SMITHSONIAN ASTR0PHYSICAL OBSERVATORY, 60 GARDEN STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02138-1516

95 -- METAWELL METAL SANDWICH PANELS SOL RFQBF3357 DUE 050499 POC Rena Cerbone, Contracting Officer, Telephone 617/495-7445, Fax 617/495-7485, or email: rcerbone@cfa.harvard.edu The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) intends to award on a Sole Source basis, a purchase order to VAW-Metawell GmbH, Metal Sandwich Division of Neuburg/Donau, Germany for forty-eight (48) Panel WX 11706520000 Rev OB, 5.5 mm x 904.5 mm x 1065 mm; ninety-eight (98) Panel XY 11706530000 Rev. OA, 5.5 mm x 629.8 mm x 780 mm; ninety-eight (98) Panel YZ 11706540000 Rev OA, 5.5 mm x 816.7 mm x 817 mm and ninety-eight (98) Panel ZE 11706550000 Rev OA, 5.5 mm x 700 mm x 1220.5 mm. Above quantities represent four (4) sets of custom panels plus spares to shield the back side of the primary reflector of a six (6) meter antenna for SAO's Submillimeter Array Project to be stationed at the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 4,100 meters above sea-level. These panels are constructed from a thin sheet of corrugated aluminum bonded to two (2) thin sheets of flat aluminum on each side, resulting in a lightweight, yet very rigid and vibration resistant structure. The external flat sheets are .8 mm thick and 0.5 mm thick. The corrugated sheet is 0.2 mm thick and sinusoidal resulting in a thickness of 4.2 mm thick, which is sandwiched between the two flat sheets with epoxy, resulting in an overall thickness of 5.5 mm. VAW-Metawell GmbH is the only known manufacturer of this type of metal sandwich material. These items are required to be purchased on a sole source basis from this vendor due to compatibility with existing design and hardware interface requirements. A termination by SAO not to compete this proposed purchase order based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of SAO. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. This procurement is being conducted under the guidelines as set forth in the Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP). Anticipated award date is 5 May 1999. Posted 04/21/99 (I-SN322658). (0111)

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