SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING VIA ELECTRON BEAM FREEFORMFABRICATION
- Notice Date
- 5/26/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 144, Industry Assistance Office, Hampton,VA 23681-0001
- ZIP Code
- 23681-0001
- Solicitation Number
- NNL10EBF3ROBOTICSYSTEM
- Response Due
- 6/11/2010
- Archive Date
- 5/26/2011
- Point of Contact
- Teresa M Hass, Contract Specialist/Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-8496, Fax 757-864-7709, Email Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov - Robert B. Gardner, Contracting Officer, Phone 757-864-2525, Fax 757-864-7898, Email Robert.B.Gardner@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Teresa M Hass
(Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/LaRC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources to supply arobotic manipulation and positioning system for in-space manufacturing. This Request forInformation (RFI) pertains to the design and fabrication of the mechanical, electrical,and controlling software for a robotic system.The specific application is to integratethe robotic system into an electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) system that will bedeployed to the International Space Station (ISS). (A parallel RFI NNL10EBF3ELECTRONBEAMis also being advertised for identifying sources for an electron beam gun for this EBF3system.) NASA is currently conducting market research to identify firms with specialized expertisein the design, analysis, and fabrication of components for small robotic positioningsystems particularly related to use in space. The robotic system will be designed to operate inside a vacuum chamber within the ISS,requiring operations in 0-g, a vacuum environment of 10-5 torr and higher vacuum, ISScabin pressures of 10 psi, and using ISS input power supply of 28 VDC or 124 VDC. Thehardware will also be designed to survive high vibration and g-force loads, temperatureexcursions between -50C to +50C, and launch in an unpressurized launch vehicle. Therobotic system will support positioning of multiple interchangeable heads, including butnot limited to an electron beam (EB) gun with attached wire feeder, light machiningtools, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) sensors. The EB gun, machining tools, and NDEsensors should incorporate the same automatic quick disconnects for the mechanicalconnector at the end of the robotic arm and will be used individually, as is typical in atool-change concept. Power for the individual interchangeable heads will be external tothe robotic arm, so the arm does not need to accommodate power connectors for the variousheads, but must allow for the power cabling to the top of each interchangeable head. Thewire feeder will require a second automatic quick disconnect at the attachment point tothe EB gun to enable automatic changing between a variety of wire feed stocks.Therobotic system may be Cartesian, cylindrical, or arm based with the goal of maximizingthe working volume within a minimum total chamber volume. The robotic positioning systemshall enable coordinated, multi-axial motion enabling precise following of a tool pathwhile maintaining a constant velocity at the electron beam head. Additionally, amotorized turntable, or turret assembly, is needed to position multiple base plates orbuild stubs. This base-plate fixture must be removable via a simple or automatic quickdisconnect system. The size and weight of the system and supporting components should beminimized in order to facilitate integration with the ISS. The robotics must includesafety features to prevent harm to personnel, the ISS, and the electron beam freeformfabrication equipment.The following specifications are in draft form and therefore subject to change. Thesespecifications are intended to depict the general performance envelope. Fabrication volume: 6 inch cubePositioning accuracy: +/- 0.001 inch in Cartesian spacePositioning velocities: 0.0 50.0 (+/- 0.1) inches per minute while maintainingpositioning accuracyPower: 100 Watts peak. Respondents should have demonstrated capability and experience in the design, analysis,fabrication, and testing of robotic systems, preferably with experience on systems forspace applications. Respondents shall emphasize how their stated capabilities andexperience relate to the specific performance requirements and challenges associated withdeveloping components for space applications. Respondents shall list specific missionswhere their hardware has flown, if publically available. Respondents may offer responses to any or all of the following:1. Design, analysis, and fabrication of components for small robotic positioning systemsparticularly related to use in space applications.2. Costs: a) Provide Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) costs to design the robotic systemand associated hardware to space-qualified requirements plus build three units broken outat a minimum in the following categories: design, testing, and fabrication/delivery. (b)Provide assumptions used in development of ROM costs.3. Delivery: (a) Provide an estimated delivery time frame. (b) What are the major risksand foreseen or unforeseen challenges to meeting the delivery - how can they be overcome?4. Experience: (a) Interested parties must have experience with design, analysis,fabrication, and testing of robotic systems; specific experience with designing andfabricating robotic systems used in reduced gravity and vacuum environments for spaceapplications, is desired. In addition to the above information, responses must include the following: name andaddress of firm, size of business; average annual revenue for past 3 years and number ofemployees; ownership; whether they are large, small, small disadvantaged, 8(a), HUBZone,and/or woman-owned; number of years in business; affiliate information: parent company,joint venture partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub)or subcontractors (if potential prime); list of customers covering the past five years(highlight relevant work performed, contract numbers, contract type, dollar value of eachprocurement; and point of contact - address and phone number). Information, such as trade secrets and commercial or financial information provided tothe Government on a privileged or confidential basis that, if released, would result incompetitive harm should be identified and marked as Proprietary. Government civil servantemployees are subject to the non-disclosure obligations of a felony criminal statute, theTrade Secrets Act, 18 USC 1905. NASA will likely provide proprietary information to itssupport service contractors who are under an obligation to keep third-party proprietaryinformation in confidence. Company names and identifiers will be removed from theinformation prior to providing it to support service contractor personnel. As such, tothe extent that any information submitted in response to this RFI is marked as orconstrued to be proprietary or business-sensitive, submitters are hereby notified (a)about the potentiality that such information may be disclosed to support servicecontractors and (b) submission of information in response to this RFI constitutes consentto such handling and disclosure of submitted information. Responses should not exceed 10 pages total, in 12 point font, not including diagrams,pictures, or figures. Preferred file format is Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel orAdobe (PDF). Existing documents that describe suitable existing products or proposedproducts are acceptable. The information obtained will be used by NASA for planning and acquisition strategydevelopment. NASA will use the information obtained as a result of this RFI on anon-attribution basis. Providing data and information that is limited or restricted foruse by NASA for that purpose would be of very little value and such restricted/limiteddata/information is not solicited. No information or questions received will be posted toany website or public access location. NASA does not plan to respond to the individualresponses. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. It is the potential offeror(s) responsibility to monitor these sitesfor the release of any solicitation or synopsis. This RFI is being used to obtain information for planning purposes only and theGovernment does not presently intend to award a contract, nor will the Government pay forinformation solicited. As stipulated in FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are notconsidered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract..Inputs shall be compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements concerninglimitations on export controlled items. Technical questions should be directed to: Dr. Bill Seufzer at: Bill.Seufzer@nasa.gov.Procurement related questions should be directed to: Ms. Teresa Hass at:Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov. Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-typeproduct. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business or 8(a) set-aside based onresponses hereto. All responses shall be emailed to Ms. Teresa Hass at Teresa.M.Hass@nasa.gov no later than4:30pm on June 11, 2010. An ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note 'B'.
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