SOURCES SOUGHT
66 -- Multi-Channel Controller
- Notice Date
- 4/13/2011
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 334519
— Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, 88 CONS/PK, 1940 ALLBROOK DRIVE, WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio, 45433-5309, United States
- ZIP Code
- 45433-5309
- Solicitation Number
- F4FBEY0349A0001
- Point of Contact
- Steven R. Selm, Phone: 9375224539
- E-Mail Address
-
steven.selm@wpafb.af.mil
(steven.selm@wpafb.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS (Not a Notice of Solicitation) The United States Air Force, ASC/Operational Contracting Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio is seeking potential sources that are capable of providing one or more multi-channel controller(s). The system shall include all components necessary for complete system operation including control electronics, cables, connectors, installation and calibrations. Contractors responding should specify that their equipment meets the specifications provided below and provide detailed product information to show clear technical compliance. Additionally, sales history, including recent commercial companies sold to should be included to determine commerciality. The Air Force is seeking one (1) control system as described in the "general specifications" to control two single axis servo-hydraulic actuators located in separate test stations. (Actuators are current lab equipment) Required are two PC's, one for each test station; a minimum of six AC/DC transducer conditioners; a minimum of two valve drivers (2 Stage); two handsets; two E-stops; proportional HSM controls for two stations; a minimum of eight A/D inputs and eight A/D outputs; calibration for: two displacement LVDT's, two load cells, and two extensometers (strain); software as described in the "general specifications." Please provide the anticipated cost to provide this control system. For reference, the capabilities package should include the current cost to add one servo-hydraulic control channel to a current test station, and the cost to add a new test station with one servo-hydraulic control channel. The required specifications for the System are as follows: 1. Full Configurability 1.1. Controller must allow for any and all inputs to be assigned to any control channel by the user without requiring re-arranging controller hardware. 1.2. Controller must allow for any and all control channels to be assigned to any test station by the user without requiring re-arranging controller hardware. 1.3. Controller must allow for any and all output channels and input channels to be distributed in any manner desired by the user via software, without requiring any controller hardware to be re-arranged. 1.4. Control software shall have ability to automatically recognize added controller hardware. 2. Support for Multiple Independent Test Stations 2.1. Controller must support at least 5 channels of control per station. 2.2. Controller must support control of up-to at least six independent test stations which can be run simultaneously unless multiple controllers are implemented 2.3. Controller provides dedicated Station Interlock Digital I/O for each station. 3. Test display and monitoring 3.1. When one PC is used to operate multiple stations, software must enable the user to focus 85% or more of the PC monitor viewing area on one station at a time. While in this mode, controller software must enable a small portion (5-15%) of the screen to be reserved for displaying basic status information of the other stations. 3.2. Controller shall have ability to indicate the following information, for 2 - 4 stations, using no more than between 5 and 15% of the total screen area: Station Name, Active Application, Test Status (Running, Holding, Stopped), Power Status (Off, Low, High), and Interlock status. 3.3. The numeric display shall have ability to show up to at least 16 "DVMs" or "meters", with each meter being the user's choice of signal and mode (such as peak/valley or min/max levels of stroke feedback for any channel). 3.4. User can set size and arrangement of "DVM meters" on PC monitor as desired. 3.5. Multiple "Scopes" can be displayed on PC monitor, with each scope having ability to show traces of any four signals selected by the user. 3.6. Scopes can be setup by the user for time-based or frequency-based displays. 3.7. The controller shall have options for trend monitoring and for fatigue monitoring functions, with ability to graphically display plots of the various corresponding trend and fatigue values. 4. Command Generation and Data Acquisition 4.1. Controller has a function generator that is capable of generating following command types: segments, cycles, block-cycles, dwells, profiles, sweeps, RPC time history files, and RPC road surface files. 4.2. Controller is capable of acquiring and storing to disc the following data types for all channels: peak/valley, timed, max/min, level crossing, high-speed timed, cyclic, fatigue, RPC time history, and trend. 4.3. Controller is capable of monitoring test signals and issuing event signals when conditions specified by the user are met. Such events include: data limit levels, digital inputs, operator actions, peak/valley level changes, periodic time durations, and specified changes in specimen response. 4.4. Controller is capable of sending signals to external controllers and logic devices, including digital outputs which can be set to low, set to high, toggled, or pulsed. 4.5. Controller is capable of providing temperature setpoint programming via two-way serial communications to external temperature controllers. 