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COMBINED SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO SOLE SOURCE Announcement Type : Special Notice Announcement Number: NIST-SSN-NOI-26-7301180 Subject: Environmental Chamber for MTS-Criterion C45 System Applicable NAICS: 334513 - Instruments and Related Products Manufacturing for Measuring, Displaying, and Controlling Industrial Process Variables with size standard of 750 employees Applicable PSC: 6636 – Environmental Chambers and Related Equipment Purpose This is a combined sources sought notice and notice of intent to sole source, not a request for a quotation. NIST is seeking information from sources that may be capable of providing a solution that will achieve the essential requirements included in the “Description” section below. If no alternate sources are identified, the Government intends to negotiate a firm-fixed price purchase order on a sole source basis with MTS Systems Corporation (UEI: PVMFSLG6GFF7) located at 14000 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. This action will be conducted under the authority of FAR RFO Part 12.102(a) and 41 USC 1901, allowing the Contracting Officer (CO) to solicit from one source. Delivery will be required within 90 Days after contractor receipt of order. Description The Contractor shall provide one environmental chamber which meets the minimum requirements identified below. Designed for use with MTS C45 load frames (specifically mounting bracketry for C45 models). Temperature Range: -70 oC to +250 oC. Control/Interface: Must interface with the existing MTS Criterion C45 system. External Dimensions (Width x Depth x Height) 533 x 889 x 864 mm (21 x 35 x 34 in). Must accommodate specimen grips and extensometer. A water-cooling capacity to manage heat transfer during environmental simulation testing The Contractor shall install and calibrate the new environmental chamber on the existing MTS Criterion C45 system at the NIST Gaithersburg, MD site. Background The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Engineering Laboratory (EL) Materials and Structural Systems Division's (MSSD) Infrastructure Materials Group (IMG) studies the mechanical properties of materials (polymer, concrete, engineered composites) used for building, infrastructure, and energy applications. IMG owns and operates an MTS-Criterion 45 tensile tester to generate essential research data. The current thermal environmental chamber is non-functional and beyond economical repair due to its age and the unavailability of legacy parts. A replacement is essential to restore the lab's capability to conduct mechanical testing under controlled thermal conditions. The environmental chamber must work with an MTS Criterion C45 load frame NIST also owns and operates. Based on market research conducted between January 2026 and April 2026, including speaking with colleagues, performing internet searches, and speaking with vendors to determine what sources could meet NIST's minimum requirements, only MTS Systems Corporation appears t…

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