66 -- DEPTH SENSING INDENTATION SYSTEM

Notice Date

April 2, 2001

Contracting Office

National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

ZIP Code

20899-3572

Solicitation Number

01-862-2132

Response Due

April 16, 2001

Point of Contact

TAMARA GRINSPON, Contract Specialist, (301) 975-4390, Paul G. Cataldo, Contracting Officer, (301) 975-6332

E-Mail Address

NIST Contracts Office (Contract@nist.gov)

Description

THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION (FAR) SUBPART 12.6-STREAMLINED PROCEDURES FOR EVALUATION AND SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS, FAR PART 13-SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES, AND FAR SUBPART 13.5-TEST PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ITEMS, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; QUOTATIONS ARE BEING REQUESTED, AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION DOCUMENT WILL NOT BE ISSUED.*****This solicitation, #01-862-2132, is a Request for Quotation (RFQ). The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-22.***** The associated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334519, and the small business size is 500 Employees.*****The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has a requirement for one (1) Depth-Sensing Indentation (DSI) System (also known as an instrumented nanoindenter), which will be used by the Building Materials Division of the Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) at NIST to perform sensitive, ultra-low load probing of mechanical and rheological properties at surfaces and interfaces of organic material systems, characterizing the elastic response of extremely compliant organic materials used in joint sealant applications, and quantifying scratch and mar resistance of polymeric coatings and bulk plastics over a wide range and variety of loading conditions.*****In order to be considered for award, quoters shall provide a DSI system that shall meet or exceed all of the following specifications: 1. Transducer Head Assembly for Indentation and Scratch testing: The system shall: (a) allow for control and measurement of axial and lateral forces and displacements; (b) allow for quasi-static and dynamic indentation testing in the axial direction; (c) allow for scratch testing and indentation testing without the need to change transducers; (d) allow for a maximum axial displacement of at least 1000 (micro)m with a resolution of 0.02 nm or better; (e) allow for a maximum axial load of at least 500 mN with a resolution of 100 nN or better; (f) have a thermal drift level of less than 0.02 nm/s; (g) be capable of controlled quasi-static indentation testing using a variety of user specified feedback parameters, including but not limited to constant loading rate testing, constant displacement rate testing, and constant strain rate testing; (h) allow for quasi-static indentation testing, in which a prescribed load and/or displacement can be applied rapidly and held constant for a user-specified amount of time; (i) allow for the use of the continuous stiffness measurement technique during a quasi-static axial test; (j) be capable of controlling and measuring load and displacement oscillations over a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 300 Hz with load amplitudes ranging from 0.1 (micro)N up to 500 (micro)N and displacement amplitudes as small as 0.1 nm; (k) be capable of controlling, monitoring, displaying, and analyzing the amplitude and phase of the load and displacement oscillations; (l) allow for feedback control of force oscillation during dynamic indentation testing such that user-defined displacement amplitude is maintained; (m) be capable of performing frequency sweep tests under constant static load or constant static displacement conditions; (n) allow for control of scratch test variables including but not limited to direction, length, velocity, and acceleration of scratch; (o) allow for both constant load scratch testing and progressive load scratch testing at a controlled, user-specified loading rate between user-specified load limits; (p) allow for quantitative measurement of the sample surface profile before and after scratch testing; 2. Transducer Head Assembly for Low-load Indentation testing: The system shall (a) allow for control and measurement of axial forces and displacements; (b) meet specification 1(b); (c) allow for a maximum axial displacement of at least 10 (micro)m with a resolution of 0.0002 nm or better; (d) allow for a maximum axial load of at least 10 mN with a resolution of 1 nN or better; (e) meet specifications 1(f)-1(m); 3. Sample, sample positioning, and sample viewing: The system shall (a) allow testing of samples with lateral dimensions of at least 90 mm by 90 mm; (b) allow for the relative positioning of the sample and indentation probe via a computer control interface over a minimum area of 90 mm by 90 mm laterally with resolution of 0.5 (micro)m or better; (c) provide an on-axis optical microscope with a motorized zoom and focus controlled via a computer interface capable of viewing the sample surface at magnifications of up to 40X or better. (This optical microscope shall be integrated into the positioning system); (d) allow for capture and digital storage of optical microscope images; 4. Computer Hardware and Software: The system shall (a) include a Windows-based computer system, including but not limited to computer, 19" color CRT monitor or better, keyboard, and laser printer, capable of running a software package that provides for system control, data acquisition, and data analysis related to the specifications 1(a)-1(p) and 2(a)-2(e); (b) System software shall (i) provide for user-defined inputs including but not limited to loading and unloading types and rates, dwell period length, data acquisition rates, number and sequence of experimental segments, and dynamic frequency; (ii) provide for PID feedback on any measured or calculated data channel; (iii) allow for the measurement and correction of thermal drift applied at the user's discretion; (iv) include a dynamic model for characterizing the dynamic response of the DSI system over a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 300 Hz; (v) allow for automation of indentation and scratch testing with the ability to vary numerous test parameters between consecutive tests; (vi) allow for automated analysis of data with both standard and user-prescribed methods; (vii) allow for multiple file analysis, and