SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Lightweight Combat Vehicle Science & Technology Campaign Request for Information
- Notice Date
- 7/24/2014
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA), ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road, Warren, MI 48397-5000
- ZIP Code
- 48397-5000
- Solicitation Number
- W56HZV-LCVSTC-08-08-2014
- Response Due
- 8/8/2014
- Archive Date
- 9/22/2014
- Point of Contact
- Patrick Ruoff, 586-282-9810
- E-Mail Address
-
ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA)
(patrick.s.ruoff.civ@mail.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- DESCRIPTION - REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) 1. Participation in this RFI does not represent or create any contractual obligation by the Government. The U.S. Government is not soliciting samples, nor is the Government under any obligation to issue a solicitation or award a contract to any individual or manufacturer because of this RFI. Vendor participation is entirely voluntary and by participating, each Vendor agrees that its participation does not create any rights for the Vendor to submit any claims, monetary or otherwise, against the Government. 2. The data supplied by Vendors in response to this RFI will be used for internal Government purposes only, and will not be disclosed to any outside third parties. By Federal Law, Government employees are bound by criminal statute not to disclose contractor proprietary information, which the Government has requested, and therefore, separate non-disclosure agreements between Vendors responding to this RFI and the Government are neither appropriate nor necessary. 3. Background: The Lightweight Combat Vehicle Science & Technology Campaign (LCVSTC) is a RDECOM-wide feasibility assessment focused on reducing future combat vehicle weights by 40-50% using advanced materials and technologies. As part of this effort, a workshop will be held on 29-31 July 2014 (the Army Vehicle Materials Meeting) which is intended to assess state-of-the-art research in materials applicable to Army vehicles, identify research gaps and foster the collaboration across the government, academia, and industrial materials communities. This event will allow TARDEC to determine the feasibility of the project, and chart the way ahead needed to meet the weight reduction goal for future systems developed in the 2030 timeframe. This campaign will look at a myriad of ways that we may be able to bring light-weighting to the vehicle system. This is to include not only materials, but also manufacturing and technology transition processes/methods for every aspect of the vehicle including: Electronics (sensors, radios, displays, etc.) The automotive systems (power train, mobility, and suspension systems) Protection systems (armor, blast, and active protection systems) Auxiliary systems (Seat, floor, doors, hatches, etc.) This RFI is broadranging in technology and application. 4. The LCVSTC team is inquiring into available materials, technologies, and approaches to developing lightweight structures for Combat Vehicle applications. However, while the current effort is focused on Combat Vehicles, applicable technologies will most likely be applied to future Tactical Vehicle applications. Please bear in mind the general requirements the military faces: low annual production volume, large dynamic loads, off road durability, etc. a. Material trends. The Government is interested in gaining opinions on the future trends of various materials from industry / academic experts, projected over the next 10 to 20 years. What are the overall trends in the light weighting arena (i.e., what materials / designs are the most promising? Nanostructures, bio-inspired, etc.)? All responses should be backed by data where the source is referenced. Unclassified Unclassified The Government is interested in novel material advances that improve the specific strength and moduli over conventional metal designs. Materials that can reduce the weight and/or volume of the vehicle are of interest. The Government is interested in forming and joining technologies. Technologies must increase the joint efficiency and the load transfer of the joint while also being repairable. The Government is interested in coatings and other technologies that will improve corrosion resistance, as well as enable dissimilar material joining. b. Vehicle subsystems and components. The Government is interested in exploring light-weighting technologies as they are applied to vehicle components and subsystems. Technological innovation may include, but would not be limited to, materials substitution, component redesign for more efficient weight-savings construction, vehicle system and subsystem redesign to allow for removal of redundant components, and similar weight saving efforts. 5. Evaluation: The Information that is received will be analyzed on several factors and then used to develop an Army S&T strategy for combat vehicle weight reduction. Application: The technology should be able to be applied to a specific component or system. It is acceptable that some technologies will have a broader application potential. However, the information responding to this RFI should detail at least one application and a path for implementation for a specific application. Readiness: It is not required that the technology be advanced to any certain readiness level. However, the LCVSTC is focused on materials that will achieve TRL 4 between 2021 and 2030. This could apply to technologies that are not currently at a high readiness but do have a development plan currently in place to achieve a quote mark more ready quote mark state in the near future. Producibility: The ability to produce the product at a level that is appropriate to an Army vehicle production schedule (~200-2000 vehicles per year for new vehicles), and at a reasonable cost are needed. Demonstrating that production level/costs can be achieved at some point is needed for consideration. Technology/products that can achieve this now or before 2030 will be more desirable. Affordability: While low-cost is certainly a desired trait for any technology, it is not a limiting factor for the LCVSTC, provided that it is reasonable to assume future efforts (e.g., ManTech programs) could bring production costs down to levels comparable to current fielded materials. Performance: It is important that each technology document, to the extent possible, its performance. Where applicable, the technology should be compared to a current baseline. This RFI is meant to be data-driven. When evaluating what technologies seem feasible and usable, data and evidence provided with each response will be a critical factor. 7. Submission: Responses to this RFI are due no later than 5:00PM (Eastern), 8 August 2014. Only electronic responses are requested. Please submit all responses and any questions prior to full response to Dr. Erik Polsen via email at Erik.S.Polsen.civ@mail.mil. Please format the subject line of the response email as follows; quote mark [Organization Name] response to RFI - LCVSTC. quote mark
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/1ece7964796030f3c932a2ef05ebe0f3)
- Place of Performance
- Address: ACC - Warren (ACC-WRN)(DTA) ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road Warren MI
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Record
- SN03437180-W 20140726/140724235759-1ece7964796030f3c932a2ef05ebe0f3 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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