This Request for Information is for market research purposes only. Responses to this RFI are not considered offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. Respondents shall not submit any proprietary information when responding to this RFI. Respondents shall also note that the Government will not return any information submitted in response to this RFI. The Government is not responsible for any costs incurred by respondents regarding any responses to this RFI. Respondents must submit capability statements that clearly define the firm's ability to provide the items stated in this RFI. This requirement is for 402 Army Dress Service Caps to be delivered to Fort Myer, Virginia. The contractor shall provide 402 Army Dress Service Cap for military personnel performing ceremonial burial honors for soldiers and veterans. 370 enlisted, 22 company grade officer and 10 field grade officer. Design on the wreath for Field Grade Officer hat must match design on enclosed picture. Gold bands above and below branch color band must be gold bullion to match current inventory as illustrated in attached picture. NSN SIZE QTY U/P TOT 8405-01-478-9043 ENL 6 3/4 90 8405-01-478-9077 ENL 6 7/8 70 8405-01-478-9079 ENL 7 60 8405-01-478-9080 ENL 7 1/8 60 8405-01-478-9083 ENL 7 1/4 30 8405-01-478-9087 ENL 7 3/8 60 8405-01-478-8734 CO 7 5 8405-01-478-8735 CO 7 1/8 10 8405-01-478-8742 CO 7 3/8 5 8405-01-478-8739 CO 7 5/8 2 8405-01-478-9017 FG 7 3/8 2 8405-01-478-9011 FG 7 1/2 2 8405-01-478-9015 FG 7 5/8 2 8405-01-478-9013 FG 7 3/4 2 8405-01-478-9018 FG 7 7/8 2 LIN DA0501 Enlisted-(ENL) 370 LIN 81175N Company Grade (CO) 22 LIN 81177N Field Grade (FG) 10 TOTAL 402 TOTAL APPLICABLE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS - Colorfastness. The finished felts shall show fastness to light, perspiration, and crocking equal to or better than the standard. When no standard has been established or designated as applicable to colorfastness, the finished felt shall show quote mark good quote mark fastness to light and perspiration, and shall show an AATCC Chromatic Transference Scale rating for wet crocking not less than 2,5 and for dry crocking not less than 3,5, Test shall be as specified in Mothproofing. The wool and fur felts shall be mothproofed in accordance with MIL-C-43665. 3.2.1.4 Type III Caps, The basic material shall be polyester/wool tropical, 9.0 or 10.0 ounces conforming to Type III, Class 3 of MIL-C-21 115. The fabric shall match Army Blue 450. 3.3 LINING. The lining for crown of cap and covering front stay shall be 3.7 ounce rayon, gold color, conforming to Class I el: MIL-C-368. 3.3.1 Bias Tape. The bias tape for crown seam shall be made from preshrunk cotton sheeting, 5.1-5,6 ounces. The sheeting shall be dyed to approximate shade of lining fabric, or the bias tape may be made from the lining material 3.3.2 Crown Seam Tape Interlining. The crown seam tape interlining shall be a natural or dyed nylon mesh, knitted on a single needle bar raschel and weighing 6,0 + or- 0,6 ounces per square yard. 3.3.3 Crown Protector and Binding. The crown protector and binding shall be a neutral color, flexible, waterproof vinyl plastic film, 0.004 + or - 0.0005 inch thick. 3.3.4 Pressed Fiber. The pressed fiber for the sweatband welt shall be 0.0 15 to 0.020 inches thick, pressed fiberboard, weighing 1.5 to 2.0 ounces per square foot, in a neutral, red, or black color. 3.3.5 Front Quarter Stiffener. The material for the front quarter stiffener shall be raschel knitted nylon cloth conforming to MIL-C-4 1831, 3.3.6 Inner body Band. The inner body band shall be of high density (linear) polyurethylethe plastic material, extruded, stripped, slit or out 2+ or -1116 inches wide, with a thickness of 0.030 4. or -11002 inches. The band shall be perforated in a repetitive pattern with the diameter of the holes of sufficient size to adequately ventilate the cap. A 3/8 inch margin at top and bottom of band shall remain un-perforated. 3.3.7 Thread. The cotton thread for seaming and stitching the caps shall conform to V-T-276. The thread for felling the sweatband shall be nylon thread conforming to Type IV, size C of V-T-295. Cotton or polyester-covered polyester core thread conforming to A-A-SO 199 shall be used. 3.3.8 Sweatband. The sweatband shall be of leather, 1-1/4 + or -1/8 inches wide, conforming to MIL-S-3577, dyed a brown shade and embossed with an imitation turned line, 1/8 inch from top edge, The sweatband shall be perforated by punching or other means in a repetitive pattern with 5 to 6 large holes and 25 to 30 smaller holes per three inches in linear band. A 5/16 inch margin at top and bottom of band shall remain un-perforated. 