4.6. Controller supports variety of program control processes, which include ability to generate messages and perform other actions specified by the user. This capability can include prompting the test operator to provide specific information at a particular point within the test procedure. (Such information might be: operator ID, specimen ID, batch number, workstation number, etc.) 4.7. Controller supports options for Trend monitoring, in which trend data can be plotted and displayed in real time. 4.8. Controller supports options for Fatigue monitoring, in which fatigue data can be plotted and displayed in real time. 4.9. Controller supports options for Profile Editing application software, providing user with tools to create and edit files to specify custom and/or arbitrary waveforms. 5. Control Modes 5.1. Controller shall support Proportional, Integral, Derivative, and Feed-forward (PIDF) control. 5.2. Controller shall support Channel Limited Channel (CLC) control with the second feedback signal providing means for limiting the actuator. 5.3. Controller shall support Dual Mode control with two feedback signals to provide better control stability. 5.4. Controller shall provide option for Cascade control which provides two sets of PIDF controls, which is useful to accommodate for changes in stiffness on non-linear specimens. 5.5. Controller shall provide option for Three Variable Control (TVC) which provides simultaneous control of displacement, velocity, and acceleration. TVC control shall combine the command and feedback signals of all three control variables to provide optimal system performance across a broad spectrum of frequencies, emphasizing: Displacement at low frequencies; Velocity at middle frequencies; and Acceleration at high frequencies. 6. Compensation Techniques 6.1. Controller shall provide capability for Null Pacing compensation, to ensure desired end-levels are reached on the first cycle. Control shall provide means for the user to adjust parameters to maximize performance for static null pacing, or for dynamic null pacing, or any combination of these two. 6.2. Controller shall provide capability for Peak Valley Control compensation, to ensure peaks and valleys are achieved for cyclic waveforms of any shape, in linear systems. 6.3. Controller shall provide capability for Amplitude Phase Control compensation, to correct the peak-to-peak amplitudes and phasing for cyclic sinusoidal waveforms, in linear systems. 6.4. Controller shall provide capability for Arbitrary Level Control compensation that can work with block-cycle files or random profiles, to improve the tracking accuracy of spectrum profiles, and that works effectively with both linear and non-linear specimens. 6.5. Controller shall provide capability for Peak Valley Phase Control compensation that combines Peak Valley Control (to ensure peaks and valleys are achieved, including mean level) and Amplitude Phase Control (to correct for phasing) for cyclic waveforms. This is useful for waveforms that are not truly sinusoidal in shape, possibly due to distortions in the feedback signal. 7. Controller Hardware 7.1. The controller must make use of signal conditioning modules which support both AC or DC transducers. The use of separate module types for AC and DC transducers is not acceptable. 7.2. The controller must support loop closure rates of at least 2048 Hz with 8 channels, 4096 Hz with 4 channels, and 6144 Hz with 2 channels. 7.3. Controller Handset provides the following features: 7.3.1. Exclusive Control to prevent initiation of actuator movement from any other source 7.3.2. Speed-sensitive thumbwheel for precise control of actuator movement 7.3.3. Multi-line text display for easy viewing of system information 7.3.4. Dedicated Display Pages for Manual Command, Auto Offset, and Hydraulic Control 7.3.5. Dedicated Run/Stop/Hold keys 7.3.6. Dedicated Manual Command key and LED 7.4. Resolution must be 19 bit or greater to provide a full-scale resolution eight times greater than a 16 bit system. 7.5. Controller Handset provides the following functions: 7.5.1. Temporarily override and reset interlocks 7.5.2. Energize and de-energize hydraulic pump and hydraulic manifold 7.5.3. Easily view multiple signals for one or more control channels 7.5.4. Conveniently move actuators to install and replace test specimens 7.5.5. Auto-offset selected transducer signals 7.5.6. Start, pause, and stop the test application program 7.6. CABLE SHIELDING must include passive shield ground to chassis common ground AND Active Driven Shield which drives and inverted noise signal thus cancelling out noise pickup on cabling. 8. Controller PC 8.1. Controller must enable all stations to be operable through one PC, and also to enable multiple PCs to operate respective stations unless a separate controller is utilized for each station. 9. System Software 9.1. The main user interface for the system shall be through a personal computer and utilize a mouse driven windowed user interface. This is a requirement for fully automated testing and to minimize the chances for operator error. 9.2. The system software shall run under the Windows 7 operating system. 9.3. The system shall have software utilities to provide a display scope and data display functions on the computer screen simultaneously as a test application is running. 9.4. The system software shall provide user access levels to prevent inadvertent changes to tuning and calibration files. 9.5. The system shall provide the capability to set up simple tests in any control mode with constant amplitude cyclic or ramp waveforms. These simple tests shall also be able to acquire and store data from any defined transducer signal. In addition, counter functions shall be available from the simple test to present current and total counts as well as provide a preset count to a triggered event such as a pause, or stop of the test. The system shall make it possible to save all the simple test settings and recall them for future use. 9.6. The system software will allow more than 100 different controller configurations and user accounts to be established and stored. Each user account includes preference settings that ensure that the controller boots up to a pre-defined state whenever a user logs on to the system. 