Please see the answers to the following questions that were asked: 1 It appears you are asking for a 60 month lease which is cancelable if funds are not approved for the following year. Is that correct? Yes. Since funds are appropriated annually for the Federal Government, it can only spend what?s been appropriated for each particular Fiscal Year. 2 Paper Handling Solutions can meet the 2 hour response time as required by the bid. Will other bidders who respond be required to meet this response time? The successful quoter must meet the 2 hour response time. 3. What does 4 color mean? It means 4 independent color heads or printing units. 4. Epic is a brand name for a delta dampening system. Must the water system be an Epic brand only or can we supply the Ryobi delta dampening system, which is essentially the same system but not the Epic brand. If it is an equivalent to the Epic with the same water control, then it doesn't have to be an Epic brand. 5. The bid calls for Alcohol (IPA)% controller and alcohol is now basically banned from use in almost all printing locations. That is very old technology and no one today sells equipment water systems that require alcohol in the fountain. Although alcohol isn't banned yet, USDA will probably be using a substitute soon. The requirement should have stated the need for a PH controller. 6. Varnish and Drying system is listed. Does that mean a coater is required on line or does that refer to the Infrared dryer that is also mentioned in the bid. USDA is not asking for a varnish and drying system, but is asking for an infrared drying device or equivalent, which was under the heading of ?Varnish and Drying System?. 7. You do want perfecting on the press? Yes. 8. CIP3 is not a problem but how will you do CIP3 from your front end? USDA believes it will help with the ink key settings either now or the future. 9. Single impression cylinder is very much old technology and slows the press down because of all the gripper transfers. Most presses Today have gone to fewer gripper transfers not more gripper transfers. Why would you require old technology? An equivalent would be fine if the performance, such as drying is the same. 10. The plate thickness on the polyester plates off the Mitsubishi DPX are .008 not .006 as stated in the bid. The requirement should have stated the .008. 11. Are the trade in amounts listed a required amount or simply an estimate? They are just an estimate. 12. The three items listed as must have features list an Epic delta continuous dampening system. That is a brand name limits any bidder to that water system only. The wording of "must have" was not intended to indicate these were the only requirements. They should have been under the description of salient characteristics at the beginning of the specs documents. The Epic delta continuous dampening system should have said "or equivalent" for this item. **This synopsis has been extended and will not close until 6/4/07 at 6:00 p.m. daylight savings time. The United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service has a requirement for a Lease to Own Purchase (LTOP) for 60 months for our Raleigh, North Carolina office, which will be funded by each fiscal year, as money becomes available. The contractor must be within a 2 hour response time of the Raleigh, NC office, which is located at 2 W Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27611 for any service/repairs that may be needed. The Raleigh office has two machines for a trade-in toward the lease to own purchase of the equipment (Please see the trade-in information below). Salient Characteristics 4 ? Color press Feeder & Register systems: - Feeder Pile Paper Preloading Service - Mechanical Double Sheet Detector - Electrical Double Sheet Detector - On-the-run feeder timing adjustment - Impression on/off detector - Overrun sheet detector - Side Guided paper detector Inking & Dampening Systems: - Remote Controlled Ink key adjustment - Dampening fountain roller speed remote control system - Free standing dampening cooling/circulating unit - Epic delta continuous dampening system with skewing metering rollers - Segmented ink fountain blade - Ink roller wash up blade/tray - Dampening solution PH Controller - Automatic Alcohol (IPA) % controller - Automatic Ink Roller Wash-up System Cylinder System - Semi-automatic plate changer (SPC) - Automatic Blanket Wash up System - Operation Side Impression Adjustment Dial - Anti-smearing paper on transfer cylinder - Delivery Missing sheet detector - Semi-automatic perfecting changeover system - Plate cylinder cocking system by remote Delivery System - Sheet Decurler - Static Eliminator - Spray Powder System - Sheet Brake - Faulty Delivered Sheet Detector Varnish & Drying systems - Infrared Dryer Device (or equivalent) Other - Perfecting Unit - POD touch screen - Total Counter - Preset sheet counter - Operation console full remote - Overhead lighting - CIP3 Station - Pre-inking system - Cascading oil bath lubrication system - 15,000 an hour max press speed - Sinble impression cylinder per unit - Pre load feeder pile - Must accommodate current DPX poly plate system ? plate size 15 ? x 20 5/64, thickness .006 14 x 20 Four Color Press ? the following features are required for the specific needs of the North Carolina Print Mail center. Must have the following features: - Perfecting unit - Electronic diagnostic system - Epic delta continuous dampening system with skewing metering rollers The following two machines will be used for trade-in: Multigraphics Model # 2502 Product # OZ SD0001 Purchased in 1996 Impressions: 25,879,210 Salvage value: between $3,000/$5,000 Hamada Model # 234CX Product # HG L2076 Purchased in 2003 Impressions: 3,745,400 Salvage value: $25,000 If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact: Kathy Newton on (202)720-7478. Please send all responses via email to:
[email protected] by 6:00 p.m., eastern daylight time, June 4, 2007.