SOURCES SOUGHT
68 -- Industrial Compressed Gases
- Notice Date
- 6/3/2016
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 325120
— Industrial Gas Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Treasury, United States Mint (USM), Manufacturing Procurement Branch, 801 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20220, United States
- ZIP Code
- 20220
- Solicitation Number
- USM-HQ-06032016-PH
- Archive Date
- 6/28/2016
- Point of Contact
- Jina M Jackson, Phone: 2023540123
- E-Mail Address
-
jina.jackson@usmint.treas.gov
(jina.jackson@usmint.treas.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Synopsis: THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE FOR INFORMATION AND PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS AN OBLIGATION ON THE PART OF THE GOVERNMENT. NO CONTRACT WILL BE AWARDED FROM THIS SYNOPSIS. PLEASE DO NOT REQUEST A COPY OF A SOLICITATION FOR THIS REQUIREMENT, AS ONE DOES NOT EXIST. The United States Mint at Philadelphia has a requirement for the supply of industrial compressed gases for the various manufacturing processes and equipment utilized in the building. This requirement for industrial compressed gases is divided into three categories: Compressed gases in cylinders or tubes, Liquefied gases, and Emerging requirements with undefined modes of supply. 1. Compressed gases in bottles or tubes The United States Mint at Philadelphia has a requirement for the following industrial compressed gases in cylinders or tubes. Item No. Item Estimated Yearly Qty Bottle/Tube Ownership 1 Oxygen - (UN1072) Commercial Grade, ~250 CF Cylinder 10 Cylinders Contractor 2 Acetylene - (UN1001) 2.6 Grade, Atomic Absorption Grade, ~390 CF Cylinder 10 Cylinders Contractor 3 Argon - (UN1006), Ultra High Purity, 99.999%, ~250 CF Cylinder 10 Cylinders Contractor 4 Nitrogen - (UN1066), Ultra High Purity, 99.999%, ~250 CF Cylinder 10 Cylinders Contractor 5 Argon - Methane P10 Mixture - (UN1956) Ultra High Purity, ~250 CF Cylinder 6 Cylinders Contractor 6 Compressed Air - (UN1002) Ultra Zero Grade, ~250 CF Cylinder 6 Cylinders Contractor 7 ACETYLENE - (UN1001), SMALL CYLINDER, AC B 10 Cylinders Contractor 8 Nitrogen - (UN1066), Ultra High Purity, 99.999%, Gaseous for cascade fill, 10 Tubes at 2,000 PSIG, Each tube is rated at 21 ft^3 of Water Volume for a total of 210 ft^3 2500 CCF Government 9 Propane Tanks (33lb forklift) 14 Tanks Contractor 10 Helium High Purity 5.0 219cf (UN1046) 4 Cylinders Contractor 11 Helium Balloon Grade 200 (UN1046) 4 Cylinders Contractor 12 Hydrogen 20% Balance Nitrogen (Forming Gas) 208cf (UN1954), ~250 CF Cylinders, 6 pack cradle carrier 1,200 Cylinders Bottles - Contractor Carriers - US Mint • All Cylinders shall be supplied by the contractor except for 10 Tubes owned by the United States Mint. • Cylinders shall be marked in accordance with DOT Regulations. A certificate of conformance will be provided for each order. The certificate shall reference the order number and shall state that the gas meets the applicable standard. If the Contractor's cylinder markings indicate conformance to the standard then that will accepted in lieu of a certificate. • If the cylinder relief valve fails then the Contractor shall reimburse the Government for the prorated value of the lost gas. • The Contractor shall provide the Hydrogen 20% Balance Nitrogen (Forming Gas) cylinders in 6 pack cradle carriers. The cradle carriers are owned by the Government. There are currently 20 cradle carriers. • The Contractor shall deliver and pickup gas cylinders as specified by the COR. The Contractor's proposal shall include a required response time. For example, the Contractor shall deliver and pickup gas cylinders within one business day. The Government desires a two business day response time for all gases. • The COR will specify gas type, cylinder quantity, and delivery location. • The Contractor shall offload cylinders, pallets and cradles from the delivery vehicle. The Contractor may require Government assistance to offload cradle carriers; for example, a forklift. • The Contractor shall pick up gas cylinders and cradles as specified by the COR. The COR will specify gas type, bottle quantity, and pickup location. The Contractor shall on load cylinders and cradles to the pickup vehicle. The Contractor may require Government assistance to load cradle carriers; for example, a forklift. • The Contractor shall perform an annual inspection on the ten gaseous nitrogen tubes and provide a report to the Government detailing any deficiencies and required repairs. • The Contractor shall provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each gas that may be delivered under this contract. MSDS' shall be provided by the Contractor at time of delivery against a BPA call. If the MSDS' are not provided, the delivery will not be accepted by the COR and any associated costs with the attempted delivery will be the responsibility of the Contractor. • All fees associated with providing bulk gas and gas cylinders shall be included in the pricelist. • The Contractor shall deliver a monthly report that will be used to support invoicing. Rental fees will cover the Government cost for each month the bottle is held. Rental costs shall be charged for the number of bottles held by the Government. The number of bottles held shall be calculated as follows for each month: #Bottles provided - #Bottles picked up = #Bottles held. The number of bottles held shall never be less than zero. Bottle procurement fees cover the Government's costs for bottles that are lost or damaged by the Government. The report shall identify each delivery. This should also include a copy of the shipping ticket with the signature of a Government employee for each delivery. • All cylinders shall have a "tag" to indicate whether the cylinder is "full" or "empty". The "tag" shall be designed to allow the government to reverse the "tag" to identify "full" or "empty". 