Active

Contract Opportunity

SYNOPSIS: This Sources Sought Announcement is to assist the US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center to identify potential sources to provide a laboratory scale fiber spinning system capable of producing a wide variety of fiber types using a wide range of process chemistries in wet spinning, dry jet wet spinning, and gel spinning processes.

The Government requests that responses be submitted electronically to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and carolyn.westmark.civ@army.mil by April 5, 2024 by 5pm EST.

Background: The Government (DEVCOM Soldier Center) is in the need of a laboratory scale system that is capable of spinning fibers using wet spinning or gel spinning processes on a variety of material and solvent systems. The system should be a turnkey, modular system with flexibility to be modified as needed to accommodate many different types of spinning processes and material and solvent systems. In addition, installation of the system at DEVCOM-SC is needed, along with training and ongoing technical support and maintenance for the life of the system.

Specific Specifications:

1. End to end system with all components modular, fully integrated, monitored and controlled by integrated control system with a graphical user interface.


2. Laboratory scale: Fits into a footprint of approximately 30 ft X 20 ft, with overhead height of no more than 15 feet.


3. Dope storage mixing, and delivery system capable of:
   
   
   
   1. mixing and dispensing thixotropic materials over a very large range of viscosities with zero shear viscosities from approximately 10-2 million cP.
   
   
   2. Handling dope volumes of 0.5 – 5.0 L
   
   
   3. Controlled heating of spin dopes to temperatures as high as 150 deg C
   
   
   4. Maximum pressure of at least 20 bar.
   
   
   5. Spinning 1-20 fibers simultaneously, fiber diameters on the order of 1-100 microns
   
   
   
   


4. Coagulation and wash baths have a working length of about five feet, are corrosion resistant, include recirculation pumps and plumbing, and are capable of being heated to at least 80 C and cooled to at least 10C.


5. Fiber drying and automated winding capability included.


6. System should be modular and portable (i.e. components are on wheels) so that individual components can be swapped out easily.


7. System should be able to safely use volatile solvents (explosion resistant)


8. Control system should utilize central control panel with a graphical user interface. System should have the ability to easily integrate, monitor, and store data from sensors throughout the system, including user supplied sensors.


9. Expert on-site installation, system commissioning, and on-site training should be supplied.


10. Ongoing on site and and remote technical support must be available for the life of the system. Technicians must meet DoD security requirements for onsite visits.


11. System should have demonstrated service history from one or more other locations that have utilized the system for one or more of the following:
    
    
    
    • Spinning cellulosic fibers
    
    
    • Gel spinning high molecular weight polymers
    
    
    • Spinning biomaterials (for example, silk proteins, alginate, etc.)
    
    
    • Spinning of high viscosity spin dopes (in the order of 10^6 cP)
    
    
    
    

Deliverables:

1. System design with complete engineering documentation


2. In progress reviews during the system design and build phases.


3. System test results


4. Complete, turnkey laboratory scale wet spinning system (installed)


5. System user training

Delivery Date: The Government anticipates 48 weeks lead time for this item. Please identify timeframe required for delivery.

Government Furnished Property: Electrical supply lines, ventilation, air/gas and water supply equipment will be furnished by the Government and located on site at the point of installation.

Interested parties are invited to submit a response to this Sources Sought Announcement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT ONLY

This Sources Sought Announcement is issued solely for information and planning purposes and to identify interested sources. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. No contract will be awarded from this announcement. This Sources Sought does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a promise to issue an RFP in the future. It is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Further, unsolicited proposals will not be accepted. Funding is not available at this time. The United States Army has not made a commitment to procure any of the items/services discussed, and release of this Sources Sought Announcement should not be construed as such a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. Response to this Sources Sought Announcement is voluntary and no reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this and any follow-on information requests. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

Not responding to this Sources Sought Announcement does not preclude participation in any future RFP if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized in the SAM.gov website. It is the responsibility of the potential responders to monitor this site for additional information pertaining to this subject.

RESPONSES:

Interested parties may identify their interest and capability by sending responses regarding this requirement to DEVCOM Soldier Center via e-mail ONLY to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and caroyn.westmark.civ@army.mil no later than April 5, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. EST. The U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative cost incurred in response to this Notice. All costs associated with responding to this Notice will be solely at the expense of the interested party.

Please provide business size (indicate your socioeconomic status), applicable NAICS code, and CAGE code. If you hold a GSA Federal Supply Schedule contract, please identify your contract number.

QUESTIONS:

Any questions for clarification may be emailed to mary.k.prebensen.civ@army.mil and caroyn.westmark.civ@army.mil no later than April 4, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. EST. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. An unattributed list of questions and answers will be published at the same web location of this Sources Sought Announcement.

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