Maintenance and Repair of Nordco FlexSonic Ultrasonic Unit and a Hi-Rail F-350 Test Vehicle
Synopsis:
This is a SOURCES SOUGHT announcement to be used for preliminary market research purposes only. No proposals are being requested or accepted with this notice. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS OR QUOTATIONS AND NO CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED FROM THIS NOTICE. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this notice or any follow up information requests.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is issuing this sources sought announcement as part of a market survey for expedient repairs/annual calibrations of the Nordco FlexSonic Ultrasonic Unit and a Hi-Rail F-350 Test Vehicle for the Railroad Evaluation Program.
Nordco's FlexSonic is a fully digital, diesel powered, hi-rail vehicle that is capable of detecting flaws in the rail at speeds up to 15 MPH (under optimal rail conditions). The system ultrasonically inspects both rails simultaneously and is capable of accurately locating defects by GPS coordinates and mile reported to the thousandths of a mile. The vehicle is equipped with deploy carriage that is permanently mounted to the rear bumper of the vehicle. The carriage is equipped with two XL9-11 and provisioned for the addition of the 6.5" Tracer wheels. The system is also equipped with the Nordco System 32 digital signal processing platform.
The FlexSonic system with vehicle includes:
a) Ford F350 diesel powered vehicle with utility body (or equivalent) to include cruise control
b) Seating for three passengers
c) Standard gauge (56.5-inches) hi-rail and carriage (folding rail gear only)
d) Nordco System 32 instrumentation with thirty-two (32) channels of ultrasonic information
e) Proprietary wheel probe design including two XL9-11 Wheel Probes
f) Fully integrated Windows operating system with redundant data collection and storage
g) GPS tagging of car movement and defect location
h) New patented enhanced pattern recognition and defect classification
i) Forced Operator Acknowledgement of all anomalies
j) On Board Run on Run Software
k) Camera system for visual indication of carriage alignment
l) All software, manuals, and documentation provided in English
Ford F-350 Chassis Repair and Maintenance Detail:
a) Coverage of the chassis for roadside assistance and repair shall include towing to approved repair facility, all parts, labor, and incidental materials required for completion of the repairs.
b) Coverage of the chassis shall include, but not be limited to, the following components or systems:
i) Diesel Engine
(1) Engine Cooling system
(2) Oil Cooling System
(3) Transmission Cooling System
(4) Turbocharger Systems
(5) Air Intake System
(6) Fuel Injection System
(7) Electrical System
(8) Any other systems associated with the engine or required for engine or truck operation
ii) Transmission and Powertrain
(1) 4-Wheel Drive System (including transfer case, and all 4-wheel drive components)
(2) Rear End
(3) Any other components associated with the transmission and powertrain systems
iii) Fuel System
(1) Tank
(2) Fuel Pump
(3) Filter Systems
(4) Piping
(5) Pressure Sensors
(6) Valves
(7) Any other components required for proper fuel system operation
iv) Suspension System
(1) Shock Absorber
(2) Struts
(3) Leaf Springs
(4) Any other suspension components required for chassis operation
v) Brake System
(1) Master cylinder and components
(2) Reservoirs
(3) Drums
(4) Shoes
(5) Rotors
(6) Discs
(7) Pads
(8) Calipers
(9) Tubing and Fittings
(10) Cables
(11) Any other components required for the proper and safe operation of the brake system
vi) Exhaust System
(1) Piping
(2) Muffler
(3) Particulate Filters
(4) Resonators
(5) Catalytic Converters
(6) Any other components required for proper exhaust system operation
vii) Environment, Electrical, and Electronics
(1) Instrument Cluster
(2) Cabin Air Conditioning
(3) Cabin Heating
(4) Dome Lamps
(5) Head Lamps, Turn Signals, Brake Lamps, Back-Up Lamps, Marker Lamps
(6) Any other components required for fully functioning environment, electrical, or electronic systems
c) Response to a disabled vehicle stranded roadside shall be within 6 hours of the initial call to the contractor.
d) Repairs shall begin within 24 hours of the initial call to the contractor.
e) Repairs shall be complete with the vehicle road ready within 72 hours of the initial call to the contractor.