2. Liquefied gases The United States Mint at Philadelphia has a requirement for the following industrial liquefied gases. Item No. Item Estimated Yearly Qty Bottle/Tube Ownership 1 Nitrogen - Liquid Micro Bulk, 4 Cryogenic Cylinders, Each Cylinder rated at 1,000 Liters for a total of 4,000 Liters 40,000 CCF Government a. The Contractor shall deliver bulk liquefied nitrogen to the United States Mint at Philadelphia. b. The gas shall be transferred to the Government owned storage tanks c. Install telemetry devices on the tanks to monitor their levels. When the levels are low, the Contractor shall schedule a gas delivery. Deliveries usually occur once a week. d. The Contractor shall perform an annual inspection on the four liquid microbulk cryogenic cylinders provide a report to the Government detailing any deficiencies and required repairs. e. The Contractor shall provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each gas that may be delivered under this contract. MSDS' shall be provided by the Contractor at time of delivery against a BPA call. If the MSDS' are not provided, the delivery will not be accepted by the COR and any associated costs with the attempted delivery will be the responsibility of the Contractor. f. All fees associated with providing bulk gas shall be included in the pricelist. g. The Contractor shall deliver a monthly report that will be used to support invoicing. The report shall identify each delivery. This should also include a copy of the shipping ticket with the signature of a Government employee for each delivery. 3. Emerging requirements with undefined modes of supply The United States Mint at Philadelphia has two emerging requirements that require industry input on the mode of gas supply. Both requirements consist of Nitrogen and Hydrogen supply for annealing furnaces. a. Belt Annealing Furnaces Nitrogen and Nitrogen/Hydrogen Forming Gas The United States Mint at Philadelphia has one belt annealing furnace and will be installing another belt annealing furnace in May, 2016 that require Nitrogen purge gas and Hydrogen (20%)/Nitrogen Forming Gas. The existing furnace utilizes the liquefied Nitrogen for the Nitrogen purge ports and the Hydrogen (20%)/Nitrogen Forming Gas is supplied by the 6 pack cradle carriers. The liquefied Nitrogen is also utilized in our Die Manufacturing Division for the heat treating furnaces. The expected gas usage from the two belt annealing furnaces would prohibit the use of the liquefied Nitrogen. We currently receive deliveries once a week for the liquefied nitrogen and would expect this to increase to 2 times per week. In addition, the 6 pack carrier quantities would more than double and provide issues with storage space and the maximum allowed Hydrogen storage inside a building. Based on this, the United States Mint is considering renting additional liquefied Nitrogen and Hydrogen storage tanks. However, the United States Mint at Philadelphia has limited outside real estate to site bulk storage tanks. There are additional security concerns with bulk storage tanks close to the building. This may require renting Nitrogen and Hydrogen generators to meet the demand for high purity forming gases. The United States Mint has procured a mixing panel for the forming gas and will be delivered in May, 2016. Total Belt Annealing Furnace requirements for Nitrogen: Minimum Nitrogen Pressure - 70 PSIG Typical Nitrogen Flow Rate - 1,400 SCFH (Continuous) Maximum Nitrogen Flow Rate - 1,800 SCFH Nitrogen Purity - 99.999%; -60 °F Dew Point Nitrogen Monthly Usage - 1,008,000 SCF Total Belt Annealing Furnace requirements for Hydrogen: Minimum Hydrogen Pressure - 70 PSIG Typical Hydrogen Flow Rate - 130 SCFH (Continuous) Maximum Hydrogen Flow Rate - 150 SCFH Hydrogen Purity - 99.999%; -60 °F Dew Point Hydrogen Monthly Usage - 62,000 SCF b. Rotary Retort Annealing Furnaces Nitrogen/Hydrogen Forming Gas The United States Mint at Philadelphia currently operates five rotary retort furnaces. The existing furnace atmosphere is generated using an exothermic generator at a ratio of 8.5:1. This typically yields about 10% combustibles (Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide). The exothermic generators are equipped with refrigerant dryers to reduce their dew point down to 40 °F. The United States Mint is exploring the option of converting over the stored or generated Nitrogen and Hydrogen that are blended up to 20% Hydrogen Forming Gas. This is expected to greatly improve the quality of our products. Total Rotary Retort Annealing Furnace requirements for Nitrogen: Minimum Nitrogen Pressure - 70 PSIG Typical Nitrogen Flow Rate - 10,000 SCFH (Continuous) Maximum Nitrogen Flow Rate - 10,000 SCFH Nitrogen Purity - 99.999%; -60 °F Dewpoint Nitrogen Monthly Usage - 7,200,000 SCF Total Rotary Retort Annealing Furnace requirements for Hydrogen: Minimum Hydrogen Pressure - 70 PSIG Typical Hydrogen Flow Rate - 2,000 SCFH (Continuous) Maximum Hydrogen Flow Rate -2,000 SCFH Hydrogen Purity - 99.999%; -60 °F Dewpoint Hydrogen Monthly Usage - 1, 440,000 SCF The following is a list of questions for potential contractors to provide responses that will help the United States Mint determine a path forward to meet future industrial gas requirements: Compressed gases in bottles or tubes 1. What could be done to ensure that there will be a continuous supply of industrial gases within the building? 