Notice of Intent to Sole Source Metal and Ceramic 3D printer

NASA/MSFC has a requirement for the procurement of a 3D printer capable of printing metals and ceramics from loaded resins for the SIBatt-3D Early Career Initiative Project. The primary objective for SIBatt-3D is to develop 3D printable sodium-ion batteries that can be printed in-space/on surface using in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) materials. To achieve that objective, a 3D printer is required that will print multiple materials from highly viscous loaded resins to serve as the battery components. This requirement includes the procurement of a 3D printer that meets nine (9) areas to support printing novel materials for the SIBatt-3D project. These nine (9) areas are listed below. Area 1. Printing Ceramics: Capable of printing complex geometries with high resolution and fine details from highly viscous ceramic slurries and demonstrate success with no cracking with up to 10 mm wall thickness. Area 2. Printing Metals: Capable of printing complex geometries with high resolution and fine details from metals and other heavy powders and demonstrate success with no cracking with up to 5 mm wall thickness. Area 3. Small Quantities of Material: Efficient feedstock management that allows for re-use of excess material and requires less than 25 cc of feedstock material to begin printing. Area 4. Material Swapping: Allow for easy material switches without cross contamination and with low amounts of wasted material. Capable of switching from ceramic to metallic feed stock materials in less than 45 minutes, with minimal amount of wasted material. Area 5. Viscous Materials: Able to successfully print highly viscous loaded ceramic slurries, metal slurries, and custom-made loaded resins. Area 6. Sedimentation: Capable of 3D printing highly viscous material in a VAT or feedstock transport system that does not exceed 200μm depth of material to avoid sedimentation/settling of high-density materials loaded with metals and other heavy powders during the printing process. Area 7. Resolution: Minimum XY resolution of 100μm pixel resolution and a minimum layer thickness of less than 50μm Area 8. Realtime Monitoring: In-process quality monitoring of a variety of factors including temperature, humidity, and material usage that can issue warning and pause the print if problems are detected and allow defects in the final print to be traced. Area 9. Custom Print Parameters: Have a Multi-Part Printing Software, which enables different printing parameters for each part within a single build job (light intensity and exposure time). NASA/MSFC intends to issue a sole source contract to acquire the machine capable of meeting the Government requirements, the Admaflex 130, from Lapmaster International, LLC pursuant to the statutory authority permitting other than full and open competition of 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as implemented by FAR 6.302-1, “Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements.” The Government does intend to acquire a commercial item using FAR Part 12. Interested organizations may submit their capabilities and qualifications to perform the effort electronically via email to Wyatt Farrior at [email protected] and Sadie Moulton at [email protected] not later than 2:00 p.m. CST on 07/20/2022. Such capabilities/qualifications will be evaluated solely for the purpose of determining whether or not to conduct this acquisition on a competitive basis. A determination by the Government not to compete this acquisition on a full and open competition basis, based upon responses to this notice, is solely within the discretion of the Government. NASA Clause 1852.215-84, Ombudsman, is applicable. The Center Ombudsman for this acquisition can be found at http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/pub/pub_library/Omb.html