Crystal Handling System Integration

Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) 17-22067 - Crystal Handling System Integration

An ACAN is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

Definition of the requirement: The National Research Council Canada has a requirement for a system integrator. The integrator would be responsible to integrate a number of pieces of equipment in a systematic manner. NRC’s Research Altitude Test Facility (RATFac) requires the integration of its existing ice production and ice handling systems. The general design concept is to have two (2) refrigerated container units one on top of the other. The top unit would contain the ice maker and its condensing unit and the bottom unit the ice handling trommel and storage bins. The ice maker, condensing unit, and the ice handling trommel have already been procured by NRC. The ice maker is designed to continuously produce sub-zero temperature ice flakes that would drop through the floor of the reefer container into the trommel, at ambient temperatures around -25°C(-13°F). Once full of ice, the trommel would then initiate a pre-programmed motion sequence to prevent ice accretion and bridging. The ice would then be transported in plastic bins as a final product by hand to the alt cell. The unit’s planned location would be directly East of the refrigeration shack at building M-10.

The supplied unit must meet the following mandatory requirements:

Howe 6000RL Ice flaker:

o Must operate in ambient temperatures between 10°C (50°F) and 38°C (100°F).

o Must be located in a way to feed ice to the trommel by gravity.

o  A dedicated 15 amp power supply from a field furnished and installed disconnect switch is required for the Ice Flaker.

Howe condensing unit:

o Is designed to be installed outside for cooling purposes.

o To be located within efficient distance from ice flaker.

o A dedicated 3 pole power supply from a field furnished and installed disconnect switch is required for each Remote Condensing Unit.

Dymech Engineering Trommel:

o To be installed under ice flaker.

o To be easily accessible by personnel for maintenance and cleaning.

NRC will supply the equipment/Dymech will supply the designs:

· Two (2) insulated, refrigerated containment units, preferably sitting one on top of the other.

o The electrical refrigeration system for the containment units.

o All electrical modifications to the containment units installed and certified to code.

o All structural modifications to the units.

o The containment units must be modified to allow the ice to transfer from the ice maker located in the upper containment unit to the trommel located in the lower one.

o The containment units shall not have a footprint larger than 9’ by 40’, the smaller the better.

o The containment units must have provisions for secure installation one on top of the other. The entire setup must be able to be taken down and reassembled by qualified staff with the use of a crane and/or forklift, and proper tools.

o The containment units must be able to withstand regional weather and temperature variations between -40°C(-40°F) to 40°C(104°F)

o The units will be fitted with code-compliant lighting, emergency lighting, and sufficient (min 4) 115V/20a GFCI-protected power outlets.

o Code-compliant fencing, railings, guards must be installed, as well as one ladder or stairs to access the containment unit on the second level.

o The equipment must be designed to allow ease of access for maintenance and transport.

o All the components in contact with water/ice shall be compatible with de-ionized water (e.g.: Stainless, HDPE).

o The integrated electrical system must meet the ESA standards at delivery.

o  NRC will provide electrical power to the containers. NEMA 4 power connections must be provided to supply all the necessary equipment. The power capabilities at NRC M10 are as follows:

§ 60Amps of 575/3/60.

§ 100Amps of 480/3/60.

§ >100Amps of 208/3/60 and 208/1/60.

· Top containment unit:

o The design of the equipment must ensure that the ice flaker does not operate at temperatures lower than 10°C (50°F) or higher than 27°C(81°F).

o The ice temperature out of the ice maker must be reduced as fast as possible to the set storage temperature.

o NRC will provide an insulated and heated de-ionized water line to connect to the containers.

o The top containment unit must have a pass-through (3/4” NPT minimum) for de-ionized water.

o The condensing unit for the ice flaker can be installed inside or outside.

