INNER & OUTER CYLINDRICAL POLYMER CONTAINERS FOR MORTAR AMMUNITION AND ARTILLERY PROPELLING CHARGES

Active

Contract Opportunity

INNER & OUTER CYLINDRICAL POLYMER CONTAINERS

FOR MORTAR AMMUNITION AND ARTILLERY PROPELLING CHARGES

This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning

purposes. This is not a solicitation. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), the US Government

(USG) does not presently intend to award a contract, but wants to obtain price, delivery,

other market information, or capabilities for planning purposes. Responses to these

notices are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding

contract. All information received in response to this RFI that is marked as proprietary will

be handled accordingly. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated

with responding to this RFI. Based on the results of this RFI, the USG may seek to establish

Cooperative Research and Development Agreement(s) (CRADA) and/or Other Transactional

Agreements (OTA’s) with potential responder(s).

INFORMATION REQUESTED: DEVCOM Armaments Center, Picatinny, NJ is

conducting market research to identify domestic products, suppliers, designers and

manufacturers of polymer shipping and storage containers for use on 60mm / 81mm /

120mm mortar ammunition and 155mm artillery propelling charges to supplement legacy

steel and polylaminated fiber packaging industrial bases. Two polymer container

alternatives are desired: inner and outer.

The inner polymer container would serve as an alternative to the legacy polylam

fiber tubes commonly used with mortar ammunition. It would be stored within a larger

outer metal rectangular container (steel outer pack) to meet long-term palletization and

worldwide shipping / storage requirements. This inner polymer container (polymer inner

pack) is expected to be lightweight, have a closure mechanism, be of similar color/gloss

spectrum, provide moisture protection/a waterproof seal, accept marking applications,

and be of comparable cost to the legacy polylam fiber tube. In addition, it must be capable

of protecting its ammunition over a wide range of extreme temperatures from -60°F to

+160°F for storage and air transport, and -50°F to +160°F for rigorous operational handling

and ground vehicle transport. In addition, the inner packs must be capable of protecting

ammunition for up to 20 years of indoor storage while spending most of that time in the

rectangular steel outer pack. When removed from the steel outer pack, the inner packs

must be capable of protecting mortar cartridges for up to 1 month of outdoor storage in the

harshest environments.

The cylindrical outer polymer container would serve as an alternative to the legacy

metal container outer packs for mortar ammunition and/or artillery propelling charges. The

outer polymer container is expected to meet long-term palletization and worldwide

shipping / storage requirements. It is expected to have a closure mechanism, carry

handles, be of similar color/gloss spectrum, provide moisture protection/a waterproof seal,

accept marking applications, and be of comparable cost to the respective legacy

packaging configuration. The polymer outer pack must be capable of protecting

ammunition over a wide range of extreme temperatures from -60°F to +160°F (for mortar

ammunition) and -65°F to +160°F (for artillery charges) during storage and air transport. In

addition, the polymer outer packs must be capable of protecting ammunition from -50F to

+160F (for mortar ammunition) and -40°F to +160°F (for artillery charges) during rigorous

operational handling and ground vehicle transport. In addition, they must be capable of

protecting ammunition for up to 20 years of indoor storage and up to 2 years of outdoor

storage in the harshest environments.

Approx inner and outer polymer cylindrical container sizes and weights are

dependent on the caliber of ammunition (see Table below). Injection molding is preferred;

however other manufacturing methods are being considered. MIL-STD-1904C, Test

Standards for Level A and Level B Packaging for Conventional Ammunition provide details,

design, and test requirements for the packaged ammunition system. MIL-STD-1660B,

Department of Defense Design Criteria Standard, Ammunition and Ordnance Unit Loads,

provide details of requirements for the palletized ammunition systems. It is critically

important that responders to this RFI review and understand the detailed design and test

requirements of these Military Standards as they outline the very severe Military

environments that the packaging needs to survive, which are significantly different and

more severe than the conditions commercial products are designed to withstand.

KEY REQUIREMENTS SUMMARY:

• Temperature Range:
  
  
  
  • Mortar Ammunition: -60°F to +160°F (storage/air transport), -50°F to +160°F (handling/ground transport)
  
  
  • Artillery Charges: -65°F to +160°F (storage/air transport), -40°F to +160°F (handling/ground transport)
  
  
  
  

• Durability:
  
  
  
  • Inner Polymer Container: 20 years indoor storage, 1-month outdoor storage in any worldwide climate.
  
  
  • Outer Polymer Container: 20 years indoor storage, 2 years outdoor storage in any worldwide climate.
  
  
  
  

• Features: Lightweight, closure mechanism, carry handle(s), moisture/waterresistant,marking capability, comparable cost to legacy packaging.


• Manufacturing: Injection molding preferred, but open to other methods.


• Standard: Should meet requirements of MIL-STD-1904C (Level A Tactical) and MILSTD-1660B (Protection Level A Tactical).
  
  
  
  • Outer Polymer Container must be capable of withstanding a pressure differential of 3 psig with no apparent leakage before, during, and after conditioned sequential rough handling IAW MIL-STD-1904C.
  
  
  • Outer Polymer Container must be capable of supporting the weight (up to 4,000lb max), stacking (up to 16ft high), and conditioned sequential rough handling requirements of a full unitized load configuration IAW MIL-STD-1660B.
  
  
  
  

Model 60mm PA189 Fiber Container (contains 1 mortar cartridge)

Drawing 13018948

Dimensions 17.73” L x 2.74” Diameter

Model 60mm PA191 Metal Container (contains 8 PA189)

Drawing 13027662

Dimensions 12.362” x 6.36” x 18.826”

Model 81mm PA163 Fiber Container (contains 1 mortar cartridge)

Drawing 12993642

Dimensions 21.00” L x 4.00” Diameter

Model 81mm PA156 Metal Container (contains 3 PA163)

Drawing 12944511

Dimensions 14.34” x 5.72” x 22.90”

Model 120mm PA167 Fiber Container(contains 1 mortar cartridge)

Drawing 12995106

Dimensions 30.46” L x 5.43” Diameter

Model 120mm PA154 Metal Container (contains 2 PA167)

Drawing 12577569

Dimensions 12.362” x 6.36” x 31.78”

Model 155mm PA103 Metal Container

Drawing 9349398

Dimensions 37.99” x 7.49” x 7.49”

All drawings in this Table are Distribution Statement A

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: There are no page limitations. Interested sources must

respond with:

• Company Name and Parent Company (If Applicable)

• Business Address: Street, City, State, and Zip Code

• Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code

• Unique Entity Identifier (ID)

• Information on current commercial products(s)/technologies and how they might

address this emerging Military requirement.

• Information regarding the firm's experience, personnel, and facilities.

• Technical information/specifications/qualifications (i.e., technical literature, data, test

reports, illustrations, photographs, patents, etc.), level of product maturity (i.e., is the

product in the research, development or production phase?), product history (i.e., who is

the product used by and in what applications?), relevant company background/experience.

• Price list, and/or potential costs, as well as delivery capabilities.

• Indicate whether they are a Small Business, Other than Small Business, Woman Owned

Business, Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), Economically Disadvantaged Women

Owned Small Business (EDWOSB), Veteran Owned Small Business, Service-Disabled

Veteran Owned Small Business, SBA Certified Small Disadvantaged Business, SBA

Certified 8(a) Firm and/or SBA Certified HUBZone Firm.

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Test Standards for Level A and Level B Packaging for Conventional Ammunition (MILSTD-

1904C)

2. Department of Defense, Design Criteria Standard, Ammunition and Ordnance Unit

Loads (MIL-STD-1660B)

3. Container, Ammunition Fiber, Polylam, PA189 (13018948)

4. Container, Ammunition, Metal, PA191 (13027662)

5. Container, Ammunition Fiber, Polylam, PA163 For Cartridge 81mm (12993642)

6. Container, Ammunition, Metal, PA156 for Cartridge, 81mm (12944511)

7. Container, Ammunition Fiber, Polylam, PA167 (12995106)

8. Container, Metal, Shipping and Storage, Cartridge 120mm Mortar, PA154 (12577569)

9. Container, Ammo, Metal, PA 103 (9349398)

Attachments/Links