clauses apply to this acquisition and can be found in full text at http://www.arnet.gov/far/loadmainre.html. FAR 52.252-1 Solicitation Provisions Incorporated by Reference are as follows: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.214-21, Descriptive Literature (Provide with Proposal); FAR 52.204-7, Central Contractor Registration (All Offerors must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database in order to receive an award. The website address for registration is: http://www.ccr.gov); and FAR 52.222-22, Previous Compliance Report. FAR 52.252-2 Clauses Incorporated by Reference, FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions - Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items apply to this acquisition. The following FAR clauses cited in 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items (June 2003) are applicable to this acquisition: FAR 52.222-3, Convict Labor (E.O. 11755); FAR 52.222-19, Child Labor; 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans; 52.225-3, Buy American Act - North American Free Trade Agreement - Israeli Trade Act; 52.225-13, Restriction on Certain Foreign Purchases; 52.225-15, Sanctioned European Union Country End Products (E.O. 12849); 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer -Central Contractor Registration (31 U.S.C. 3332); 52.232-36, Payment by Third Party (31 U.S.C. 3332) and FAR 52.233, Protest After Award. The above FAR clauses may be viewed at http://www.ARNet.gov/far/. SHIPPING: FOB Destination. DOCUMENTS INCLUDED IN PROPOSAL: In order to be considered for award Offerors shall provide 1) a Proposal on company letterhead detailing the item description, and unit price; 2) descriptive literature, brochures; 3) at least 3 to 5 references for the proposed equipment. References must have received the proposed equipment within the last three (3) calendar years (Government references preferred but will accept commercial references). References shall be provided for the product proposed and if possible include the email address of the person to be contacted; and 4) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provisions FAR 52.212-3 OFFEROR REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS - COMMERCIAL ITEMS, with this offer; a copy of this provision may be obtained at http://www.acqnet.gov/far. DELIVERY TO: USDA-ARS, NCAUR, Peoria, IL 61604. PROPOSAL PRICE MUST INCLUDE any freight or shipping, as well as any applicable duties, brokerage, or customs fees. DELIVERY DATE DUE: The Government requires delivery on or before 30 days after award, however, each offeror shall include their proposed delivery schedule as part of their Proposal. FAR 52.212.-2 EVALUATION - COMMERCIAL ITEM, the significant evaluation factors, in the relative order of importance, are (i) technical capability of the item offered to meet the Government requirement including delivery date; (ii) past performance; and (iii) price (based on F.O.B. Destination), technical and past performance are more important than price. Award will be made based on overall BEST VALUE to the Government. EVALUATION & AWARD FACTORS - The contract resulting from this solicitation will be awarded to the responsible party whose offer, conforming to the solicitation, is determined most advantageous to the government, cost, and other factors considered. Each proposal shall respond to each of the evaluation factors identified below. With the exception of past performance, a technical evaluation will be performed on each proposal based solely on the information furnished and not on previous knowledge or associations. The evaluation factors are as follows: (1) Technical Evaluation Factors: A) All Proposals will be rated against the salient characteristics and minimum requirements. B) Installation. C) Training. D) Delivery. E) Warranty. The Offeror shall extend to the Government the full coverage of any standard commercial warranty normally offered in a similar commercial sale, provided such warranty is available at no additional cost to the Government. Acceptance of the standard commercial warranty does not waive the Government?s rights under the Inspection clause nor does it limit the Government?s right with regard to the other terms and conditions of this contract. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of the contract shall take precedence over the standard commercial warranty. The contractor shall provide a copy of its standard commercial warranty (if applicable) with this response. Any amendment and documents related to this procurement will be available electronically at the Internet site: http://www.eps.gov. Potential offerors will be responsible for downloading their own copy of those documents related to this procurement. Furnish Proposals to Rebecca A. Holzinger, Contracting Officer, USDA, ARS, MWA, Contracting Office, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL 61604, no later than 2:00 p.m., June 7, 2004. Proposals and other requested documents may be provided by facsimile to (309) 681-6683 if desired. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the Contracting Officer at (309) 681-6616 or email below.
- Place of Performance
- Address: USDA, ARS, MWA, NCAUR, 1815 N. University Street, Peoria, IL
- Zip Code: 61604
- Country: USA
- Zip Code: 61604
- Record
- SN00591063-W 20040526/040524211653 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
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