Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138-1516

66 -- HEXAPOD 6-AXES MICROPOSITIONING SYSTEM SOL RFQBF6617 DUE 061600 POC Rena Cerbone, Contracting Officer, tel: 617-495-7445, fax: 617-495-7485, email: rcerbone@cfa.harvard.edu WEB: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, cfa-www.harvard.edu/. E-MAIL: SAO Sub Contracts and Procurement, Contracting Officer, rcerbone@cfa.harvard.edu. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) intends to award on a Sole Source basis, a purchase order to Polytec PI, Inc. of Auburn, MA for a Hexapod 6-Axes Micropositioning System w/Motor Controller (0.5 mm/s). SAO requires a six-degree of freedom hexapod and controller to support the secondary mirror of the 48" telescope at Mt. Hopkins, AZ, which is at an altitude of 7,600 feet. The hexapod must position the secondary with 2-micron repeatability in directions perpendicular to the axis of symmetry and 1 micron accuracy parallel to the axis of symmetry. The hexapod must be capable of supporting 50kg and must not weigh more than 20kg. Polytec PI's M-850 Hexapod is the only commercially available micropositioning system providing six degrees of freedom with 1 um resolution that allows the user to define the pivot-point anywhere inside or outside the system's envelope. This unit provides sophisticated user-friendly software and control electronics. This hexapod fits within the envelope of SAO's existing secondary support shroud so it does not reduce the efficiency of the telescope or require lengthening of the secondary support truss. The cylindrical envelope is 13 inches high and 14 inches in diameter. The hexapod must be capable of supporting and positioning the secondary to the required accuracy in all arbitrary orientations of the gravity vector. The hexapod must perform in the demanding environment of a telescope dome, which tracks exterior mountaintop temperature (20 -- 70 degrees F.) and must withstand the wind, dust and moisture that the telescope is exposed to. The controller should communicate through a standard serial channel and have a rich, high-level command language to operate the hexapod. The cable between the hexapod must be 3 meters or more. The item as specified is proven to work in several telescope domes i.e. Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, HI, the Canada, France, Hawaii telescope and the University of Hawaii's 88" telescope. A determination 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. Delivery is 12 weeks ARO, FOB: Destination. This acquisition is being conducted under the guidelines as set forth in the Simplified Acquisition Procedures (SAP. No written solicitation will be issued for this requirement. Posted 06/01/00 (W-SN460651). (0153)

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