SOLICITATION NOTICE
66 -- GAS-TIGHT, WATER-TIGHT NITROGEN STORAGE CABINETS
- Notice Date
- 8/26/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 332420
— Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing
- Contracting Office
- NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH
- ZIP Code
- 00000
- Solicitation Number
- NNJ05120714Q
- Response Due
- 9/2/2005
- Archive Date
- 8/26/2006
- Description
- NASA/JSC has a requirement for two gas-tight, water-tight nitrogen storage cabinets for use in a Class 10 clean room. NASA/JSC intends to purchase the cabinets from Absolute Control Systems, Inc (Absolute Controls). The storage cabinets are required to be compatible with an existing storage cabinet previously provided by Absolute Controls. The cabinets are plumbed into the facility nitrogen lines and bolted to the walls in a Class 10 clean room. Absolute Controls is the only company with an existing product that fits exactly in the specified space and meets stringent NASA quality requirements. An accurate measure of the Genesis solar wind composition can be compromised by a minimal number of atoms of contaminants. It is imperative that Genesis specimens be curated in Class 10 clean room conditions and their storage cabinets must be fabricated from certified, high quality materials. Absolute Controls is uniquely capable of providing gas-tight, water-tight nitrogen storage cabinets that meet NASA requirements for material control and cleanability which the curation of Genesis solar wind samples demands. Absolute Controls has a substantial amount of experience in fabricating processing and containment cabinets and glove boxes for the nuclear and pharmaceutical industries, industries which require levels of cleanliness and containment that are critical to safety and project success. Details of surface finish, weld quality, and off-gassing of elastomers are critical to maintaining the Genesis specimens in a pristine manner. To re-qualify other products would require additional funds, additional schedule for re-testing, and potential re-work that could not be expected to be regained through competition. Absolute Controls has provided a unique design for water-tight storage with smoothly operating latches which is essential for storage of delicate specimens. No other company makes a similar size/shape door with a flat interior surface that has been electro polished. Other companies' products with water-tight door seals have large protruding hinge/latch mechanisms which require lubrication. These products would not meet NASA requirements because lubricants are not allowed in the cleanroom cabinets. Water-tight storage is essential. Many companies provide water-tight storage containers; however, they cannot be cleaned to meet NASA requirements and the materials of construction are unacceptable because they shed particles and off-gas molecules onto NASA samples. Cleanliness is essential to distinguishing solar atoms from earth atoms. One 10-micron sphere of iron from a stainless steel cabinet (one tenth the diameter of a hair) contains 10 trillion iron atoms, which is ten times the number of solar iron atoms collected in a square cm. For their products, Absolute Controls provides the required extensive documentation of material certifications, leak testing, and personnel skill documentation. The cabinets? specifications are as follows: 1. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall be 30 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 30 inches high. 2. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall have a 1? NPT ID drain in one corner of the floor to allow drainage of the cabinet when it is tilted. All fittings shall be 316 stainless steel. 3. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall be equipped with purge inlet and outlet ports, 1/4 NPT, on opposite sides, one high and one low. All fittings shall be 316 stainless steel. 4. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall have one removable, full length and full width, shelf located at the center of the cabinet height. 5. The interior of the nitrogen storage cabinet shall contain no blind holes or 90 degree bends to preclude cleaning of interior via flushing to cleanliness level 300. 6. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall be equipped with two doors, which shall be 24 inches high and 11 inches wide with smooth interior construction (no interior bracing). 7. The Nitrogen Storage Cabinet doors shall be hinged to the outside. The latches shall be extremely smooth functioning, not imparting jolts to cabinet upon opening/closing latches and shed no particles from moving parts. 8. Door seals shall be gas-tight (leak rate less than 10-4 cc/sec) and shall be able to maintain seal against an exterior water pressure of one foot of water. 9. All O-rings and gaskets shall be manufactured of low out-gassing materials. Gasket material shall be approved by customer. Low off-gassing Viton is acceptable. All gaskets shall be made from the same material, unless specifically approved otherwise. After 1 week purge with high purity nitrogen, interior of cabinet shall measure < 10 ng/cm2 on exposed silicon wafer per SEMI MF 1982-1103 Method B (formerly ASTM 1982-99 Method B). 10. All metal parts of the Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall be constructed of 316L stainless steel. The cabinet support stand may be either 316L or 316. 11. The Cabinet Support Stand shall support the Nitrogen Storage Cabinet base at a height of 40 inches above the floor. Stand shall not exceed footprint of cabinet (30x16 inches). 12. The Cabinet Support Stand shall have leveling feet. 13. All interior surfaces of the Nitrogen Storage Cabinet shall be mechanically polished to a well-defined finish and then electro polished. 14. All exterior surfaces of the Nitrogen Storage Cabinet and the Cabinet Support shall be mechanically polished to a well-defined finish. 15. All welds shall be ground smooth and blended and shall be subjected to inspection. 16. All interior corners shall be coved to a minimum radius of 5/8 inch. 17. Certification sheets for all materials of construction shall be furnished. Leak test and weld inspection reports shall be furnished. The Government intends to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort in writing to the identified point of contact not later than 4:30 p.m. local time on September 2, 2005. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this procurement on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed effort on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. All responsible sources may submit an offer which shall be considered by the agency. An Ombudsman has been appointed. See NASA Specific Note "B". Any referenced notes may be viewed at the following URLs linked below.
- Web Link
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- Record
- SN00881002-W 20050828/050826213321 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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