3.3.9 Braid 3.3.9.1. Type III, Class 3 Caps. The braid shall conform to Type II, Class 3 of MIL-B-13466 except the mohair braid section shall be dyed dark blue 173, and the carriers shall braid in pairs. 3.3.9 .2 Type Ill, Class 3 Enlisted Caps. The braid shall be basket-weave mohair braid matching the shade of the cap material. Fabric shall be Army Green 491. The braid shall be 1-3/4 inches hi width around the entire outside rim of the cap. 3.3.10 Visors 3.3.10.1 Type 1A, Class 2; Type H, Class 2; and Type III, Class 3. The visor shall consist of two pieces of leather, or shall consist of a top piece of poromeric material with bottom piece of leather interlined with 2.0 -2.5 ounce thick leather to afford required stiffness. The visor shall be well bound and of sufficient stiffness to hold its shape, with the outside edge bound with black vinyl chloride flexible plastic film, 0.009 - 0.0 15 inch thick and 1/4 inch in width. The top piece shall be 3.0 -4,0 ounce leather conforming to Type I of MIL-L-43541 or poromeric material conforming to 33.10.2.1. The bottom piece shall conform to Type II ofM11.-L-43451. The inside edge of the visor shall be skived. The outside edge of the visor shall be trimmed, sanded, bound, and stitched 1/32 + 1/32, - 0 inches from folded edge of binding strip on top of visor with black cotton thread. The visor shall be molded with heat into a curved shape. 3.3.10.2 Poromeric Material. When poromeric material is used as the top piece of the visor, it shall be black, homogenous polyurethane reinforced with polyester, and shall contain no free plasticizer, The poromeric material shall be 60 -1 or - 5 mils thick and shall have a shiny leather finish on the top side. 3.3.11 Chin Straps 3.3.11.1 Type III, Class 3 Caps, The chin straps shall be 3.0 -4.0 ounce leather conforming to Type I of MIL-L-43451. The strap shall be made in two parts, each 5/8 inch in width and 10- 10 1/8 inches in length and shall be adjustable. As an alternate, pormeric material with a leather finish may be used for the Class 3 chin straps. 3.3.12 Front Stay. The front stay shall consist of a commercial twin wire, tape stiffener, one ply of un-dyed stiff crinoline, and one ply of cotton warp and rayon filling cloth or two plies of monofilament filling cloth. The stay shall be covered with lining material specified in 33, The stay components shall meet the following requirements. 3.3.12.1 Twin Wire Tape Stiffener: The twin wire tape shall measure one inch wide. The steel wire used in the tape shall be hard rolled, cold finished carbon steel, galvanized, flat wire, and shall be 0,016 + or - 0.002 Inches thick by 0.090 + or 0.004 inches wide. 3.3.12,2,Crhaoline. The crinoline (when used) for front stay shall be un-dyed commercial crinoline, 1 `/2 -2 V2 ounces per square yard, with not less than 25 yarns per inch in warp and fill. 33.12.3 Cotton Warp and Rayon Filling Cloth or Menofilament Filling Cloth. The cotton warp filling cloth for front stay shall conform to MIL-C-43675. When the alternate monofilament filling cloth is used, the fabric shall conform to Type I of MEL-C-43920. 3.3.13 Grommet. The grommet shall be a suitable size and consist of a steel wire 5/16 + or- 1/16 inches wide, enclosed in-a nylon grommet approximately % inches in diameter. The ends of the grommet shall be joined by the use of wood or cork plugs, laminated paper rings, or other suitable material to ensure proper closure of the grommet. 3.3.14 Buttons. The buttons for affixing the chin straps shall be gold plated, regulation style, 25-line, equipped with screw backs. The button sock--1 posts shall be tacked or stapled to the inner body band. 3.3.15 Eyelets. The eyelets for front piece and sides shall be brass, enameled black and of appropriate size, in accordance with commercial practice. 3.3.15.1 Washers. The washers for backing the front insignia eyelet shall be brass, and shall fit over and make a secure clinch on the eyelet. 3.3.16 Labels. Each cap shall have a stamped size label, a cloth combination identification-size label and a certification label. 33.16.1 Stamped Size Label, The stamped size label shall conform to Type IV, Class 2 of DDD-L-20, except that only size shall be designated. The fastness to dry cleaning requirements shall apply. 3.3.16.2 Identification-Size Label, The combination identification-size label shall conform to Type VI, Class 4 of DDD-L-20. Fastness to dry cleaning shall apply. 3.3.16.3 Certification Label. The certification label shall consist of a stamping on the sweatband as specified in 4.3. 