This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in  accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional  information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only  solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will  not be issued. (ii) The solicitation number is W911QX-04-R-0012. This  acquisition is issued as an Request for Quote (RFQ). (iii) The  solicitation document and incorporated provisions and clauses are those in  effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 2001-18. (iv) This acquisition  is set-aside for small businesses. The associated NAICS code is 333994. The  small business size standard is 500. (v) The following is a list of  contract line item number(s) and items, quantities and units of measure,  (including option(s), if applicable):  Description   CM  FURNACES, INC. SERIES 2800 MODEL 242424, FRONT LOAD WITH FLOOR REINFORCED FOR  1000 LB CAPACITY MODIFE D FOR USE WITH INCONEL RETORT, BRAND NAME OR EQUAL   Qty1 Each CM FURNACES, INC. INCONEL RETORT 20 in X 16 in X 20 in  DOOR PERMANITLY MOUNTED ON FURNACE RETORT MADE FROM quarter inch 601 INCONEL,  BRAND NAME OR EQUAL 1 Each SHIPPING 1 Each (vi) Description of  requirements: The Army Research Laboratories at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD  intends to buy a high temperature furnace, with modifications. The furnace is  to be used for sintering, heat-treating metals and general research of ceramic  and metal materials. The desired bra nd name system is a CM Furnace, Inc.,  Series 2800, Model 24 in x 24 in x 24 in (Front Loading) with listed  modifications, or their commercial product equals. Furnace floor shall be  reinforced for 1000 lbs capacity and modified for use with a 20 in x 16 i n x  20 in Inconel Retort door permanently mounted on the furnace. The Inconel  Retort should be made from .25 inch 601 Inconel. The Government will review  and consider alternate furnaces; however, alternate product submissions must  meet or exceed the produ ct characteristics of the brand name and specifically  the salient characteristics listed herein. The furnace shall be a high  temperature air atmosphere front-loading box furnace. Must posses a minimum  24 in x 24 in x24 in usable cavity. The furnace must have a top rating of  1550 degrees C in air. The furnace shall use a higher temperature furnace  design with silicon carbide heating elements. These elements must provide low  watt loading. Furnace shall have a reinforced floor and ceramic floor plates  to a capacity of 1,000 lbs. There must be a nitrogen flow meter with piping  to gas ports to enrich the atmosphere with nitrogen or argon. Must have half  couplings located on several faces of the furnace to allow enrichment with  inert atmosphere. A removable D shaped retort shall be provided. Retort  shall be made from quarter inch 601 INCONEL. The retort will be a self- contained unit that will be positioned in the front of the furnace and  bolted. Must achieve a tight seal at the front door and shall use a water  cooled O-ring seal and an Inconel plugged door. Must have an inlet and outlet  for water connection to maintain seal integrity. Gas ports shall come in  through the back of the furnace through the back wall and be diagonally  positioned. The door sys tem shall include the standard door mounted with the  hinge on the left side of the furnace. The plugged retort door will be  mounted on the right. The doors must stay in place. When the doors are not  being used they will move to the side out of the way a nd be supported on a  stand. Because the retort can distort over time it shall be designed so it  does not damage the furnace for non-retort use, the retort shall be 20 in W x  16 in H x 20 in D. The manufacturer shall provide additional insulation to  fill i n the gaps on the three sides of the retort when it is inserted. For  uniformity purposes the heating elements will be parallel to the front door  above and below the heated chamber. Two feed through ports for probe  thermocouples shall be provided. The furnace case is to be con structed of  heavy gauge steel. All surfaces are protected with heat resistant aluminum  paint. Exterior surfaces are shielded to reduce surface temperatures. The  frame section consists of rigid structural shapes welded and reinforced where  necessary. All surfaces are painted with machinery enamel Nassau Blue (or  equivalent). Front loading furnace shall feature a double pivot swing-away  door with self-centering and double latching systems. Silicon carbide heating  elements are to be located horizontally acr oss the lower and upper portion of  the heated cavity on front-loading models and all four walls in bottom loading  models. Sufficient elements are utilized to assure low watt densities for  maximum element life. The elements are easily replaceable through th e sides  of the furnace. Quick disconnect terminal straps and clamps shall be supplied.  