2. What is the typical delivery schedule? Is a two notice acceptable? 3. Provide Budgetary Estimate for the requested gases? 4. What are the typical fees associated with the deliveries? 5. What is typically required or performed for the annual inspection of the 10 gaseous Nitrogen tubes? 6. What are the storage requirements for Hydrogen bottles and forming gas bottles within the building? What are the best practices and recommendations regarding the existing practices? 7. What are your recommendations for industry best practices or improvements for this type of service at the United States Mint? Liquefied gases 1. What could be done to ensure that there will be a continuous supply of liquefied Nitrogen? Does the installation of telemetry provide the best option? 2. What is the typical delivery schedule? Is a two notice acceptable? 3. Budgetary Estimate for the requested gas? 4. What are the typical fees associated with the deliveries? 5. What is typically required or performed for the annual inspection of the 4 microbulk cryogenic cylinders? 6. What are your recommendations for industry best practices or improvements for this type of service at the United States Mint? Emerging requirements with undefined modes of supply Belt Annealing Furnaces Nitrogen and Nitrogen/Hydrogen Forming Gas 1. What is the best mode of gas supply based on the available footprint and the site visit inspection of the building and gas requirements? 2. What are the installation, siting, and utility requirements for the best mode of gas supply? a. Footprint b. Utilities: Electric, Air, Water, etc. c. Exhaust ducts, hoods, and ventilation d. Weight of the system e. Security of the system f. Permitting and OSHA requirements 3. What would be the method to ensure a continuous supply of gases? What is the Expected uptime or availability? 4. What would be the estimated time once a contract is awarded for the plant/equipment to be installed and operational? 5. What is the typical length of contract for the best mode of supply? 6. Budgetary Estimate for the best mode of gas supply? 7. What are your recommendations for industry best practices or improvements for this type of service at the United States Mint? Rotary Retort Annealing Furnaces Nitrogen/Hydrogen Forming Gas 1. What is the best mode of gas supply based on the available footprint and the site visit inspection of the building and gas requirements? 2. What are the installation, siting, and utility requirements for the best mode of gas supply? a. Footprint b. Utilities: Electric, Air, Water, etc. c. Exhaust ducts, hoods, and ventilation d. Weight of the system e. Security of the system f. Permitting and OSHA requirements 3. What would be the method to ensure a continuous supply of gases? What is the Expected uptime or availability? 4. What would be the estimated time once a contract is awarded for the plant/equipment to be installed and operational? 5. Budgetary Estimate for the best mode of gas supply? 6. What are your recommendations for industry best practices or improvements for this type of service at the United States Mint? The Government is requesting that Contractor attend a site visit to understand the unique requirements of the United States Mint at Philadelphia. The Site Visit will be on 6/22/2016 at 10:00 am (EDT). Contact Jina Jackson at Jina.Jackson@usmint.treas.gov for Security Form. ALL Contractor personnel MUST be cleared prior to Site Visit. The anticipated contract action is anticipated to be issued as an IDIQ / Firm-Fixed Price Contract with contract line items (CLINs) for supplies/services. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice or any follow-up information requests. This notice is to notify the industry of potential requirement and to gain knowledge of potentially qualified sources and their resources. The Government will consider all responses received to determine whether the anticipated contract action will be pursued using commercial acquisition strategy. Potential sources are also encouraged to submit questions, requests for clarification, and other performance recommendations via e-mail to Jina Jackson at Jina.Jackson@usmint.treas.gov. Last day to submit questions: COB on 6/10/2016. Potential sources should submit responses (see questions above) to Jina Jackson via email at Jina.Jackson@usmint.treas.gov. Responses are due by COB 6/13/2016. NOTE: There is another requirement for the United States Mint - San Francisco (if interested see FBO under USM-HQ-06032016-SF). Contracting Office Address: United States Mint 801 9th St NW Washington, DC 20220 United States Primary Point of Contact: Jina Jackson Email: Jina.Jackson@usmint.treas.gov Phone: 202-354-0123 Place of Performance: United States Mint at Philadelphia 151 North Independence Mall East Philadelphia, PA 19106
- Web Link
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FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/TREAS/USM/CirPr/USM-HQ-06032016-PH/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Place of Performance:, United States Mint at Philadelphia, 151 North Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, United States
- Zip Code: 19106
- Zip Code: 19106
- Record
- SN04137862-W 20160605/160603234359-405f5bd37a0111292ce67110bcf06629 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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