US POSTAL SERVICE 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW Room 4541 Washington DC 20260-6239

63 -- POSTAGE METER SECURITY SEALS DUE 061096 POC Contact Point, T. L. Eckert, Contracting Officer, 202/268-6986. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is seeking sources capable of providing postage meter security seals in accordance with the following performance requirements and criteria. General: There are currently 1.5 million postage meters in service in the United States. Virtually 98% of these are secured by a lead seal which is applied every time a meter is checked into service or replaced every time a meter is reset at a post office. The Current lead seal has known security deficiencies and is not environmentally acceptable. The Postal Service has determined that the lead seal must be replaced by a seal that offers a greater resistance to tampering is not hazardous to the environment. A primary inconvenience ofthe lead seal is that it requires a crimping tool for closing. Crimping tools are lost or misplaced and are not properly accounted for by meter setting offices. The annual quantity requirements for the postage meter seal is in excess of 5 million seals. Description: 1. Must fit all currently installed postage meter models. 2. Must be made of tamper resistant material. 3. Must show clear signs of tampering. 4. Requires no tooling for closure and must be ergonomically user friendly, 5. Must not be hazardous to the environment, 6. Must include a USPS logo which will clearly differentiate this seal from all other seals, 7. Each seal must be uniquely numbered which allows for individual accountability. Specification: 1. Material: The seal must be constructed from a high grade transparent polycarbonate plastic, or equivalent, that is highly tamper resistant. In addition, the material must be recyclable. Seal wire must be multi-stranded, annealed, stainless steel or equivalent. 2. Tampering indicators: The material must show clear signs of tampering such as discoloration when the material is compromised by penetration, drilling, cutting, bending, etc. The transparent quality of the material should enable visual detection of obvious internal tampering. 3. Ergonomics: The seal must not require any tool for closing. It must be designed so that a person with average hand strength is able to properly close the seal. 4. Accountability: Each seal must bear a unique, randomly generated 6 digit number that will be recorded by postal clerks at the time of setting and examination. A number may be repeated after the possible combinations run out using the allotted 6 digits but cannot be duplicated in the same production/distribution. There are two options for showing the number. The number may be reflected on a tab extending from the seal or it may be shown directly on the side of the seal opposite from the postal logo. 5. Logo: The Postal Service logo must be embossed in high relief on one side of the seal in order to clearly identify it as a postage meter seal if a tab is used for the unnique number, ''U.S.P.S.'' must be embossed on the other side of the seal. This is not necessary if this side is used for the unique seal number. 6. Color: The color must be bright and must contrast with the standard meter office equipment colors. This color must be reserved for Postal Service meter seals and is not to be used on any other seal manufactured by the supplier. Design Requirement: The seal must be a one piece design with the following connected components: 1. Capsule - Contains an internal locking mechanism which accepts the anchor and permanently secures the seal wire. 2. Wire - Passes trough and secures the meter access door. 3. Anchor - The locking cap which secures the loose end of the seal wire into the capsule locking mechanism. 4. Number Tab (optional) - Contains the embossed 6 digit unique seal number. A tab is to be used for the number unless the number is embossed directly on the capsule. Dimensions (Maximum): 1. Capsule with Anchor in Closed Position: width 14mm, length 18mm, thickness 5mm. 2. Wire: length 153mm, thickness 0.7mm. 3. Number Tab: width 6mm,length 22mm, thickness 2mm. Interested parties are to submit sample postage meter seals for test and evaluation. Sample seals will be subjected to number of tests by the Postal Service to ensure security. These will include tests of tensile strength, put bending, and break characteristics. Interested vendors are to submit a minimum of 50 sample seals for testing and evaluation to the following no later than COB June 10, to U.S. Postal Service Engineering Attn: Rodney Rodgers, 8403 Lee Highway, Merrifield, VA 22082-8101. Interested parties are to confirm submission of samples and interest in writing to the contact point not later than June l0, 1996 (0131)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0359 19960513\63-0001.SOL)