SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- Notice of Intent to Sole Source
- Notice Date
- 1/27/2014
- Notice Type
- Presolicitation
- NAICS
- 334516
— Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- CPODUS Environmental Protection Agency26 West Martin Luther King DriveMail Code: NWDCincinnatiOH45268USA
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- SOL-CI-14-00008
- Response Due
- 3/11/2014
- Archive Date
- 4/10/2014
- Point of Contact
- Greta N. Perry
- E-Mail Address
-
perry.greta@epa.gov
(Perry.Greta@epa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The U.S. EPA intends to negotiate on a sole source basis, under the authority of FAR Part 6.302-1, with Horiba Instruments, Inc. to provide a Particulate Matter (PM) Measurement System in Vehicle Site 5 located at the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL), 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105. The vehicle site 5 test site is based around an existing test control and data acquisition system (test cell host computer) that represents a significant investment by the government. There are no plans to replace this system. This CDTCS 5000 test cell computer system performs many complex functions, among them is communication related to control of, and data acquisition from, an existing ?Horiba Instruments MEXA analytical system. The test cell host computer utilizes a specialized and unique set of drivers and command structure required by a Horiba-propriety host communication protocol, MEXA-LAN. Incorporation of a new communication protocol in the existing test control and data acquisition system would be required with any other PM measurement system and would require significant additional investment by the government. Replacement of the test host computer would complicate test control of the Horiba ?MEXA gaseous analytical and constant volume sampling systems. Furth er, replacement of the test host computer system in this test site is neither anticipated nor desired, and would jeopardize a critical EPA regulatory mission by extending the implementation date for Part 1066 testing. With regard to this specific procurement, in order for another vendor to be responsive to the solicitation they would have to provide a PM measurement system that responds to the same, extensive, set of computer commands that the Horiba ?MEXA system responds to. This set of commands is part of the proprietary Horiba MEXA-LAN network protocol. This protocol is associated with Horiba proprietary software imbedded in Horiba MEXA system microprocessors. Use of this imbedded software by another supplier in their products would be infringement upon Horiba intellectual property. In building complete test cell systems that utilize Horiba MEXA equipment, integrators utilize the MEXA-LAN protocol and command set to program their test-cell control and data acquisition computers in order to interact with MEXA exhaust gas analyzers. The test site that will utilize the analysis system obtained by this procurement is run by an existing test-cell control and data acquisition computer custom programmed by NVFEL staff. Since the current PM measurement system being procured is also a Horiba product, the existing test site computer already uses the MEXA-LAN command set and communication structure in its own software. The vehicle testing this procurement supports involves a complex series of actions and events that take place over a specific time frame or ?test cycle.? The test-cell control and data acquisition computer has the complex task of coordinating the entire test process. Some examples of this task include: ?Collecting operator input which configures the test for the engine to be tested ?Vehicle operation over a prescribed series of speed ?Issuing commands to various pieces of test equipment, including the exhaust analysis system before during and after testing ?Monitoring equipment for fault conditions and taking appropriate actions ?Collecting data from several pieces of equipment and sensors continuously during the test ?Processing a large data set after the test to calculate, report and transmit results In addition to engine tests, the test-cell control and data acquisition computer must perform similar functions on a periodic basis to conduct various diagnostic tests required by regulation. These tests are conducted in order to demonstrate the validity of engine test results. For some equipment that the vehicle test-cell control and data acquisition computer interacts with, the command and/or data acquisition function is quite simple. This is not the case for the exhaust PM measurement system since there are many different actions the analysis system performs in response to commands from the test-cell control and data acquisition computer, and many different data variables that the measurement system communicates back to the test-cell computer. These tasks utilize serial communication throughout the test, to issue function commands, pass information and data back and forth and to monitor the analysis system for proper functioning. As a result, a specific communication structure for commands and variable names, in this case MEXA-LAN, is utilized throughout the custom software of the test-site computer system. There are no plans to replace this test-cell control and data acquisition computer and changing this software would entail considerable c ost to the government in the form of labor to rewrite debug and completely validate new software at the test site. This would also result in concurrent loss of test function during the implementation process, impacting critical test schedule functions. This procurement will be accomplished using FAR Part 12 and 13 Procedures. Interested firms may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirements. THIS NOTICE OF INTENT IS NOT A REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE QUOTATIONS. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Sources wishing to be considered MUST submit documentation to the office identified above. Documentation must be submitted within 15 calendar days of the date of publication of this notice. Submit your documentation in writing to Greta Perry by e-mail to perry.greta@epa.gov. Telephone requests will not be honored..
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/EPA/OAM/OH/SOL-CI-14-00008/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Place of Performance2565 Plymouth RoadAnn ArborMI48105USA
- Zip Code: 48105
- Zip Code: 48105
- Record
- SN03275196-W 20140129/140127234626-8795981f3643637516f3d7989498a97c (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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