Clemson University's Materials Science and Engineering Department seeks to sole source the purchase of a Femto Tools iX05 Operando Nanoidenter. The iXOS nanoindenter is a high-resolution, high-throughput nanomechanical testing system developed and produced by FemtoTools AG. Unlike other nanomechanical testing systems in the same resolution and load range, the iXOS system is intrinsically position-controlled without the need for a force feedback loop. The decided scientific advantages of displacement control over load control in nanomechanical testing are well established in the literature, as displacement control enables to record especially rich nanomechanical phenomena in the force-displacement curves, especially in metals and ceramics. Featuring an intrinsic position control without the need for a force feedback loop and a stiff measurement chain, the iXOS system provides testing conditions that are the closest to an ideal displacement control, hence referred to as true displacement control, while providing also the highest resolution in force and displacement (< 0.l nN and < 0.005 nm both in air or in vacuum, respectively) to capture relevant nanomechanical events. In addition, the iXOS system provides decoupled signals for displacement actuation, displacement sensing and force sensing. It is a decided advantage for dynamic testing such as continuous stiffness measurement {CSM) nanoindentation as the actual phase angle between the displacement and force signals can be measured in order to provide a measure of contact stiffness and contact damping. These signals can all be recorded up to 2 MHz, which is also significantly faster than other systems on the market. To mirror the fast electronics, the dynamic range of the iXOS is also much higher than that of any other nanoindenters currently available. For reference, the load cells of the iXOS offer a dynamic range of up to 100 kHz, while most nanoindenters with comparable resolution levels will feature a dynamic range < 1 kHz. This is critical as it represents the ability of the instrument to record or apply fast variations in the force signal. Finally, the iXOS system features patented force sensors with significantly much higher stiffness (up to 400'000 N/m) than conventional transducers and load cells on other systems. This high axial stiffness greatly increases the mechanical bandwidth of the system, i.e. its capacity to measure fast nanomechanical events, record dynamic properties of materials or perform fast nanoindentation mapping with high data quality. This allows the iXOS instrument to perform fast nanoindentation mapping of properties at unmatched speeds up to > 30 indents/second while operating under true depth control (all indents have the same size regardless of the material) and to perform high-frequency testing under CSM mode (recording continuous profiles of properties as a function of depth) with oscillating frequencies up to 2'500 Hz. The /XOS system from FemtoTools AG is a versatile testing platform for quantitative nanomechanical measurements and correlation with SEM-based analytical techniques such as EBSD or EDS imaging. The unique features of the IXOS system are required for the study of complex materials microstructures used in advanced photonics, as well as surface properties related to thin films and advanced surface engineering. The properties and mechanical behavior of these complex materials is governed by nanoscafe events and interactions between local crystal structure, focal phase precipitation, as well as local chemical segregation and chemical composition gradients. The unique combination of true displacement control, high resolution and high displacement data acquisition rate of the IXOS system enables to capture individual events during plastic deformation (e. g. nucleation of defects, interactions with defects, slip step activation, shear banding, phase transformation) and to quantify their characteristic force/time signatures. For fracture testing, true displacement control enables not only to quantify stress release during crack initiation, but also to maintain the integrity of specimens during crack propagation in order to quantify crack propagation mechanisms and plot crack resistance curves. This is critical, especially in protective coating applications, as most studies of components integrity rely not only on the measure of fracture toughness, but also on the assessment of crack growth control, which will be critical for the characterization of near-surface plasticity and sur face -to -bulk gradients of properties related to surface engineering processes such as case hardening, boriding, nitriding or shot -peening. Finally, the IX05 also enables a wide range of other tests including micro-pillar compression or micro -cantilever bending using monotonic or dynamic loading conditions up to 2'500 Hz, which will be directly useful for other materials-related research activities at the university level. Finally, the IX05 system provides displacement-controlled experimental results at the nanoscale, which can be directly used as input for computational materials science that are also typically built using displacement-con trolled testing conditions. Featuring a combination of true displacement control, high resolution and high stiffness, the IX05 is the only system on the market enabling the quantitative study of strengthening mechanisms, fine variations in materials properties due to changes in microstructures, and their impact on fracture micromechanics. No other vendor or distributor can provide a system presenting the same combination of capacities in a load range and resolution range that is suitable for nano-/micromechanical characterization as it is planned. Femto Tools AG develops, manufactures and is the sole supplier of the IX05 system in the USA. In addition, the system uses patented force sensing probes that are no t available on other systems. For these reasons, this is a sole source procurement.
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).
Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer
803-737-0600 • scbo@mmo.sc.gov • https://scbo.sc.gov • https://procurement.sc.gov
