A -- CASTING EMISSION REDUCTION PROGRAM

Notice Date

April 13, 2001

Contracting Office

US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000

ZIP Code

07806-5000

Solicitation Number

N/A

Response Due

April 30, 2001

Point of Contact

Mary Ann Moreau, Contract Specialist, 973-724-2016

E-Mail Address

Mary Ann Moreau (mmoreau@pica.army.mil)

Description

The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (TACOM-ARDEC), Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, 07806-5000, is currently seeking qualified sources with the capability to conduct research and development on metal casting technologies to investigate air emissions and to investigate foundry product and process improvement in a real-world environment. The Casting Emission Reduction Program (CERP) was created in 1994 by a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) and it is currently administered by the US Army, TACOM-ARDEC, Industrial Ecology Center, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ. CERP is a Federal Government/Department of Defense (DOD) program intended to conduct research & development on metal casting technologies to investigate air emissions and to investigate foundry product and process improvements in a real-world environment. Background -- CERP's mission is to improve and/or develop materials and processes in foundry technologies, and to evaluate them in a demonstration foundry with the goal of reducing air emissions and facilitating compliance with Federal Clean Air Standards. Further, CERP is to advance emission measurement technologies needed to support environmental improvements. CERP accomplishes this mission by conducting metal casting research and development to evaluate the ability of alternative products and processes to reduce emissions generated during the production of castings, develop emission measurement technology improvements for stationary and mobile sources, develop foundry safety and pollution process improvements, and accomplish technology transfer and outreach to the DOD and its contractors, the casting user community, and the metal casting industry to share the results of the research efforts. Requirements -- The operation of the CERP may involve proprietary documents, trade secrets, processes, operations, and styles of work concerning confidential technical, statistical or financial data of the DOD, its contractor(s) and subcontractors. A selected applicant(s) will be required to sign nondisclosure agreements that will prevent them from passing along such information to others. An applicant will be required to demonstrate the following: (1) Personnel -- The applicant shall possess sufficient personnel to manage, operate and support a real-world research & development foundry. Personnel shall consist of professional, semi-professional and wage grade employees who can demonstrate that they process sufficient experience and skills in the foundry industry to operate a foundry, conduct research & development activities, process modeling, collect and analyze production and environmental data, maintain instrumentation, and effect technology transfer of generated data in accordance with non-disclosure and proprietary data agreements with the government, industry and academia. (2) Dedicated Research & Development Facilities -- The applicant shall make available to the CERP, on a non-interference basis, the facilities and capabilities for making a full range of metal castings including gray iron, ductile iron, aluminum, and titanium castings. In the absence of an existing titanium production capability, the applicant shall provide specific descriptions, plans, and schedules for the establishment of titanium castings capability. These facilities and capabilities shall include, but are not limited to: a. A demonstration foundry with all the typical attributes of a full production foundry together with the capability to discretely and precisely determine and evaluate the effects of variations of materials and processes on the castings produced and the emissions generated. The foundry must have a melting & pouring capacity of at least 5,000 pounds per hour and mold & core production capacity of 50 units each per hour on sustained basis. All operations must have installed equipment and instrumentation to capture, classify and analyze virtually all air emissions generated during the production of castings. b. A pre-production foundry to produce sample castings in individual or small multiple molds for the purpose of establishing baseline process parameters and emissions of a particular casting configuration. All operations must have installed equipment and instrumentation to capture, classify and analyze virtually all air emissions generated during the production of castings. c. Laboratory facilities and capabilities for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of metals, sand, and emissions from both stationary and mobile sources. d. Associated offices and equipment for precision metrology and strength of materials determinations, as well as computer equipment for analysis, database creation & management, process modeling and internet website operation. Equipment -- The applicant shall possess a full complement of equipment to support the demonstration foundry, pre-production foundry, laboratory, office and support functions described in section 2 above, as well as air emissions monitoring and testing equipment certified to meet all Federal and state requirements. Environmental Permits -- The applicant shall have a facility which possesses all the necessary local, State, and Federal environmental permits, including National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation & Recovery Act, Clean Water Act and any other pertinent law(s). The facility shall be capable of operation without violation of any environmental requirements by virtue of the inherent ability of its design to capture and contain all emissions resulting from any material or process in use. Environmental Expertise -- The applicant shall have the personnel who have the expertise in environmental, safety, and occupational health to assure compliance with all applicable state and Federal regulations. The applicant shall posses the ability to perform all required activities related to the following: Pollution prevention; Air pollution collection, monitoring and the ability to interpret findings; Hazardous air pollutants; Mobile and stationary air pollutant discharges; -- to measure and analyze their chemical constituents; and to validate vendor equipment and instrumentation. Technology Transfer -- The applicant shall possess the ability to create and maintain an internet-based reporting system to report test results and effect the widest dissemination of test data. The applicant shall demonstrate that their personnel have expertise in technical report writing, internet website technology management and dissemination, formal technical presentations, and the presentation of program technologies and accomplishments at technical exhibitions and trade shows. International Standards -- The applicant shall demonstrate that they possess familiarity with International foundry specification issues and be able to participate in International forums on casting including environmental and technical issues. Experience -- Applicants can submit any other information which describes their organization's primary mission; how you are organized to accomplish casting R&D; your organizations' strengths and weakness in accomplishing the CERP mission; information which briefly describes any casting research projects; and a list of any recommended military installations, universities, other government agencies, or industry contacts you would suggest to be contacted to support your application. Interested sources should provide the information on the above by 30 April 2001 to U.S. Army TACOM-ARDEC, ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-APD, Mary Ann Moreau, Bldg. 10, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000 or by email to: mmoreau@pica.army.mil. This is a market survey, not a pre-solicitation notice. If a formal solicitation is generated at a later date, a solicitation notice will be published. All information is to be submitted at no cost or obligation to the Government. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part any private sector imput as a result of this market survey.

Web Link

US ARMY TACOM-ARDEC Procurement Network (http://procnet.pica.army.mil/cbd/SRCSgt/041220010/041220010.htm)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010417/ASOL018.HTM (D-103 SN50J134)