Table-Top Nano-Indentation Tester

Trade Agreement: NAFTA / CFTA / FTAs with Peru / Colombia / Panama / Korea
Tendering Procedures: Generally only one firm has been invited to bid
Non-Competitive Procurement Strategy: Exclusive Rights
Comprehensive Land Claim Agreement: No
Vendor Name and Address: 
ANTON PAAR CANADA INC
4920 Place Olivia
St. Laurent Quebec
Canada
H4R2Z8
Nature of Requirements: 

1. Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN)

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.

2. Definition of the requirement

The Department of Natural Resources Canada has a requirement for the supply and delivery of a Table-Top Nano-Indentation Tester to their laboratory in Hamilton, Ontario. This requirement includes installation and training. The Nano-Indentation Tester must function in a lab subject to noise and vibration.

3. Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities (Minimum Essential Requirements)

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that its Table-Top Nano-Indentation Teste meets the following requirements:

A. The equipment must not be prototypes, demonstration models, used or refurbished.

B. The equipment’s footprint must be no larger than 150cm (width) x 150 cm (depth) x150 cm (height).

C. The procurement must include the equipment delivery and calibration.

D. The equipment must be able to operate indoors, within a research facility, where the ambient humidity may vary from 10% to 80% (non-condensing) and where the ambient temperature may vary from 15 °C to 35 °C.

E. The equipment must be suitable for use with any one or more of the following power supplies:

i. 60 Hz, 120VAC, 1 phase (Electrical supply voltage tolerance: ± 10%.)

F. The equipment must be a table top nanoindentation tester with:

i.  Control Unit with cables;
ii. PCIe acquisition board with cables; and
iii. Motorized approach/retraction feature.

G. Must have Diamond indenter with calibration certificate and must switch between different indenter tips quickly (< 1 min) for fast indentation.

H. The measurement system must have: 

i. Mechanical analysis of hardness, elastic modulus and viscoelastic properties (storage modulus and loss modulus) vs. penetration  depth;
ii. Load range from 0 to 500 mN; 
iii. Depth range from 0 to 200 microns;
iv. Raw data uncorrected thermal drift < 0.05 nm/sec;
v. Frame Stiffness minimum of ~1x107 N/m;
vi. Low Noise Floor Values: Force 1 µN and Depth 0.3 nm; and
vii. Able to hold contact under desired contact force for desired or  unlimited time (from seconds to hours).

I. Must have a Testing Platform that:

i. Is Adjustable in X, Y and Z directions;
ii. Has X and Y distance resolution minimum of 33 nm; and
iii. Has a Minimum repositioning accuracy of 1 µm.

J. Must have an Anitvibration Air Table with:

i. Minimum 3';
ii. High-performance air piston isolators;
iii. Built-in leveling regulators;
iv. Air connectors and regulators; and
v. Air compressor with air connector & regulator (115V).

K. Must have video camera with at least two (2) optical objectives: 

i. 1 with minimum 20X ; and
ii. 1 with minimum 100X.

L. The software must have:

i. Automatic hardness and elastic modulus calculation;
ii. Force controlled or Depth controlled modes;
iii. Constant strain rate with load control or depth control;
iv. Depth Profiling with Continuous Multi Cycles modes; 
v. User defined profiles: mix of every available measurement modes and control types;
vi. Creep and Relaxation analysis;
vii. Elastic and Plastic Energies analysis;
viii. Statistical analysis functions (average & std deviation);
ix. Ability to input user defined mathematical functions for indenter area function;
x. Allowing user selection of regions  of indentation curve to fit/analyses; and
xi. User level rights with password protection.

M. Must have map surface properties in a fully automated mode.

N. Must allow computerized control for data acquisition and processing system with options for unattended operation.

O. The measurement software must operate under Windows 10.

P. The software must allow data (load, friction force displacement, indentation depth, time, etc.) to be exported in known file formats (e.g. ASCII format, text format) for analysis by third  party software (e.g., Matlab, Microsoft Excel, Origin)

4. Applicability of the trade agreements to the procurement

This procurement is subject to the following trade agreements:

- Canada Free Trade Agreement
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

5. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The proposed Contractor owns the patent and has exclusive rights to the table-top Nano-Indentation Tester Surface Referencing Technique (Patented Design US 7,685,868 B2) which allows the Nano-Indentation Tester to be used in a lab subject to noise and vibration. Natural Resources Canada’s laboratory setting is similar to an industrial manufacturing environment. There are other pieces of equipment in the lab simultaneously in use that generate noise, vibration and other airborne pollutants in the environment. Nano-Indentation Testers on the market require dedicated lab space, free from environmental hazards (noise, vibration and airborne pollutants). In addition, the proximity of the facility to the street contributes to the need for a Nano-indenter that can resist ground vibration from traffic. Anton Paar’s table top Nano-Indentation Tester has a patented technology to protect the equipment from environmental hazards and allows for the instrument to be used in the lab next to other noise and vibration producing equipment. It is the only instrument with this patented technology that allows it to be used under normal environmental conditions.

6. Government Contracts Regulations

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under 6 (d) "only one person is capable of performing the work"

7. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

The following exclusions and/or limited tendering reasons are invoked under the:

- Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) - Articles 513, 1 b) ii and 1 b)iii.
1. If the goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable alternative or substitute goods or services exist for any of the following reasons:
[...]
ii. the protection of patents, copyrights, or other exclusive rights;
iii. due to an absence of competition for technical reasons.
[...]

- North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 1016 2b.
2. An entity may use limited tendering procedures in the following circumstances and subject to the following conditions, as applicable:
[...]
b. 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 (CAP Code 71).
[...]

8. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The Table-Top Nano-Indentation Tester must be delivered on or before March 29th, 2019.

9. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Anton Paar Canada Inc.
4920 Place Olivia
Montreal, QC H4R 2Z8

10. 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.

11. Closing date for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is February 1st, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. EST.

12. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed to:

Name: Julie Adler Brooks
Title: Senior Supply Officer
Address: 480C-33 City Center Drive, Mississauga ON L5B 2N5
Telephone: 905-615-2467
Facsimile: 905-615-2095
E-mail: Julie.adlerbrooks@pwgsc.gc.ca 


Delivery Date: Above-mentioned

You are hereby notified that the government intends to negotiate with one firm only as identified above. Should you have any questions concerning this requirement, contact the contracting officer identified above.

An Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) allows departments and agencies to post a notice, for no less than fifteen (15) calendar days, indicating to the supplier community that it intends to award a good, service or construction contract to a pre-identified contractor. If no other supplier submits, on or before the closing date, a Statement of Capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, the contracting authority may then proceed with the award.  However, should a Statement of Capabilities be found to meet the requirements set out in the ACAN, then the contracting authority will proceed to a full tendering process.

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the services/goods described herein, 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.

The PWGSC file number, the contracting officer's name and the closing date of the ACAN must appear on the outside of the envelope in block letters or, in the case of a facsimile transmission, on the covering page.

The Crown retains the right to negotiate with suppliers on any procurement.

Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.