This is a notice of intent to award as a sole source requirement to Keyence Corporation of America. This procurement will include the Keyence VHX-600 Digital Microscope system. This proposed contract action is for a supply for which the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit proposals. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive proposals; however, all proposals received by the closing date and time will be considered. A determination by the government not to compete this proposed contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. Any company who believes that they can provide the required supply should e-mail their company's capability information to the attention of Barbara Wilson no later than 11:00a.m. EST, April 9, 2010 at
[email protected] . Only e-mail responses will be accepted. The following sole source justification is provided: The Keyence VHX-600 series Digital Microscope is fully self-contained, weighs 29 lbs complete, and can be carried by 1 person to do on-site microscopic examination and image analysis. The use of vibration proof material provides stable images of highly magnified objects. The magnification range of up to 5000X and superior depth of field of the VHX allows for SEM quality images without the lengthy sample prep and start-up time. The CCD camera can be handheld which allows for imaging in hard-to-see areas without disassembling the target. Illumination equipment is incorporated in the controller and the light emitted from the camera via optical fiber to enable hand-held use at any angle. The unit's portability allows for added support to our field offices and non-destructive testing for some materials. The 15-inch monitor enables multiple users to observe acquired images. Extremely small features are best resolved using pixel shift/RGB splitting (54 mega pixel mode) technology only provided by Keyence. This provides 2000TV line resolution. Also, the VH-Z500R lens has .82NA with 4.4mm working distance which is optimized for this purpose. Z20 lens provides 34mm depth of field. Fractures often are highly reflective and Keyence is the only supplier that can provide 3d models while using live halation removal to eliminate glare. RGB 3 CCD mode is required to optimize color reproducibility because the CCD is mechanically passed in front of three separate color filters. Halogen lamps do not overpower the sample's color which provide more true sample color to the CCD. The VHX can achieve about 1um Z-axis repeatability at 1000x. This is the only system on the market that can use halation (glare) removal during image acquisition which is required for complex, reflective surfaces.