f) This contract shall also include the purchase of maintenance items (including installation, labor, and incidental material costs, if applicable) that would be considered normal "wear and tear" items that would be required replacement with regular use of the vehicle. These items would include, but not be limited to, the following:
i) Tires
ii) Shocks
iii) Struts
iv) Batteries
v) Mufflers and Tail Pipes
vi) Fluids (Oil, Brake, Transmission, Radiator, Power Steering, etc)
vii) Fuel Additives (Octane Booster)
viii) Filters (Air, Fuel, Oil, Transmission, etc)
ix) Ignition Points
x) Belts
xi) Engine Hoses
xii) Light Bulbs
xiii) Fuses
xiv) Wiper Blades
NORDCO FlexSonic Ultrasonic Testing Equipment and Hi-Rail System Repair and Maintenance Detail:
a) Repair and maintenance of ultrasonic testing equipment shall include the following primary systems:
i) Hi-Rail System (Wheel sets, axle locks, air brakes, compressor and air system, hydraulic pump and reservoir, and all controls and secondary components)
ii) Testing Carriage (including air-powered control components and component control systems)
iii) Computer System (including the main computer rack, monitor, monitor mount, keyboard, mouse, cabling systems, and all other primary and secondary components)
iv) On-Board Generator (including all service and repair of generator unit, cables, fuel lines, mounting system, and all other primary and secondary components)
v) Testing Cabin (cargo truck body)
vi) Testing Cabin Air Conditioning System
b) Repair and Maintenance will also include any computer software upgrades, debugging, hardware upgrades, etc.
c) The Contractor shall provide all spare parts and components, as well as repair parts and components for those items that fail and are not considered "normal wear and tear". NORDCO shall also supply expendable items such as RSU fluid, fuses, miscellaneous hardware, etc.
d) The contractor will provide yearly maintenance, servicing, adjustment, calibration, and repair required to the ultrasonic testing system, including the primary and secondary components listed in section 2) a) above. This location may change from year to year.
Interested organizations having applicable mature technologies for these purposes are invited to submit a White Paper as described below. After review of the white paper submissions, the Government may contact respondents for additional information.
DO NOT SUBMIT PROPOSALS. SUBMIT TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION PAPERS
ONLY. No contracts will be awarded based on this announcement.
Select respondents may be invited to demonstrate their technologies in a controlled field setting. From this controlled setting, materials/methods will be further down selected for a demonstration in operational conditions.
SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: A white paper in the general form as described below is requested.
Section A: CONTACT INFO - Interested organizations should respond by providing the Government the following information; point of contact, address, telephone and fax numbers, email address, duns number, cage code and or tax ID number, as well as size category (large, small, small disadvantaged, etc.)
Section B: COMPANY INFO - A brief summary of the company's capabilities, description of facilities, personnel, and related ultrasonic technology and vehicle repair. If a respondent chooses to utilize the services of sub-tier vendors or subcontractors, those vendors or subcontractors must meet these criteria.
Section C: APPROACH TO SOURCES SOUGHT NEEDS - Describe the other pertinent technical information here, such as typical cost to repair and/or replace an RSU or crystal within the RSU. Explain any aspects of the technology that could potentially be altered to better meet the need/requirements of the Railroad Inspection Team.
Section D: AVAILABILITY - Discuss the availability, and if used, the availability of subcontractors. For example, specific time constraints and requirements are detailed in Ford F-350 Chassis Repair and Maintenance Detail, Section c, d, and e.
Section H: FEDERAL CONTRACTS - Please note related federal contracts including point of contact, current telephone number, and address.
Section I: PAST PERFORMANCE REFERENCES - Provide references for past and current customers and performance histories. Included point of contact, current telephone number, and address.
Section J: LITERATURE - Provide any supporting information such as commercial literature, catalogues, manuals, research, etc.
White Paper responses to this notice are due within 30 days of the publication of this notice. After review of the submitted white papers, candidate technologies displaying expeditionary capabilities will be invited to demonstrate their capability in a controlled field setting. Any sample material and/or product demonstrations associated with this effort will be at the expense of the participating organizations (excluding expenses associated with Government personnel attending any demonstrations). Any materials provided must be within the stated shelf life. No support of transporting hazards materials of any kind is associated with this notice.
At the current time, NO FUNDING IS AVAILABLE for contractual efforts. This does not constitute an Invitation for Bids (IFB), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Proposal (RFP) and it should not be construed as a commitment of any kind by the government to issue a formal solicitation or ultimately award a contract. The U.S. Government is in no way liable to pay for or reimburse any companies or entities that respond to this announcement. Any costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will NOT be reimbursed by the government.
All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-government personnel and entities. Your interest in this response is appreciated. Interested vendors should provide information regarding this announcement to: Jody Criss by e-mail at: Jody.Criss@usace.army.mil. Oral communications are not acceptable in response to this notice. Questions regarding this announcement may be directed to Jody Criss via e-mail at: Jody.Criss@usace.army.mil.
Jody R. Criss, Phone 6016345248, Email Jody.Criss@usace.army.mil
