Heat Treating Furnace for Tempering Steel & Stress Relief of Welded Materials

The DLA-Aviation is issuing this sources sought synopsis as a means of conducting market research to identify parties having an interest in and the resources to support the requirement of a Heat Treating Furnace for Tempering Steel & Stress Relief of Welded Materials.  The furnace must be outfitted with the following brand names:  Eurotherm 3504 temperature controller, Honeywell UDC 2800 Over-Temperature Controller, Yokogawa GX20 with AH option chart recorder.  Potential sources must provide turn-key machine with technical data, spares and accessories, delivery, unloading and rigging, installation, removal of no longer needed equipment, testing, and on-site operator, maintenance, electrical, and mechanical training. The result of this market research will contribute to determining the method of procurement.

The proposed contract actions are for supplies or services for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. THIS SOURCES SOUGHT IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE/PROPOSAL. IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION AND SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS A COMMITMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT. RESPONSES IN ANY FORM ARE NOT OFFERS AND THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO AWARD A CONTRACT AS A RESULT OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. NO FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO PAY FOR PREPARATION OF RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. ANY INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY RESPONDENTS TO THIS TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION IS STRICTLY VOLUNTARY.  A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Submission Instructions: Interested parties should submit a response to this Sources Sought Notice by closing date on this posting. All responses under this Sources Sought Notice must be emailed to AVN IPE Market Research at AVNIPEMarketResearch@dla.mil. Email subject line must include ATTN: 23-40-1002 Stress Relief Furnace. Responses should be not exceed ten (10) one-sided 8.5 x 10 inch pages with a font that is no smaller than 10 point as this is not a request for a proposal but only a request for submission of a vendor's capability to perform this requirement. Telephone inquiries will not be accepted or acknowledged, and no feedback or evaluations will be provided to companies regarding their submissions.

DLA Aviation intends to issue 1 request for proposal for a Heat Treating Furnacew which must utilize a Eurotherm 3504 temperature controller, Honeywell UDC 2800 Over-Temperature Controller, Yokogawa GX20 with AH option chart recorder. Interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement no later than the stated closing date/time.

Place of performance is Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, United States of America

DLA Aviation is requesting industry input into the feasibility of the government’s requirements. In your response, please provide:

• Description of your company’s capabilities, based on the questions below
• Comments on the attached statement of work. Please identify on the attached statement of work if your company can provide the requirement as written or propose an alternative solution.
• Please identify your company’s business size in terms of number of employees, and whether domestic or foreign for consideration of solicitation set-aside, and small business subcontracting requirements.
• Please identify your company’s manufacturer status: Manufacturer/Non-Manufacturing Source. If non-manufacturing source, please identify the manufacturer.
• Please identify whether your company will partner with subcontractors to complete this requirement.
• Please provide a basis of estimate to consider the total financial budget of this requirement. Estimates should capture the total procurement requirements, not solely the machine’s requirements. 
  • For simplicity, the estimate should broken out as follows and just needs a total cost for each area:
    • Machine Cost to meet requirements (do not have to line item or provide options packages)
    • Training
    • Tech Data - Manuals and drawings
    • Installation Cost
    • Cost to remove equipment currently in the install location
    • Shipping
    • Spare Parts & Accessories

Draft purchase description is attached.  Please comment on the draft purchase description of whether the current characteristics are achievable, or whether the Government should consider an alternative that is commercially available.

Of particular note for this requirement is turn key installation of the furnace, including exhaust connections.  In Section 3.9.7 of the purchase description, details are provided for how furnace exhaust is to be handled on site.   Please provide comments & feedback as to your business' ablity to meet the government's exhaust requirements.   

The government expects to conduct a Heating Test during acceptance check out.   Currently, this heating test shall ramp the furance to no more than 30 degrees/minute to raise a maximum load of 2000 pound gross from ambient temperature throughout the operating range of 800 F to 1400 F.    On your sources sought submission, please provide your furnace's ramp up rate that can be achieved for the test conditions listed of 800F-1400F and 2000 pounds gross from depot ambient temperature.