The furnace shall utilize a block-graded design employing high purity alumina  fiber on the hot surface with a reinforced fiber roof. A removable floor  setter place shall be supplied. A microprocessor based set point controller  shall be supplied. An independent variable set point overtemperature control  instrument shall be supplied. Control instrumentation is required (Honeywell  UDC 3300, or brand name equivalent). Type R platinum alloy thermocouples shall  be provided for both the control and overtemperature instruments. A phase  angle fired SCR power controller shall be supplied. All instruments are  calibrated in degrees centigrade. A main circuit breaker disconnect shall b e  supplied. All control instrumentation operates on 120 volts. Power  transformers and low voltage step-down transformers are an integral part of  the system. Ammeters and voltmeters shall be supplied on the secondary of each  zone. All panels into hazardous areas shall be electrically interlocked.  Interconnecting wiring between components on bottom loading designs and front- loading furnaces with remote control consoles are not to be supplied. The  furnace shall be factory tested and ready for immediate instal lation. (vii)  Delivery is required by June 30, 2004. Delivery shall be made to Aberdeen  Proving Ground, MD. The FOB point is Origin. Acceptance shall be performed  at Bldg. 4600, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. Final acceptance by Government  personnel will occur only after installation and successful test of furnace.   (ix) The provision at FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation - Commercial Items is  applicable to this acquisition. The specific evaluation criteria to be  included in paragraph (a) of that provision are as follows: Proposals will  be evaluated based on the technical specifications of the proposed brand name  or equal product offering and must meet (or exceed) the Governments stated  requirements. A review of past performance will also be conducted as part of  the best va lue evaluation. Offerors are to provide past performance  information with their proposals, to include a point of contact, telephone  number, contract or order number, and date of the effort/performance. Past  Performance information will consist of at leas t 3 references from other  customers for similar services within the past 3 years. The contracting  officer will make a best value award decision weighing the technical and past  performance information with the overall price. Technical and past performance  when combined are more important than price, and the contracting officer may  make award to other than the lowest priced submittal. The contracting officer  reserves the right to award without discussions. (viii) The  provision at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors - Commercial, applies to this  acquisition. The following addenda have been attached to this provision: NONE   (x) Offerors shall include a completed copy of the provision at FAR  52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications - Commercial Items, and  DFARS 252.212-7000, Offeror Representations and Certifications -Commercial  Items, with its offer. (xi) The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms  and Conditions - Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The following  addenda have been attached to this clause: NONE (xii) The clause at  52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or  Executive Orders - Commercial Items and DFARS 252.212-7001, Contract Terms and  Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders Applicable to  Defen se Acquisitions of Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The  following additional FAR/DFARS clauses cited in this clause are applicable:  52.219-6, Notice of Total Small Business Set-Aside; 52.219-8 Utilization of  SB Concerns; 52.219-14, Limitati ons on Subcontracting; 52.222-19, Child Labor- Cooperation with Authorities and Remedies; 52.222-21, Prohibition of  Segregated Facilities; 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; 52.222-35, Equal  Opportunity for Special Disabled Veterans, Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and  Other Eligible Veterans; 52.222-36, Affirmative Action for Workers with  Disabilities; 52.222-37, Employment Reports on Special Disabled Veterans,  Veterans of the Vietnam Era, and Other Eligible Veterans; 52.223-9, Estimate  of Percentage of Recovered M aterial Content for EPA-Designated Products;  52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer CCR; 52.239-1, Privacy or  Security Safeguards; 252.225-7001, Buy America Act and Balance of Payments  Program; 252.227-7015, Techncial Data-Commercial Items; 252.22 7-7037,  Validation of Restrictive Markings on techncial Data; 252.204-7004, Required  CCR Registration. This contract is made pursuant to FAR 13.5. (xiii) The  following additional contract requirement(s) or terms and conditions apply:  NONE (xiv) This acquisition is rated under the Defense Priorities and  Allocations System (DPAS) as N/A. (xv) The following notes apply to this  announcement: N/A (xvi) Offers are due on 11 April 2004, by 12:00 A.M.,  via e-mail to [Please use the link below] or via mail to U.S. Army Research  Laboratories, Aberdeen Branch, Bldg. 434, Suite 200, AMSRD-ACC-AA, Aberdeen  Proving Ground, MD 21005. Offerors must cite the solicitation number in the  subject line. Proposals received after this date and time will be considered  non-responsive. (xvii) For information regarding this solicitation,  please contact Debbie Morrow, 410-278-8675, dmorrow@arl.army.mil