SOURCES SOUGHT
84 -- Market Survey of Active Hearing Protection Systems with directionality and situational awareness in low level sound environment
- Notice Date
- 9/17/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334310
— Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps Systems Command, 2200 Lester Street, Quantico, Virginia, 22134-5010
- ZIP Code
- 22134-5010
- Solicitation Number
- M67854-12-I-1076
- Archive Date
- 10/30/2012
- Point of Contact
- Susan Leigh D'Lugos,
- E-Mail Address
-
susan.dlugos@usmc.mil
(susan.dlugos@usmc.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) is conducting market research for potential sources and products for an active solution to provide hearing conservation to the Warfighter, Active Noise Reduction (ANR) Earmuffs, and ANR Earplugs. Specifically, to identify products that not only protect hearing from high level energy sources but additionally provide a situational awareness at times when the user is not exposed to higher dB levels of sound. Background: Hearing loss secondary to blast trauma, is now the most common combat injury in Iraq and Afghanistan. The use of active hearing protection that protects against transient impact noise at the same time allowing detection of ambient sound would enable Marines to continue to hear and respond in combat, enhancing situational awareness while blocking and/or reflecting harmful blast shock waves in the ear canal. Current passive ear plugs and over the ear muffs block both loud sounds and the sound of normal speech. As a result, they are not worn when needed, or are worn in a manner that permits normal verbal communication but that makes the devices ineffective for hearing protection. This feature should be automatic once the device is powered up. The intention of this Request for Information is market research to identify qualified active type devices and independently test them to verify performance and create a list of qualified products. Definitions: Active Hearing Protection Systems. Active Noise Reduction (ANR) earmuffs and plugs incorporate an electronic sound cancelling system ("anti-noise") that typically provides additional noise attenuation at the lower frequencies. ANR earmuffs and plugs can be achieved using both analogue and digital designs. Typically active cancellation can be achieved using either a feedback or feed-forward design. Performance: MARCORSYSCOM is seeking information on hearing protection products, or products in development, that can meet the following specifications: • Wearing the system shall not impact situational awareness in low level sound environment. • Attenuation shall be level-dependent; providing minimal attenuation at low noise levels and greater attenuation when noise exceeds safe levels. • Attenuates impact noise above 125 dB, 30 dB at least desired, 25 dB threshold • Attenuates high level noise above 110 dB at least 20 dB Desired Attenuation Criteria at Specific Frequencies above 110 dB Octave Band Attenuation Requirements (frequency in HZ) 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000 8000 Attenuation (in dB) 28 30 33 33 33 33 42 • At levels below 90 dB, attenuation shall be less than 12 dB (according to the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR). Certification of attenuation data to the ANSI S12.6 and ANSI S12.42 standard by an independent laboratory with NVLAP stamp, a US military laboratory, or a Certified European (CE) test report is acceptable.) • Provide directionality to the user for external sounds. • If external microphones are used to restore ambient hearing, the system will use independent binaural talk-through microphones so as to retain the binaural difference cues required for directional auditory cues. • Listener evaluations of auditory localization ability should show average unsigned localization error values (at any horizontal angle) that are no greater than 15° larger than those obtained with for bare head.   Physical characteristics: Ear plugs should not protrude from the ear and interfere with headphones or helmets. Each set of in-the-ear shall weigh less than 3.5 grams, including any required batteries. Ear plugs must be available in multiple sizes to fit comfortably in the 5th percentile to 95th percentile of Marine's ear canal. Plugs must not be a custom ear mold design product. All over-the-ear protection shall weigh less than 1.2 lbs (544.3 grams), including any required batteries. User contact surfaces shall be of materials that insure comfort and compatibility for long term use in the tactical environment. Optional: Active Hearing Protection Systems shall provide a user-controlled ambient sound amplification function. This desired feature shall be adjustable by the user over a range from cutoff to at least +10 dB above ambient in normal noise environments. If ambient sound amplification is provided, electronic compression or shut-off features will prevent exposure to unsafe levels of noise, according to the previous guidelines. The technical criteria for impulse exposure are contained in Impulse Noise Limit profile "X" in MIL STD 1474. Qualification: Products that meet the matrix specification requirements based on data provided will undergo a separate test process to be authorized placement on a qualified product list. Responses should include: Information regarding products that are currently in manufacture and can be readily purchased and/or information on products that could address the above specifications with minimal modifications. Product information on specific active hearing products to include sizing, materials and performance specifications in the areas of high level sound protection, band width, battery life and cost, durability, impact of moisture, ability to facilitate situational awareness, ease of use, acoustic localization. Please provide any independent test lab data (independent laboratory with NVLAP stamp, a US military laboratory, or a Certified European (CE) test report is acceptable) supporting the performance claims for both high level sound and impulse attenuation and NRR, directionality, fit and comfort. Production lead time. Estimated unit pricing for the product(s) to include estimated life cycle costs for any necessary product modification. Manufacturing capabilities. Provide information on production capacity and facilities for production Please provide any specific information on any government contract vehicle your product(s) is on (i.e. NSN, GSA, DLA, etc.) Pricing for purchasing samples for a qualification evaluation. Respondents are requested to include literature, brochures, business size, and capabilities summaries directly addressing their ability to meet the hearing protection specifications. Material samples are welcome, however not required. Furnished written materials and any proprietary information will be protected when clearly identified as proprietary. No telephonic responses will be accepted. Responses shall be submitted not later than 15 October 2012 to S. Leigh D'Lugos, at email address susan.dlugos@usmc.mil or via FEDEX/UPS deliveries to Commander, MARCORSYSCOM, 2200 Lester Street Quantico VA 22134-6050. Any/all questions regarding submission of materials should be addressed to S. Leigh D'Lugos at susan.dlugos @usmc.mil. THE REQUEST FOR THIS INFORMATION IS FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT TO PROCURE ANY ITEMS/SERVICES, NOR FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR THE INFORMATION RECEIVED. NO SOLICITATION DOCUMENT EXISTS AT THIS TIME.
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