9.7. A Personal Computer shall be used with the control system. The PC must be at least a Pentium Class PC with 1 Gb Ram and CD with 20 inch monitor minimum. 9.8. Software must be ICON based configuration of test procedure construction. 9.9. Application software shall be included for generating and executing tests. The application software will include the ability to control or to capture data from any installed AC or DC transducer, or externally conditioned transducer. 9.10. The application software shall allow the following kinds of tests to be defined and executed: 9.10.1. Monotonic tests including tensile, compression, and flexure 9.10.2. Block loading fatigue 9.10.3. Constant amplitude fatigue 9.10.4. Random fatigue using an input file to define end levels and rates 9.10.5. Any of the above in combination. 9.11. The application software will allow data to be collected and stored to disk during any simple or complex test. Available data acquisition routines will include timed data collection, peak/valley data collection, maximum / minimum value collection, and level crossing data collection. The software will allow selection of the master channel to be used for peak/valley and level crossing data acquisition and the additional slave channels to be collected simultaneously. Any or all internally or externally conditioned channels can be used as the master or as the slave channel. More than one data acquisition routine can be running simultaneously. 9.12. The application software shall allow the operator to directly interact with the progress of the test through user definable software buttons. The operator can define software buttons with names and descriptions that when clicked with the mouse causes the test program to sequence to the next desired test sequence. 9.13. The application software shall allow the operator to set up command segment end levels that are from a different transducer channel than the channel being used for test control. The end level or "data limit" can be set up to terminate the current segment when the data limit is approached from below, above, or either direction. The data limits can also be used to trigger data acquisition and other definable test system processes. Data limits can be set up to cause the test system to go to any definable state upon detection. 9.14. The application software shall allow detection of digital inputs to the test system controller and allow digital output signals to be output from the control system digital output channels. 9.15. The application software shall have a detector monitoring changes in peak / valley readings. The process can be used to trigger data collection or other definable test system processes. 9.16. The application software shall allow the operator to selectively acquire hysteresis loop data every nth (a predetermined number) cycles. 9.17. The application software shall allow a virtually unlimited number of test procedures to be set up and stored. All interested contractors shall submit a response demonstrating their capabilities to produce the requested equipment to the Primary Point of Contact listed below. As stipulated in FAR 15.201, responses to this notice are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. The decision to solicit for a contract shall be solely within the Government's discretion. Contractors responding should indicate whether they are, or are not, a small business, a socially and economically disadvantaged business, or a woman owned business. The general definition of a small business is one that is independently owned and operated, is not dominant in the field of operation in which it is proposing on Air Force contracts and with its affiliates; and the number of employees does not exceed 500. NAICS Code to be used for this acquisition is 334519. The Government reserves the right to consider a small business set-aside based upon responses hereto for any subsequent acquisition. Respondents are further requested to indicate their status as a Foreign-owned/Foreign-controlled contractor and any contemplated use of foreign national employees on this effort. Any information submitted by respondents to this sources sought synopsis is voluntary. This sources sought notice is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government, nor will the Government reimburse any costs associated with the submission of information in response to this notice. Respondents will not individually be notified of the results of any government assessments. The Government's evaluation of the capability statements received will factor into whether any forthcoming solicitation will be conducted as a full and open competition or as a set-aside for small businesses, or any particular small business designation (e.g. SDVOSB, HUBZone, 8(a), SDB, WOSB, VOSB, etc.). CAPABILITIES PACKAGE: All interested contractors shall submit a capabilities package that explicitly demonstrates company capabilities-indicating examples of commercial sales-and product specifications related to this effort. Responses may be submitted electronically to the following e-mail address: steven.selm@wpafb.af.mil in a Microsoft Word compatible format or mailed to ASC/PKOAA POC: Steven Selm, 1940 Allbrook Dr. Ste 3 Rm 109, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-5309 to be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 13 May 2011. Direct all questions concerning this acquisition to Steven Selm at steven.selm@wpafb.af.mil.
- Web Link
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FBO.gov Permalink
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- Place of Performance
- Address: B252 2066 Fifth Street, WPAFB, Ohio, 45433, United States
- Zip Code: 45433
- Zip Code: 45433
- Record
- SN02423851-W 20110415/110413234539-1e98f3aae08fc76453f9245420da5d5f (fbodaily.com)
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