export of data to text or spreadsheet files; (viii) allow for analysis and calculation of elastic modulus, hardness, and viscoelastic material characteristics; (ix) allow for automated tip shape calibration; (x) allow for both automatic and user-defined determination of surface contact for each indent; 5. Vibration and environmental isolation: The system shall include vibration and passive environmental isolation of the DSI instrument; 6. Indentation tips: The system shall provide a minimum of one diamond Berkovich indentation tip for each transducer assembly provided; 7. Reference samples: The system shall provide a minimum of two reference samples for calibration purposes; 8. System upgrading: The system shall be capable of being upgraded to accommodate the following options at a later date: (a) High load system: allowing for axial indentation loads of up to 10 N or better; (b) Color optical imaging system: incorporating a color optical imaging system with a CCD camera; (c) Finite element modeling: incorporating finite element modeling software of indentation of bulk materials and thin films into the system software; (d) Atomic force microscope: incorporating an atomic force microscope and corresponding optical objective in place of the optical microscope; (e) Increased optical magnification: increasing the magnification capabilities of the optical microscope; (f) Additional tips: including but not limited to spherical tips, flat punch tips, cube corner tips, and conical tips; (g) Temperature control: providing temperature control from -25 degrees C to 100 degrees C with design considerations to minimize thermal drift effects; (h) Calibration system: providing all hardware required for calibration of load, displacement, tip shape, and load frame stiffness; 9. Quoters shall provide for all necessary personnel, materials, and equipment to install and calibrate the DSI system at NIST within 30 days of NIST receiving complete system. Calibrations shall be based on first principles and shall have NIST traceability; 10. Quoters shall provide for training at NIST for at least two (2) people for a period of two (2) days along with operating manuals for the training sessions. Training shall occur within 15 days of the completion of system installation and calibration; 11. Quoters shall provide a 1-year commercial warranty on parts and labor for the DSI instrument and associated computers and equipment.*****Delivery is required within 90 days after receipt of purchase order (ARO). *****Delivery location is the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Building 301, Shipping and Receiving, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001. The FOB point shall be DESTINATION, Gaithersburg, MD.*****Quotations will be evaluated in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 13.106-2-Evaluation of quotations or offers. Award will be made based on vendors' (A) Technical Capability to Meet or Exceed Specifications (vendors shall address all specifications, and shall provide indication of understanding and ability to meet the requirements, plus relevant catalogs, brochures, and a current, official price list); (B) Past Performance/Experience (vendors shall provide at least five (5) references of customers that have purchased similar instruments that meet or exceed the technical requirements of this solicitation, along with the supporting documentation of the DSI system capabilities related to the technical requirements, including organization name, point of contact and phone number for each); (C) Schedule Compliance (vendors shall provide a schedule for completion of each task indicating efforts to ensure the quality of products and service provided; and (D) Price. (A), (B), and (C) when combined, are more important than (D), and (B) and (C) when combined, are approximately equal to (A).*****The Government anticipates awarding one purchase order resulting from this combined synopsis/solicitation to the responsible vendor whose quotation, conforming to this synopsis/solicitation, will offer the BEST VALUE to the Government, price and other factors considered.*****All vendors are to include with their quotes, a completed copy of provision 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items, which may be downloaded from www.arnet.gov .*****The following Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) provision applies to this solicitation: 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial; ***** The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition.*****The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition, including subparagraphs (1) 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government, with Alternate I; (3) 52.219-4, Notice of Price Evaluation Preference for HUBZone Small Business Concerns; (5) 52.219-8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns; (8) 219-23, Notice of Price Evaluation Adjustment for Small Disadvantaged Business Concerns; (11) 52.222-21, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; (12) 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; (13) 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (14) 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities; (15) 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Vietnam Era; (18)(i) 52.225-3, Buy American Act-North American Free Trade Agreement-Israeli Trade Act-Balance of Payments Program; (20) 52.225-13, Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases; (21) 52.225-15, Sanctioned European Union Country End Products; (23) 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration; and Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level Above the Contracting Officer, which can be downloaded from the NIST Web Page located at www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/agency.htm.*****All interested, responsible, business firms should submit quotes (Original Plus One Copy Of Quote And Enclosures), by 3:00 PM, Washington DC time, on APRIL 16, 2001, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition and Logistics Division, ATTN: TAMARA GRINSPON (01-862-2132), Building 301, Room B129, 100 Bureau Drive STOP 3571, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-3571. Faxed quotes will NOT be accepted. Copies of above-referenced clauses are available upon request, either by telephone or fax.

Web Link

NIST Contracts Homepage (http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010404/66SOL006.HTM (W-092 SN50H9T9)