3.4 DESIGN. The cap shall consist of three side pieces and a top crown piece with plastic crown protector. The cap shall have a lined crown and loosely woven braid band. The cap shall be provided with a removable grommet, a leather visor, en adjustable chin strap, a perforated sweatband, and permanently attached front stay. The front of the cap shall be vertical 3.5 PATTERNS. A size 7 1/8 pattern is available for use as a guide in the processing of the manufacturer's working pattern for the finished caps. The patterns provide an allowance of an inch for all seams, except the back seam of the band and braid, which shall be 3/8 inch 3.5.1 List of Pattern Parts. Component parts of the cap shall be cut from materials as specified and in accordance with the number of pattern parts required for the manufacturing process. Front stay cotton warp and rayon filling cloth or monofilament filling cloth Front stay Crinoline Front stay Raschel knitted Front stiffener nylon cloth Leather, as specified Visor (to show size and shape) Polyethylene film Crown protector. 3.6 CONSTRUCTION 3.6.1 Stitches, Seams, and Stitching. Stitch, seam, and stitching types specified in Table II are those covered by FED-STD-751. When two or, more seams or stitch types are given for the same part of an operation, any one of them may be used. When stitch Type 401 is used, the looper thread shall be on the inside of the cap. All Seams shall start and finish evenly. Thread tension shall be maintained and that there is no tight or loose stitching. Seam allowances shall be maintained with seams sewn so that no raw edges, runoffs, twists, pleats, puckers, or open seams result. 3.6.2 Thread Breaks and Ends of Seams. Ends of all seams and stitching produced with 301 stitch type, when not caught in other seams or stitching, shall be back-tacked not less than'/ inch. Thread breaks (all stitch types) shall be overlapped not less than 'A inch. Thread breaks (all stitch types) shall be secured by stitching back of the break not less than a inch. Skipped stitches or thread breaks (401 or 101 stitch type) may be repaired using 301 stitch type. 3.6.3 Stitches per Inch. The minimum and maximum number of stitches per inch shall be as specified in Table II. 3.7 MANUFACTURING OPERATION REQUIREMENTS, The caps shall be made in accordance with operation requirements specified in Table H. The supplier is not required to follow the exact sequence of operations with exceptions of operations 17 through 19, which shall be performed on the completed cap as the last three operations. Any additional basting or holding stitches used to facilitate manufacture are permissible provided that the thread is removed or does not show on the finished cap. 3.7.1 Pressing. All pressing referenced in Table II shall be accomplished with heated pressing iron or machine, except blocking, which shall be accomplished as indicated by operation 17. 3.7,2 Marking. The parts of the cap shall be marked to ensure a uniform shade and size. Any method of marking may be used except: a. Metal fastening devices (no metal devices to be used on lining material). b. Adhesive type tickets, which leave an impression or traces of adhesive on the material after removal of the tickets. 3.8 FINISHED MEASUREMENTS. The finished measurements of the caps shall be as specified in Table III. TABLE III Measurement of Caps Height of cap at front (measured at the point where band 41/4 +or- 1/8 joins visor to center of crown seam). Width of quarters at side seams (measured from band 1-7/8 -For- 1/8 joining scam to center of seam). . Width of front, piece at center front (measured from band 2.1/2 +or- 1/8 joining seam to crown joining seam). Width of sides at back seam (measured from hand Joining 1-7/8 +or- 1/8 seam to crown joining seam). Width of visor.(measured on upper side at center front). 2 +or- 1/16 Width of finished band (measured from front and side 1-3/4 +or- 1/8 seam to bottom edge of band)Crown (inches) THIS RFI IS NOT A REQUEST FOR QUOTE. It is a market research tool (FAR Part 10) being used to determine potential business firms capable of providing the supply and/or services described herein prior to determining the method of acquisition and issuance of a Request for Quote. The NAICS contemplated for this requirement is 315990 with a size standard of 500 employees. SUBMITTAL INFORMATION: Please provide a capability statement addressing your organizations ability to provide the items required above. Include only general capabilities relative to the requirement as this is not a solicitation and no responses will be considered as quotes. Provide responses to this notice to
[email protected]. Telephone responses will NOT be accepted. Please provide responses in writing no later than 3:00 P.M. (Fort Belvoir, Virginia local time), 23 January 2015. All responses must include the following information: Company Name; Company Address; Company Business Size; CAGE Code and Point of Contact (POC) name, phone number, and e-mail address.