Dynamic Directed Energy Deposition System

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Contract Opportunity

Amendment II - The purpose of amendment II is to dissolve the small business set-aside and solicit a Full and Open competition in accordance with the amendment documents. The solicitation closes on 9/15/2025 at 12:00pm EST.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged, as a result of this amendment.

Incorporating Questions & Responses

Question I - Can you please confirm that integration of the X-ray system will occur at the customer site after the DED machine installation and acceptance? Further, while the DED original equipment manufacturer (OEM) may provide support, responsibility for installation of x-ray related equipment will be borne by personnel other than the DED OEM?

Yes, the source and detector will be external to the system. As long as the system meets the control and geometric constraints as laid out in the solicitation/SOR then the NIST team will be responsible for further integration. This integration will occur after installation/acceptance.

Question II - Will a stage positional repeatability of +/- 5 micron rather than +/- 1 micron be considered?

Yes this will be considered. Please document clearly.

Question - III - Is there a latency requirement for the real-time telemetry with the DED machine control system?

Some amount of latency is acceptable, on the order of 100 ms, however we require high accuracy in that latency of

Question IV - Can the control interface use 24VDC logic rather than typical 2-5VDC TTL level?

The logic system at the beamline is 5V TTL based, as such we have a strong preference for 5V logic but we will consider systems with 12 VDC or 24 VDC communication systems.

Question V - Can you provide references to literature that demonstrate the ability to change composition within the stated accuracy using multiple powder feeders and dynamic mixing?

We are not aware of published literature that directly demonstrates the ability to change composition within the stated ±10% accuracy, using multiple powder feeders and dynamic mixing, in the exact configuration described in the SOR. This is an innovative capability we are seeking through this procurement. Vendors are encouraged to propose their best technical solution to meet this requirement and to provide any supporting evidence, prior demonstrations, or test data that substantiate their proposed approach.

Question VI - How will powder compositional accuracy be measured? Will it be measured as a blend of powder in a receptacle or in the DED printed component? If it will be measured in the DED printed component, is there a requirement for homogeneity or will the composition be averaged across the entire component and what is the geometry of the DED printed component?

While measurements of part composition would be ideal, we recognize that there are many factors that affect composition of the final part. To that end we can use aliquoted powder in receptacles from the nozzle as a more direct measure of mixture accuracy. The most accurate measurement for the powder blend is probably IC-PMS in 1 g batches. Powders can also be melted into an ingot using more controlled conventional methods such as arc melting for use with XRF or EDS.

If printed parts are to be used the composition will be evaluated as the average across the deposited region produced under steady-state conditions following a commanded change. Local homogeneity is not a requirement beyond what is needed to achieve the stated average composition accuracy. The component geometry for verification will be a simple shape (e.g., thin wall or block)

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged, as a result of this post.

Amendment I - The purpose of Amendment I is to extend the solicitation due date FROM: 8/15/2025 TO: 8/22/2025.

All other terms and conditions remain unchanged, as a result of this amendment.

COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION 1333ND25QNB640395

Dynamic Directed Energy Deposition System

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6 – Streamlined Procedures for Evaluation and Solicitation for Commercial Items, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; quotations are being requested, and a separate written solicitation document will not be issued. This solicitation is being issued under the authority of FAR Part 13.5 Simplified Acquisition Procedures.

This solicitation is a Request for Quotations (RFQ) for a Dynamic Directed Energy Deposition System. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisitions Circular (FAC) 2025-04 effective 6/11/2025.

The associated North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code for this procurement is 334516 with a small business size standard of 1,000 employees. This acquisition is being procured using Small Business Set-Aside competition.

The Materials Measurement Science Division (MMSD) in the Material Measurement Laboratory (MML) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) advances measurement science, standards, and technology to support the industrialization of advanced manufacturing. A critical national need is the development of metrology tools that reliably link materials composition, processing conditions, structure, and performance - particularly in metal-based additive manufacturing (AM), where rapid solidification under extreme conditions presents major challenges to microstructure control.

To address these challenges, MMSD is developing a high-speed X-ray metrology platform capable of probing materials’ structural evolution in real time during AM processes. Current high-speed X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements are limited by slow sample preparation and fixed compositions, restricting systematic exploration of the vast composition–processing space critical to understanding AM. The inability to measure dynamic phase transformation behavior at relevant time and length scales remains a significant barrier to AM’s broader industrial adoption.

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