Environmental Test Chamber

Trade Agreement: NAFTA/AIT/Canada FTAs with Peru/Colombia/Panama
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: 
Thermotron Industries
291 Kollen Park Drive
Holland Michigan
United States
49423
Nature of Requirements: 
Environmental Test Chamber

31019-158964/A
Perez, Elizabeth
Telephone No. - (604) 775-7690 
Email:  Elizabeth.Perez@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca

The PWGSC office provides procurement services to the public in
English.

TITLE:   Environmental Test Chamber

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.


1.  Definition of the requirement

The Department of National Research Council Canada (NRCC) have a
requirement for one (1) Thermotron Model Number SE-3000-20-20-MS
Air Cooled Temperature Test Chamber.  This chamber is required
in order to expand NRCC's battery testing capability. 

This unit is intended to be the companion testing solution to
the high power pack tester and compatible with the slave control
interface of the intended battery pack testing station and can
deliver data to the  Arbin battery testing station which is
compatible to the other Arbin units.  This permits synchronized
and unified data acquisition for tests requiring the functions
of both units in simultaneous manner.


Description of test:

This test chamber is intended to test batteries and battery
packs under different environmental conditions  and will be used
in conjunction with a  battery pack cycler which charges and
discharges a single cell or multiple cells. 

A representative test may investigate the response of a battery
pack in an automotive application such as a taxi. The battery
pack experiences temperature changes as the location of the
automobile changes during a trip. The automobile might travel
from a garage to a highway, to a parking lot where it might sit
for some time waiting for a new fare or during charging, and
then travel to other sites. Temperatures, times, and state of
charge of the battery pack, will vary widely, and will depend on
the local environment and road topography.

Drive cycles and environmental conditions will be programmed
into the battery cycler to control the state of charge of the
battery while also controlling the environmental chamber. This
will allow the clients to see the response of the battery pack
under these widely ranging operating conditions.  There have
been similar requests from aircraft manufacturers - the
temperature on the runway is significantly different from the
temperature at altitude. Load on the battery pack will depend on
flight operations, aircraft type, etc.






2.  Criteria for assessment of the Statement of Capabilities

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement
of capabilities that its equipment meets the following
requirements:

The Environmental Test Chamber must have the following:

(a)  Side Mounted Universal Port

(b)  Hardware/Software Interface compatibility with the Arbin
Test Stations Model No. BT-MP100

The Arbin test station will apply current/voltage to the battery
pack in order to charge/discharge at various rate, while this is
happening, the battery pack must be subjected to various
environmental conditions (temperature, humidity) within the test
chamber.  

Througout the test, the pack voltage, pack current, pack
temperatures and test chamber conditions of temperature and 
humidity will need to be recorded. 

(c)  Large internal workspace (approximately 4' by 4' by 6') to
handle fit-up of battery packs for automotive        and
aerospace applications. Remote air-cooled condenser for
refrigerant system.
(d)  -70C to +232C temperature range. +/- 0.3C control of
temperature. +/- 0.7C temperature uniformity             within
chamber workspace. Reject 4kW thermal load at -54C. ~10C/minute
temperature change rate          with ~65kg mass in chamber.
Liquid nitrogen boost system for fast cooling of chamber
workspace.
(e)  Cable notch and access port for instrumenting the device
under test. Inputs for 8 thermocouples and           logging of
thermocouple data with chamber data.
(f)   'Blow-out' panel to relieve chamber internal pressure if
battery under test experiences catastrophic              failure.
(g)  The Chamber must meet BC Electrical code. Chamber hardware
must be 'hardened' against internal explosion. Strategic
electrical and mechanical parts of the chamber must be upgraded
to minimize the risk of ignition of flammable components of the
battery being tested.
(h)   The chamber must have an  option to add a vibration table
for  Highly Accelerated Lifetime Testing (HALT). The vibration
table is removable in order to test batteries safely and may be
re-installed to test items which do not have flammable
components.

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

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)


4.  Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

The manufacturer of the Thermotron Environmental Test Chamber
has a proprietary and exclusive feature called the side-mounted
universal port.  This feature permits use of the chamber for
Highly Accelerated Life Test (HALT) testing; the vibration table
can then be removed which permits compliance with minimal spark
for lithium battery testing.  

The hardware/software interface has compatiblity with the Arbin
Test Stations.  Chamber must be controlled and data must be
transmitted back to controlling computer to be logged with the
battery test data. Our existing test station software (Arbin)
already has the capability of controlling Thermotron chambers -
the software understands the Thermotron communication protocols.

Thermotron's SE-Series Environmental Test Chambers offers a
significantly enhanced airflow system, which provides better
gradients and improved product temperature change rates.  


5.  Government Contracts Regulations Exception

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


6.  Limited Tendering Reasons

The following limited tendering reasons are invoked under the
(section of the trade agreement(s) specified):

Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) - Article 506 Item 12b. Where
there is an absence of competition for technical reasons and the
goods or services can be supplied only by a particular supplier
and no alternative or substitue exists.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) - Article 1016 Item
2b.  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 and the goods or services can
be supplied only by a particular supplier and no reasonable
alternative or substitute exists.


7.  Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The equipment must be delivered on or before March 31, 2016.  


8.  Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract is  US$120,000.00
(Applicable taxes extra).


9.  Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Thermotron Industries
291 Kollen Park Drive
Holland, Michigan 
USA 49423


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 on or before  November 2, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. PST.


12.  Inquiries and statements of capabilities are to be directed
to:

Elizabeth Perez 
A/Supply Specialist
Public Works and Government Services Canada
#219 - 800 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 0B9
Telephone No.: (604) 775-7690 
Email: Elizabeth.Perez@pwgsc-tpsgc.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.