SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- RFI - CARBON FABRIC STITCH DEVELOPMENT
- Notice Date
- 7/3/2013
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 314999
— All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Ames Research Center, JA:M/S 241-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-0001
- ZIP Code
- 94035-0001
- Solicitation Number
- NNA13STITCH-L
- Response Due
- 7/18/2013
- Archive Date
- 7/3/2014
- Point of Contact
- Marianne Shelley, Contracting Officer, Phone 650-604-4179, Fax 650-604-3020, Email marianne.shelley@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Marianne Shelley
(marianne.shelley@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- NASA/ARC is hereby soliciting information about potential sources to provide the services described below. NASA is investigating the development of woven carbon fabrics for implementation in deployable aeroshells used in entry, descent and landing. The carbon fabric and the joints between fabric panels need to withstand the harsh aero-thermodynamic and aerodynamic loading environments imparted by high speed entries into planetary atmospheres. One of the key challenges facing the development of deployable aeroshells constructed from carbon cloth is the joining of gore sections to close-out the aeroshell structure and to interface with underlying rigid structural elements. In the deployed state, it is expected that the carbon fabric will be under substantial tensile loads (up to 500 lbf/in), and during hypersonic flight, aerodynamic loading could increase the tensile loading in the fabric to 1000 lbf/in. It is essential that the stitching used to join gore sections be capable of maintaining integrity at high temperature, which suggests that carbon fiber threads will be needed. It is also important that multilayer fabrics can be stitched in incremental layers, so that failure of the top layer does not compromise the entire stack. However, stitching with carbon thread is challenging, as the handling and stress involved in the stitching process tends to adversely affect its structural properties, leading to low seam strength. Developing reliable stitch methods would be a major contribution for the successful development of deployable aeroshells composed of carbon fabrics (thickness ranging from 0.05-0.20 inch). There are numerous parameters to investigate, including but not limited to thread type, seam type, stitch pattern/density, and sewing process variables. Evaluating the various vendor-proposed stitch designs through load testing (performed by NASA), combined structural and aerothermal loading, and component interface tests should identify candidate designs to carry further along in the development process. The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather and assess industry availability and capability to perform a developmental task for carbon fabric stitching. The expected task descriptions are provided in the following sections.Responses to the RFI should address plans, approaches and estimated cost for completing each task element. A. Carbon Thread Stitching Design Trade Study This study will investigate the feasibility of joining samples of woven carbon fabric using carbon fiber based threads. Batches of small-scale carbon fabric samples (~3 inch wide by 9 inch length) possessing the required design features will be evaluated and structural assessment parameters identified. Load testing of the various stitch design concepts should lead to the identification of the key design parameters to further investigate. The outcome of this study is expected to be the downselect of a primary and alternate stitch design to carry forward (if an acceptable contract is negotiated) for further testing and development. B. Stitch Scalability and Testing Development (Contract Option) The goal of this task is to investigate longer seams derived from the primary and alternate stitch designs identified above. The carbon fabric samples provided for this task will be representative of structural and aerothermal test models that will be used to evaluate the performance of the stitches in environments representative of flight. In addition, the identification of the key stitch design parameters along with test and evaluation methods found suitable to assess structural design quality will be identified. NASA will provide the carbon fabric articles for design, test and evaluation of various stitch designs. NASA will conduct a series of tests on resulting contract deliverable stitching to characterize the ultimate tensile strength of various carbon fabric weaves and fabric samples that are joined together with various stitch designs. Characterizing the tensile properties will aid in the optimization of the aeroshell design. This test series will aid in the downselect of stitch designs to pursue for further development. NASA/ARC is seeking capability statements from all interested parties, including Small, Small Disadvantaged (SDB), 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Veteran Owned (VOSB), Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SD-VOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)/Minority Institutions (MI) for the purposes of determining the appropriate level of competition. The Government reserves the right to consider a Small, 8(a), Woman-owned (WOSB), Service Disabled Veteran (SD-VOSB), or HUBZone business set-aside based on responses hereto. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of the solicitation. If a solicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA Acquisition Internet Service. It is the potential offerors responsibility to monitor these sites for the release of any solicitation or synopsis. Vendors having the capabilities necessary to meet or exceed the stated requirements are invited to submit appropriate documentation, literature, photographs/ brochures, and references. Please provide a description of your companys manufacturing facilities and personnel, website address, number of years in business, and/or examples of previous work performed for Government or private customers that is similar to this current NASA requirement. Please advise if the requirement is considered to be a commercial or commercial-type product. A commercial item is defined in FAR 2.101. Following this initial feedback, NASA may conduct one-on-one meetings with potential contractors. These meetings will allow for exchange of information and will provide an opportunity for potential offerors to provide feedback on the Governments requirements and its acquisition approach. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will be handled and protected accordingly. As applicable, NASA may provide Proprietary information to its support service contractors who are under an obligation to keep third-party Proprietary information in confidence. By submitting a response to this RFI, the responder is deemed to have consented to release of Proprietary information to such NASA support service contractors. This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government nor will the Government pay for information solicited. Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation. Respondents deemed fully qualified will be considered in any resultant solicitation for the requirement. All responses shall be submitted to Marianne Shelley (Marianne.Shelley@nasa.gov) no later than July 18, 2013, 4:30 pm PT. Please reference NNA13STITCH-L in any response. Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/ARC/OPDC20220/NNA13STITCH-L/listing.html)
- Record
- SN03107135-W 20130705/130703235108-d06433a8c463f06b39814b736d6bcc26 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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