SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- WOVEN MATERIALS FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS
- Notice Date
- 12/1/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 313210
— Broadwoven Fabric Mills
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Ames Research Center, JA:M/S 241-1, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
- ZIP Code
- 94035-1000
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-WMSA-L
- Response Due
- 1/7/2011
- Archive Date
- 12/1/2011
- Point of Contact
- Rachel Khattab, Contracting Officer, Phone 650-604-5237, Fax 650-604-3020, Email rachel.khattab@nasa.gov - Marianne Shelley, Contracting Officer, Phone 650-604-4179, Fax 650-604-3020, Email marianne.shelley@nasa.gov
- E-Mail Address
-
Rachel Khattab
(rachel.khattab@nasa.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration invites you to submit a responseto this inquiry, to assist in planning for the development of woven materials for futureNASA exploration missions. ARC is actively pursuing concepts and opportunities for technology development. Specifically this includes manufacturing techniques that could produce thermo-structuralcomponents (implemented in the dry or infused state) for applications at temperaturesreaching 2500-3000F. We are interested in gaining a better understanding of industrialcapabilities to assist us in the development, maturation and incorporation of woventextile concepts. Woven materials and capabilities sought include, but are not limited to:1) Ability to weave 3-D textiles (provide minimum and maximum thickness capability interms of number of layers and dimensional units);2) Types of 3D tow/yarn architectures including off axis capability;3) Ability to weave multiple high temperature fiber types (carbon, phenolic, polyimide,oxide/ceramic fibers including silica and SiC) list specific types of each family;4) Ability to weave multiple fiber sizes into a single textile;5) Ability to adjust warp tow/yarn tension/straightness;6) Ability to vary the fiber density in thickness, warp, and weft directions;7) Ability to vary textile thickness in warp and weft directions;8) Ability to incorporate pockets, cells, and other internal features in both warp andweft directions (sizes, spacing, etc.);9) Ability to incorporate discrete loops, tangs, ears, ribs, or similar protrudingfeatures in both warp and weft directions (sizes, spacing, etc.);10) Ability to weave wide textiles in curved forms (~10m width at ~10m radius, and ifapplicable provide manufacturability of one with respect to the other, ie: can produce10m width with no curvature, 5m width at 10m radius, etc.);11) Ability to prevent woven textile ends from unraveling;12) Ability to join two woven textile ends via stitching;13) Ability to process textiles weighing several thousand pounds.ARC is interested in understanding the state-of-the-art of these capabilities on anindividual basis as well as understanding how the capabilities change when combined (ie:capability of processing a two thousand pound textile with internal pockets woven withcarbon and phenolic fibers). Are some capabilities mutually exclusive of others?PLEASE NOTE: This is a request for information only and does not constitute a commitment,implied or otherwise, that NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) will take procurement actionin this matter. Further, neither ARC nor the Government will be responsible for any costincurred in furnishing this information. ARC is issuing this Request for Information(RFI) to gain a better understanding of industry capabilities and to assess the currentstate of the technology. Responses to this RFI are to be submitted no later than 12:00noon (Pacific Standard Time) on January 7, 2011, in accordance with the instructionsbelow.Upon review of the written responses to this RFI, NASA may conduct site visits orinformational meetings with industry.This RFI will consider materials at any Technology Readiness Level (TRL), as defined inAppendix A.Guidelines for RFI ResponseThe specific objective of this RFI is to request information identifying and describingcapabilities and approaches to making woven materials at any TRL. Responses shall address the following topics: 1. Capability Description Describe the current weaving or braiding capability (with reference to the capabilitiessought in the RFI description). Include experience weaving different fibers (carbon,oxide fibers, other ceramic fibers, organic fibers). For each capability referred to inthe RFI description, provide an estimated TRL (as defined in Appendix A; if unknown,state unknown). If available, provide all material property values (measured orinferred) and testing methods in place to evaluate woven materials.2. Other informationIf available, provide any study results or current capabilities that are not mentioned inthe RFI description data but may be pertinent to advancing woven concepts in spaceapplications.In addition to the information requested above, describe the extent to which existingproven commercial weaving technology can be leveraged to minimize technical and schedulerisk to a space program.Interested parties may submit questions by email to the identified POC. Pertinentinformation from questions and answers about this RFI will be shared with all interestedparties, without disclosing the identity of the source of the question.Written responses shall:1)Not exceed 50 pages; 2)Use an Arial font text with a size not smaller than 11 point; 3)Address all areas listed to the extent possible; 4)Figures, exhibits, and diagrams should be readable and are not included in thepage limit; and 5)Provide a Point of Contact to address questions from NASA.Responses must also include the following information:1) Company name, address, point of contact, phone number, fax, e-mail, and website (ifapplicable), number of years in business; affiliate information: parent company, jointventure partners, potential teaming partners, prime contractor (if potential sub) orsubcontractors (if potential prime); list of significant, relevant customers covering thepast five years (briefly describe relevant work performed, contract numbers, point ofcontact phone number, fax, email, contract type, dollar value of each procurement). 2) Indicate whether your company is a Large business, Small business, Small DisadvantagedBusiness, 8(a)set-aside small business, HUBZone small business, Woman-owned smallbusiness, Veteran-owned small business, HBCU/MI, Service-Disabled Veteran-owned smallbusiness for relevant NAICS codes. Questions about this RFI shall be submitted by email only to the Contract Specialist,Rachel.Khattab@nasa.gov. Responses to this RFI shall also be submitted by email only, by the due date statedabove, to the Contract Specialist, Rachel.Khattab@nasa.gov. Responses to this RFI will not be returned.This synopsis is for information and planning purposes and is not to be construed as acommitment by the Government, nor will the Government pay for information solicited.Respondents will not be notified of the results of the evaluation.This preliminary information is being made available for planning purposes only, subjectto FAR Provision 52.215-3, entitled Request for Information or Solicitation for PlanningPurposes. It does not constitute a Request for Proposal, and it is not to be construedas a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government payfor the information submitted in response to this request. Although all responses received will be carefully reviewed and considered, the initiatorsof this request make no commitment to include any particular recommendations forinclusion in a later action. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked Proprietary will behandled and protected accordingly. To the extent necessary, NASA will likely provideProprietary information to its support service contractors who are under an obligation tokeep third-party Proprietary information in confidence. By submitting a response to thisRFI, the responder is deemed to have consented to release of Proprietary information tosuch NASA support service contractors.No solicitation exists; therefore, please do not request a copy of a solicitation. If asolicitation is released it will be synopsized in FedBizOpps and on the NASA AcquisitionInternet Service. It is the responders responsibility to monitor these sites for therelease of any solicitation or synopsis.Information about major upcoming ARC procurement actions is available athttp://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eis/admin/admin.cgi?center=ARCAn ombudsman has been appointed -- See NASA Specific Note 'B'.Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.Information about major upcoming ARC procurement actions is available athttp://ec.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eis/admin/admin.cgi?center=ARC
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