MODIFICATION
A -- Request for Information on Novel Closures (including Zippers) and Seaming Technologies
- Notice Date
- 3/24/2016
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Army, Army Contracting Command, ACC - APG (W911QY) Natick (SPS), BLDG 1 KANSAS ST, Natick, Massachusetts, 01760-5011, United States
- ZIP Code
- 01760-5011
- Solicitation Number
- W911QY16XXX06
- Archive Date
- 5/7/2016
- Point of Contact
- Quoc Truong, Phone: 508-233-5484, Claudette Sousa,
- E-Mail Address
-
quoc.t.truong.civ@mail.mil, claudette.e.sousa.ctr@mail.mil
(quoc.t.truong.civ@mail.mil, claudette.e.sousa.ctr@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Current conventional chemical/biological (CB) protective clothing systems fabrication requires closures and interfaces (e.g., sleeve to glove, trouser to boot, and hood to protective mask interfaces), toxic industrial chemical (TIC) liquid and/or vapor proof zippers, and multiple segments of cut fabric to be assembled and stitched together. The stitched areas are seam-sealed together using a special CB protective barrier seam tape under heat and pressure. Recent methods include the use of stitchless seam-taping techniques such as ultrasonic and laser welding of textile materials. Both stitched/seam-sealed and stitchless techniques are to ensure effective barrier to CB agents in protecting the Soldier. The US Army Natick Soldier, Research, Development, and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) is gathering information (to include supporting data) on state-of the art commercially available and currently under development closures, interfaces, zippers, and seam techniques and technologies, to improve protection at the interfaces between individual ensemble items. The effort is to assess emerging novel seams, zippers, and closure interfaces' effectiveness. It is also to consider developmental technologies and materials that are better than the current closures, zippers, and stitchless and/or other novel seaming approaches, which allows for bonding of dissimilar materials (e.g., stretch to non-stretch). These techniques will be used in designs and or developments of advanced durable, pliable, and effective CB protective closures, zippers, seams and advanced CB protective clothing. Closures, zippers, seamed and seamless fabric samples are sought for assessment of their performance, which would include physical properties [e.g., as applicable, hydrostatic pressure, zipper sliding force, weight, bulk (thickness), stiffness (flexibility), abrasion resistance, tensile strengths (tear & seam), durability (laundering), dimensional stability, etc.], and barrier properties (where selected industrial gas and liquid chemicals listed in Table 1). Information such as cost, special equipment, materials/polymers used, current test methods to assess closures, zippers, stitchless and novel seam technologies and technology readiness level are also requested. Table 1. Chemical Permeation Resistance of Novel Seams (NFPA 1991-2016) Ethylene oxide Gas Methyl chloride (Dichloromethane) Gas 1,3-butadiene Gas Carbon disulfide Liquid Tetrachloroethylene Liquid Acrylonitrile Liquid Tetrahydrofuran Liquid Closures, zippers, material swatches, and information should be submitted by 22 Apr 2016. Identify if these are currently commercially available or developmental; meet/have been verified to meet any government or industry standards (e.g., NFPA 1991 requirements); show protection or potential protection against industrial (and CB warfare agents if available. If so, identify agents, challenge level, and performance); and show suitability for use in military tactical environments. All information provided in response to this Request for Information, must be marked accordingly if it is proprietary information. Responses to this Request for Information are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Any information/samples submitted will not be returned, and no payment will be made by the government for such information/samples. Any testing results will be controlled and used for governmental purposes only. Seamed fabric samples (size: 8.5 inches by 11 inches) and technical information (on a CD) are to be submitted to: Ms. Claudette Sousa, US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Warfighter Directorate, ATTN: RDNS-SEW-TMC, 15 General Greene Avenue, Natick, MA 01760. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. No solicitation document exists.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/f44f48ed1b40f43403f2bbb5a93747e4)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC-APG - Natick (SPS), ATTN: AMSRD-ACC-N, Natick Contracting Division, (R and Base OPS), Building 1, Kansas Street, Natick, MA 01760-5011, Natick, Massachusetts, 01760, United States
- Zip Code: 01760
- Zip Code: 01760
- Record
- SN04061678-W 20160326/160324234855-f44f48ed1b40f43403f2bbb5a93747e4 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |