Request for Information on Qualification of Additive Manufacturing Vendors for Airworthiness Parts

Please see the attachment for the full RFI.

1. The DAF’s desire to utilize additive manufacturing (AM) for flight-critical components necessitates the rigorous qualification of vendors. The US Air Force requests white papers that provide processes and procedures to qualify Additive Manufacturing (AM) vendors for parts with airworthiness considerations. The responses should outline a vetted process to assess and qualify AM vendors for airworthy parts by reviewing their quality management systems (QMS), material quality, process controls, design capabilities, data management, data and equipment security, and adherence to relevant regulations, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Amazon Web Service (AWS), Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) and National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity requirements, Automated Material System (AMS) or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards, specifications and practices. Ensuring that vendors meet these criteria is crucial for maintaining safety and performance in aviation. The purpose of this call for white papers is to develop a procedure that the USAF can follow to develop a qualified AM vendor list for parts with air worthiness considerations.

2. Problem Statement

The Air Force requires a standardized approach to qualify vendors for producing flight-critical components through additive manufacturing. This document invites vendors to provide procedures and recommendations for building a qualified provider list, including criteria for conducting audits and assessing compliance with airworthiness considerations.

3. This Request for Information (RFI) is for source planning purposes only and shall not be considered as an invitation for bid, requests for quotation, request for proposal, abstracts, or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. Your response to this RFI will be treated as informational only. No entitlement to pay, direct or indirect costs, or charges to the Government will arise, as a result of a contractor's submission of a response(s) to this announcement or the Government's use of such information. This request does not constitute a solicitation for future proposals or the authority to enter into negotiations to award a contract. The information provided may be used by the Government in developing its source acquisition strategy and Statement of Work/Statement of Objectives and performance specifications. The Government does not intend to award a contract solely on the basis of this RFI or to otherwise pay for the information submitted in response to this RFI. The purpose of this RFI is to gather information that will assist the Advanced Manufacturing Program Office (AMPO) in evaluating vendor capability of meeting its potential need. The Government has not determined the final acquisition approach. This market research will allow the AMPO to make an informed decision about how to proceed.