· Bottom containment unit:

o The ice flakes must be stored in the lower containment unit at a temperature of -19°C(-2.2°F) to -27 °C(-16.6°F). An alarm must be integrated to notify the operators in the event that the storage temperature of the ice would fall outside of the tolerance window.

o The cooling paths of the containment units will need to be modified to provide adequate temperatures for the equipment as described above.

o If standard reefer containers are used, the condensing unit of the top containment unit must be used to supplement the bottom unit with refrigeration.

o The lower containment unit containing the trommel must be designed to prevent humidity from entering the unit, especially when the door is opened.

· Transport bins:

o Insulated and sealed to prevent the ice crystals from melting and being exposed to moisture.

o All the components in contact with water/ice shall be compatible with de-ionized water (e.g.: Stainless, HDPE).

o Designed for easy cleaning.

o Sized appropriately to be stored under the trommel.

NRC will provide staff for project management during the entire project and engineering support can also be provided. The details of project management structure will be clarified in the official contract. This equipment will be used yearly for a few months at the time and then taken apart and properly stored for months. It is important that suppliers understand that the proposed designed should allow this to happen without adversely affecting the performance of the product and not dramatically reducing its utility life. All the installations and equipment must be FOD conscious.

Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities - (Minimum Essential Requirements):

- Must have an equivalent design compatible with current configuration (size and complexity) as the Ice Crystal Production and Handling System on site at NRC.

- Must be an accredited design and fabrication firm (registered ISO 9001:2008)

- Must have licensed engineers (Professional Engineers Ontario) performing the work.

- Must be Certified CSA W47.1/CWA W47.2

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreement(s):

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier: It’s not feasible and/or affordable to compete this requirement for highly specialized engineering/ technical reasons, cross compatibility constraints and designs that solely owned by the manufacture “Dymech Engineering”. This requirement is a follow on contract with Dymech Engineering. Dymech Engineering was the successful vendor that was selected through a competitive bidding process in 2016 for a design and fabrication Trommel. The vendor conceptualized NRC’s requirement and designed/fabricated the Trommel with guidance from NRC (800 engineering hours). The design for the Trommel is the foundation for this follow on contract. Dymech owns the rights to the engineering designs/drawings that will be used for this integration.

The industry includes other vendors who design and manufacture similar concepts/builds however, in order to compete work in question, a new perspective firm would have to reverse engineer the existing system to design their own concept to integrate the assets.

The operational costs/implications of managing unequal versions of two designs would result in significant delays, alteration of standard research procedures/methodologies, and the loss of the present configuration (interchangeable/designs). The procedures would have to be requalified at great expense and time. This qualifying is obligatory as each client has specific requests and varies in design and operation therefore requiring that new process must be developed should an alternate proposal be considered.

Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s): Only one vendor is capable of performing the work. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

- where, for works of art, or for reasons connected with the protection of patents, copyrights or other exclusive rights, or proprietary information or where there is an absence of competition for technical reasons, the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute exists

- for additional deliveries by the original supplier that are intended either as replacement parts or continuing services for existing supplies, services or installations, or as the extension of existing supplies, services or installations, where a change of supplier would compel the entity to procure equipment or services not meeting requirements of interchangeability with already existing equipment or services, including software to the extent that the initial procurement of the software.

Ownership of Intellectual Property: Ownership of any Foreground Intellectual Property arising out of the proposed contract will vest in the Contractor.

Period of the proposed contract or delivery date:
The product/system/equipment (as appropriate) must be delivered before March 31 2017. Subject to negotiation, NRC reserves the right to award additional contracts of similar size and scope/additional phases/ for up to three years after this solicitation closes.

Cost estimate of the proposed contract:  The estimated value of the contract, excluding other follow on contracts, is $100K -150K (GST/HST extra).

Name and address of the pre-identified supplier:
Dymech Engineering Inc. - 1359 Coker Street
Greely, Ontario, K4P 1A1

Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities:
Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities: October 12th 2017, 2PM Eastern Standard time. Direct inquiries and submissions of statements of capabilities to the Contracting Authority listed below on or before the closing date. All questions and submissions after the closing date will not be considered.

NRC Contracting Authority: Johnathon Gillis - Telephone: (613) 993-5506
E-mail: Johnathon.Gillis@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca