Optical Table with Pneumatic Vibration Isolation Legs

Active

Contract Opportunity

Notice ID Number NIST-SS25-29

Title: Sources Sought Notice for Optical Table with Pneumatic Vibration Isolation Legs

The purpose of this sources sought notice is to conduct market research and identify potential sources of commercial products/services that satisfy the Government’s anticipated needs.

BACKGROUND

The Photonics and Optomechanics Group in Microsystems and Nanotechnology Division develops cutting-edge nanophotonic and optomechanical devices for metrology, microscopy, and sensing. As part of our research, we require two optical tables that are 4’x6’18” (width x length x thickness) and accompanying sets of four pneumatic vibration isolation support legs upon which we can perform sensitive optical metrology experiments on integrated photonics devices. These optical tables must provide isolation against noise sources that are both externally generated (e.g., from the building) and generated on the table top (e.g., from equipment motors and fans).

Minimum Requirements

The Contractor shall provide two (2) optical tables and two (2) sets of four (4) pneumatic vibration isolation legs in accordance with the specifications listed. These items must meet or exceed the technical specifications listed below. All items must be new. Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered. The use of “gray market” components not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the proposer is not acceptable. All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation when applicable.

Contract Line Item 0001: Optical tables

Quantity: Two (2) optical tables

The Contractor shall provide optical tables that meet the following minimum specifications:

1. Size: each optical table should be 4 feet in width, 6 feet in length, and 18 inches in thickness


2. Mounting holes: each table must be tapped with 1/4"-20 holes on a 1” grid, with the separation between the table edge and first holes no more than 0.5” to maximize the ability to mount components on the table. In addition, alphanumeric labeling of the hole pattern is required to aid in replication of experimental setups on the table top.


3. Flatness: each table’s top surface must be flat to within +/-0.004 inches over a square that is 2 ft in side length


4. Sealed holes: each table must use corrosion-proof sealed holes to protect the table inside from the environment. Each table core should also be sealed.


5. Skin material and thickness: Each table’s top and bottom skins must be 3/16” thick stainless steel (or thicker)


6. Material construction: each table must not include composite or plastic materials between the skin and the core honeycomb, to avoid degradation over long periods of time


7. The maximum dynamic deflection coefficient, measured for a centrally placed load, should be less than 1.0x10-3


8. The maximum relative motion between two points on the table (i.e., a worst-case relative displacement) must be less than 10-8 inches when the table is subject to an applied power spectrally density of 10-9 g2/Hz (g is the acceleration due to gravity) and the isolator transmissibility is 1% (0.01) for frequencies greater than 10 Hz

Contract Line Item 0002: Pneumatic Vibration Isolation Legs

Quantity: Two (2) wo sets of four pneumatic vibration isolation legs are required (one set for each optical table)

The Contractor shall provide pneumatic vibration isolation legs that meet the following minimum specifications:

1. Leg Height: each leg must be between 16” and 18” tall, so that together with the 18” table thickness, the height of the table top is between 34” and 36” with respect to the floor


2. Load capacity: Each vibration isolation leg must support a maximum load of 2000 lbs. or greater


3. Re-leveling: The vibration isolation legs must automatically re-level with an accuracy of +/-0.01 inches or better


4. Resonance frequencies: the horizontal and vertical resonance frequencies should be below 1.5 Hz

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response: Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice as soon as possible, no later than the closing date and time of this notice. Please note that to be considered for award under any official solicitation, the entity must be registered and “active” in SAM at the time of solicitation response.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).


• Identify the equipment that your company sells that can meet the objectives addressed in the BACKGROUND section of this notice. For each product recommended to meet the Government’s requirement, provide the following:
  
  
  
  • Manufacturer name
  
  
  • Model number
  
  
  • Technical specifications
  
  
  • If your company is not the manufacturer, provide information on your company’s status as an authorized reseller of the product(s)
  
  
  
  


• Describe performance capabilities of the product(s) your company recommends to meet the Government’s requirements. Additionally, if there are other features or functions that you believe would assist NIST in meeting its objectives described above, please discuss in your response.
  
  
  
  • Discuss whether the equipment that your company sells and which you describe in your response to this notice may be customized to specifications and indicate any limits to customization.
  
  
  
  


• Identify any aspects of the NIST market research notice, including instructions, and draft minimum specifications in the BACKGROUND section you cannot meet and state why. Please offer suggestions for how the market research notice and draft minimum specifications could be made more competitive.


• State whether the proposed equipment is manufactured in the United States and, if not, state the name of the country where the equipment is manufactured.


• Identify any plans/possibilities for changes in manufacturing location of the aforementioned equipment and provide relevant details, including timeline.


• For the NAICS code listed in this notice:


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  • Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business. See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
  
  
  
  


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  • If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement.
  
  
  
  


• Describe services that are available with the purchase of the aforementioned equipment from your company such as installation, training, and equipment maintenance.


• Describe standard terms and conditions of sale offered by your company for the recommended equipment such as: delivery time after your company accepts the order; FOB shipping terms; manufacturer warranty (including details regarding nature and duration); if available, description(s) of available extended warranty; equipment setup and test; operator and service instruction manual(s); cleanup after installation; and if applicable, other offered services. Provide a copy of manufacturer standard terms and conditions that typically relate to the sale of the specified equipment, if available.


• State whether your company offers facility renovation services related to installation of the recommended equipment at its delivery destination, if required per the NIST-identified minimum specifications, and provide description of said services. Indicate if your company performs the facility renovation services or typically subcontracts the work to another company. Indicate if your company would be interested in inspecting the intended installation site during the market research phase.


• State published price, discount, or rebate arrangements for recommended equipment and/or provide link to access company’s published prices for equipment and services.


• If the recommended equipment and related services are available for purchase on any existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts against which NIST may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.


• Identify any customers in the public or private sectors to which you provided the recommended or similar equipment. Include customer(s) information: company name, phone number, point of contact, email address.


• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for NIST to know as part of its market research for this requirement.


• State if you require NIST to provide additional information to improve your understanding of the government’s requirement and/or would like to meet with NIST representatives to discuss the requirement and the capabilities of the identified equipment.

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received 5 days prior to the response date. If the Contracting Officer determines that providing a written amendment to this notice to document question(s) received would benefit other potential respondents, the questions would be anonymized, and a written response to such question(s) would be provided via an amendment to this notice.

IMPORTANT NOTES

This notice is for market research purposes and should not be construed as a commitment by NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. There is no solicitation available at this time.

This notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate.

Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s capability.

Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted.

After a review of the responses received, a synopsis and solicitation may be published on GSA’s eBuy or SAM.gov. However, responses to this notice will not be considered an adequate response to any such solicitation(s).

The responses shall not exceed 10 pages including all attachments, charts, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.

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