SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- VACUUM CHAMBERS - Redacted Limited Source Justification
- Notice Date
- 9/1/2016
- Notice Type
- Combined Synopsis/Solicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - APG (W911QX) Adelphi, 2800 POWDER MILL RD, ADELPHI, Maryland, 20783-1197, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20783-1197
- Solicitation Number
- W911QX-16-T-0254
- Archive Date
- 9/22/2016
- Point of Contact
- Crystal L. Demby, Phone: 3013945332
- E-Mail Address
-
crystal.l.demby.civ@mail.mil
(crystal.l.demby.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Vacuum Chambers JUSTIFICATION FOR OTHER THAN FULL & OPEN COMPETITION (ACTIONS $150,000 AND BELOW) 1. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROCUREMENT: Purchase of two (2) vacuum chambers - a small sphere chamber and the other being cylindrical - with mounts, of a suitable external and internal size, and bearing the necessary number of ports to be delivered within one (1) month of award. 2. PROPOSED CONTRACTOR/MANUFACTURER: Kimball Physics Inc. 311 Kimball Hill Road Wilton, New Hampshire 03086-5715 USA DUNS: 066750480 CAGE: 5T289 Small Business 3. ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE: 4. STATUTORY AUTHORITY PERMITTING CONTRACTING WITHOUT PROVIDING FOR FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 41 USC 1901(e), implemented by FAR 13.106-1(b)(1)(i) Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements. 5. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE AUTHORITY CITED ABOVE: The Optoelectronic Materials Research Branch within the Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) requires the procurement of a new vacuum chamber system for integration with a Government-owned pulsed electron gun system purchased on contract number W911QX-15-D-0023 Task Order 0001. The Optoelectronic Materials Research Branch develops and studies new materials for light-emitting diodes, lasers, photodetectors, and power generation and harvesting for Army systems. The proposed vacuum chamber systems are mission critical for continued study of the fundamental properties of new materials. The two (2) chambers needed are as follows: One chamber must allow for a working distance to the sample of less than 200 millimeters (mm) whilst also allowing for ports for the addition of a turbomolecular pump, sample rotation mount, door, UV transparent windows, and additional ports for electronic feedthroughs and diagnostic gages. The second chamber, besides as short a working distance as possible, requires at least six (6) ports in the same plane as the sample and beam axis for optical and manipulatory access. This chamber also requires two (2) large ports close to the sample to allow for focusing and optical measurement using a large numerical aperture (NA). Without the procurement of vacuum chambers of this size and number of ports, research will not be able to continue with the current electron gun system, losing experimental continuity, and jeopardizing the mission. Furthermore, if a different manufacturer is contemplated, the new system is estimated to cost of approximately $30,000.00 and may well result in significant down time estimated at one (1) year for design and integration of the new system into existing ARL technology. 6. MARKET RESEARCH CONDUCTED/EFFORTS TO OBTAIN COMPETITION: Market research was performed in May 2016 through internet searches by a post-doctoral fellow in SEDD who has been working with electron gun systems for two (2) years and is intimately acquainted with the system to be upgraded. By searching for cylindrical vacuum chambers identified the following suppliers: Kurt Lesker, Lacotech, MDC Vacuum, Htc, Schoonover, Pascal Technologies, Island Scientific, and Kimball Physics. The Market Research found that Kimball Physics is the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the only supplier of the original electron gun system, to which this new chamber will be mated. Kimball Physics are in possession of off-the-shelf components compatible with the requirements of this experiment, specifically: short working distances, small size, a suitable number of ports, acceptable internal mounting options for planned experiments, and immediate availability. Kimball is the only supplier who can meet the Government's requirements. Kurt Lesker's commercially-available chambers are all too large, have too great a working distance between entrance and where the sample would hypothetically be held, and have too few ports. Lacotech lacks any small off-the-shelf chambers with any viewports. MDC Vacuum make many offthe- shelf systems, but their standard cylindrical chambers are too large, and with too few ports for the needs of the research; the flanges on their box chambers are off-axis with the presumed sample position; and the available spherical chambers all have too great a working distance. HTC's chambers have too few ports for the needs of the work. Schoonover have two vacuum divisions: Laco technologies - metal chambers lack ports and acrylic chamber is unsuitable for both the ultra-high vacuum and optical applications - and Sharon Vacuum - only bespoke work. Pascal Technologies, like Kurt Lesker, only offer off-the-shelf chambers that are too large, have too great a working distance, and have too few ports. Island Scientific are the same as Pascal Technologies or Kurt Lesker. It is due to the aforementioned that Kimball Physics are the sole source for the proposed vacuum chamber requirement. The Government will continue to monitor the commercial marketplace for alternative manufacturers which may be able to meet this and similar requirements. 7. FAIR AND REASONABLE PRICE DETERMINATION: It has been determined that the anticipated cost to the Government will be fair and reasonable and that approval of this recommendation is in the best interest of the government. This justification is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief. 8/11/2016 X Benjamin Shelton Contracting Officer
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/4fbe78820732c49fa05ad6791ca5b367)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland, 20783, United States
- Zip Code: 20783
- Zip Code: 20783
- Record
- SN04253155-W 20160903/160902000831-4fbe78820732c49fa05ad6791ca5b367 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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