National Institute of Standards and Technology, Bldg. 101, Rm. A430, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001

A -- PUBLIC MEETING SOL Q- POC Customer Representative 1-800-287-3863 Department of Commerce Technology Administration National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Bldg. 101, Rm. A430, Gaithersburg, MD Date: February 2, 1995 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING: The NIST Advanced Technology Program (ATP) is soliciting proposals under its focused program competition, Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology (95-02) and announces a public meeting (Proposers' Conference) for all interested parties. An estimated $40 million in first-year ATP funding is available under this focused program competition 95-02. The ATP reserves the right to utilize for this competition more or less funding than the amount stated above, depending on the quality of the proposals received. The actual number of proposals funded will depend on the quality of the proposals received and the amount of funding requested in the highest ranked proposals. There are related focus programs in material technologies and ATP reserves the right to transfer proposals between these competitions if to do so would increase the likelihood of the proposal's being funded. Outyear funding is contingent on the approval of future Congressional appropriations and satisfactory program performance. This is the first of two solicitations planned for this ATP focused program. One additional competition is planned approximately in April 1996. The follow-on solicitation is intended to fill technical gaps and provide opportunities for further customer-supplier integration. Award recipients will be required to share non- proprietary information at workshops which will be held throughout the duration of the program. The ATP operates under program procedures published at Part 295, Title 15, of the Code of Federal Regulations. The ATP Proposal Preparation Kit (containing proposal cover sheets, other required forms, background material and instructions for submission of proposals) and the focused program paper entitled ''Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology (MVMT), Supplemental Information Program Competition 95-02,'' may be obtained by phone (1-800-ATP-FUND), fax (301-926-9524), e-mail (atp@micf.nist.gov), or written request at the address shown below. Only FULL proposals are being solicited under this focused program competition 95-02. Abbreviated/pre-proposals WILL NOT be accepted. Proposals submitted by facsimile or electronic mail WILL NOT be accepted. If a proposer's proposal is judged to be of high enough quality to be invited in for an oral review, ATP reserves the right to submit a list of questions to the proposer that must be addressed at the oral review. The due date for submission of full proposals is 3 p.m. EST on Tuesday, April 11, 1995. Should the NIST facility be closed on the specified due date, ATP proposals will be due at 3 p.m. EST on the next business day that the NIST facility is open. Proposals received after this deadline WILL NOT be considered. Decisions on the awards for this competition should be made within three months after full proposals are received. Send proposals to: Advanced Technology Program, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Administration Bldg. 101, Rm. A430, Quince Orchard & Clopper Roads, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. Mark envelope Focused Program 95- 02. The Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Technology (MVMT) program focuses on manufacturing processes as the means to drive the competitiveness of American firms by strengthening manufacturing capabilities along the entire automotive production chain. The program will advance manufacturing processes by concentrating on technical bases of specific manufacturing processes and by making processes reconfigurable and easily coupled with other processes in a complete manufacturing system. To be in scope, business plans of proposals must contribute to the overall goals of reducing manufacturing and capital equipment cost of introducing a new vehicle model by an order of magnitude, reducing the time to market from the current U.S. industry standard of 42 to 48 months to 24 months, and increasing the global competitiveness of U.S. firms by strengthening their ability to team with suppliers. Technical plans of proposals must concentrate on specific technical improvements in manufacturing processes and process monitoring and control, developing flexible, reconfigurable equipment to produce diverse product families, and developing agile manufacturing systems to permit rapid, low-cost product conversion and efficient equipment re-utilization. Proposals in the following MVMT technical thrust areas are especially welcome. Material Forming Thrust Area: (A) Stamping and metal forming processes, including sensitivity analysis of critical parameters for reducing sheet metal stamping variation, signature analysis for stamping process monitoring and control, material-specific design advisers for formability, integrated design methodologies for stamping and assembly, and modeling and simulation tools for optimal die design. (B) Forming of advanced materials, including increased dimensional repeatability for engineered materials such as matrix (polymer, metals, or ceramics) and synthetic fiber (glass, polymers, or ceramics), reduction in physical variation, interface chemistry control, and increased processing reliability. Material Removal Thrust Area: (C) Advanced machining, including agile transfer lines using modular units that can be quickly assembled or disassembled based on market demand, machining stations with high dimensional accuracy and increased cutting speed and feed rates, real-time error compensations systems, intelligent process monitoring and control systems, and in-situ measurement systems. (D) Abrasive machining, including machine tool development for increasing static and dynamic rigidity, control technology for greater precision in form and surface finish, centerless grinding, manufacturing process developments for superabrasives. (E) Rapid fabrication of production tooling, including non-traditional machining technologies such as metal spraying, investment casting using rapid prototype models as patterns, vapor plating, direct metal deposition. Assembly Thrust Area: (F) Body assembly, including improved resistance welding equipment and control systems to reduce the number of welds in a car body, new joining methods for aluminum, composites, and other materials. (G) Powertrain assembly, including powertrain assembly systems with equipped with flexible feeders, tool magazines for end effectors capable of driving screw and bolts, installing interference and snap rings, and delivering adhesives, and 2D or 3D vision systems. (H) Paint and coating process control, including improved application facilities and equipment, closed-loop real time monitoring and control systems for in-process, self- corrective action, and low cost, high efficiency abatement systems for paint cure ovens. Information Systems Integration Thrust Area: (I) Intelligent process monitoring and control, including model-based predictive process control, object- and agent-oriented methods for real-time processes, and genetic control algorithms. (J) System integration, including systems for agile, plug-and-play integration of different processes, systems for the rapid reconfiguration of equipment from one line to another, and agent-based software systems. A public meeting (Proposers' Conference) for potential proposers and other interested parties will be held from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. EST on February 21, 1995, at the Holiday Inn, 2 Montgomery Village Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD (Interstate I-270, Exit 11). The morning session will provide general information on the ATP and hints on preparing good proposals (covering the same material presented at previous ATP Proposers' Conferences). The afternoon breakout session will provide an opportunity for attendees to ask questions on the scope and technical and business goals of this focused program. Attendance at this public meeting is not required. No registration fee will be charged. In case of severe weather, please call NIST's Facilities Status Line 301- 975-6478, for a pre-recorded message of the status of NIST opening. IF NIST is closed, there will be no meeting, but will be rescheduled. To register for this public meeting or for further information, contact ATP, by phone: 1-800-ATP-FUND; fax: 301-926-9524; or e-mail: atp@micf.nist.gov. (0031)

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