SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Advanced Topside Coating Systems
- Notice Date
- 5/7/2008
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. S.W., Washington, District of Columbia, 20375
- ZIP Code
- 20375
- Solicitation Number
- NRLRFI-coating
- Point of Contact
- Jamie Brown,, Phone: 202-767-4597
- E-Mail Address
-
jamie.brown@nrl.navy.mil
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- This publication constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) and no formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this request will be issued. The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will not issue paper copies of this request. The responses to this RFI will be considered in the planning and definition of Future Naval Capabilities programs. This is not a commitment to fund any effort submitted in response to this request. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. This Sources Sought Announcement issued by NRL solicits industry and academic Sources to express their capability to provide advanced topside coating systems for U.S. Navy ships. As discussed in more detail below, NRL seeks to develop new processes to increase substantially the performance of current coating systems. The Navy considers current products as 18-month systems and wishes to extend the service life to between 3 and 5 years. Contractors are encouraged to consider novel organic, inorganic, or hybrid resins and / or application processes to achieve the desired goals. In concert with consideration of new processes and materials, the Navy has also established goals which will also govern the development options. These are established with the intent of making near-final products available to the fleet by Government Fiscal Year 2011 (Starting October 2010). These supplementary goals include: (a) a goal of developing solvent and HAP free coatings but in no case should the VOC / HAP content exceed 95 g/l, (b) coating application should be via currently available technology—exceptions must be justified by cost / performance benefits and the alternative application process must be otherwise commercially available by October 2010, (c) resin choices should focus on available or nearly available technologies or combinations thereof to minimize the technology readiness (by October 2010) risk, (d) all coating shall meet the hazardous pigment, additive and toxicity requirements of the referenced military specifications—exceptions must be identified and justified on the basis of performance, and (e) recommended systems must also have a field repair technology—optimally this should also be a new technology (i.e., improved product)—alternatively current use materials might be considered as a short term repair and the new technology products would have to be compatible with them. To support the aggressive technology development / field demonstration schedule, an additional requirement is for the Source to demonstrate the capacity within any resultant contract to provide the Navy with substantial volumes of test coatings (e.g., > 50 gallons) to facilitate test applications shipboard. Collaboration and teaming between material / process developers and larger scale coating manufacturers is encouraged to achieve the technical goals and manufacturing capacity. These enhanced performance topside coatings shall meet or exceed all of the key performance requirements of MIL-PRF-24635D (i.e., color / gloss retention) and should include 10% or more improved Low Solar Absorbance performance vs. current materials without adverse color changes / color stability concerns. The coatings should also possess easy-clean properties, i.e., color / gloss shall be restored with a water wash / brush. Three systems are sought: a five-year, two-component, rapid cure system for new construction or depot level application; a five-year, two-component traditional cure rate system for depot level application; and a three-year, single component system for “easy” application by ships force. While there are no preconceived restrictions on resin choice, the single component system has to be compatible with the two-component system. Ideally these systems should be direct-to-metal products (either aluminum or steel substrates). The offeror should discuss the need for a primer for the proposed materials. For complex-shape topside areas, the Navy would also seek edge-retentive properties in the coating. The Navy would like to see alternatives based on polyurethanes, polysiloxanes, or other modern materials. All systems should be HAP free. The two-component systems should be (near) solvent free and the single component system shall have a VOC < 95 g/l. Ideally, systems should also be compatible with remaining supplies of MIL-PRF-24635D. Submissions To minimize costs to potential contractors in responding to the subject announcement, each contractor is encouraged to submit an initial White Paper of no more than five (5) pages in length for each specific coating technology offered. A single Source may submit multiple White Papers. White Papers may be submitted via e-mail to the Points of Contact Listed below. Alternatively Hard Copies (1 original + 2 copies) may be mailed to the Points of Contact. All White Papers must be received by the requested due date. Sources are encouraged to present coating systems in one of three areas: two-component, 100% solids, rapid cure; two-component, traditional cure; and a single component system. (A separate White Paper should be submitted for each coating classification.) The White Paper should (a) outline the proposed chemistry, (b) present a rationale basis for meeting the expected performance, (c) provide a rough order of magnitude of the coating cost, and (d) the expected installation and maintenance process. The Navy requests that White Papers be provided by June 9, 2008. The Navy desires to initiate laboratory testing on initial trial products by July 2008. Items (a) through (d) listed above, technology maturity, and manufacturing capacity. Each Source should also provide a two (2) page maximum resume or curriculum vitae for the Principal Investigator. Each potential Source should identify the Advance Coating Technology area being presented for consideration. The document header or title should include one, and only one, of the following: Two-Component, 100% Solids, Rapid Cure; Two-Component, Traditional Cure Rate; or Single Component Topside Coating. Immediate questions should be addressed in writing to Mr. Edward Lemieux, Naval Research Laboratory, Code 6136, PO Box 1739, Key West, FL 33041. Mr. Lemieux’s FAX number is (305) 293-4213 and the e-mail address is Lemieux@nrl.navy.mil. White papers should also be sent to Mr. Lemieux. The secondary POC is Dr. Airan J. Perez, Office of Naval Research. Dr. Perez may be reached via conventional mail at: Dr. Airan J. Perez, Office of Naval Research, 875 North Randolph Street, Arlington, VA 22203. Dr. Perez’s e-mail is airan.perez@navy.mil with a FAX number of 703-696-0934. The White Paper should also be sent to Dr. Perez by the date listed above via conventional mail or via e-mail. No phone calls please.
- Web Link
-
FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=8eb5380096967b3d4a940c396d20410e&tab=core&_cview=1)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, 20375, United States
- Zip Code: 20375
- Zip Code: 20375
- Record
- SN01568409-W 20080509/080507220033-8eb5380096967b3d4a940c396d20410e (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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