UV LIGHT CURING SYSTEM ANTON PAAR MCR 502 WESP STRESS CONTROLLED SHEAR RHEOME AND INSTALLATION
Overview
Buyer
Place of Performance
NAICS
PSC
Set Aside
Original Source
Timeline
Qualification Details
Fit reasons
- NAICS alignment with historical contract wins in similar service areas.
- Scope strongly matches core technical capabilities and delivery model.
Risks
- Past performance thresholds may require one additional teaming partner.
- Potential clarification needed on staffing minimums before bid/no-bid.
Next steps
Validate eligibility requirements, assign capture owner, and schedule partner outreach to confirm teaming strategy before submission planning.
Quick Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends to negotiate on a sole source basis with Anton Paar for a UV Light Curing System and installation. This system is an optical accessory for an existing Anton Paar MCR 502 WESP stress-controlled shear rheometer. Responses to this notice are due by June 10, 2026, 8:00 am ET.
Purpose & Scope
NIST's Security Technologies Group (STG) requires this UV light-curing system to enhance research on complex and emerging material systems, including body armor, ceramic additive manufacturing, and UV-curable polymer composites. The system will enable the quantification of UV-curing rheokinetics during photopolymerization under controlled conditions. This includes assessing viscosity increase, gel point, modulus evolution, and cure kinetics during UV exposure, correlating these responses with curing parameters like light intensity, wavelength, and exposure profile. The system must allow simultaneous UV irradiation and rheological testing with temperature control and calibrated wavelength/intensity options, integrating with the existing Anton Paar MCR 502 WESP rheometer (Serial Number 83291166).
Sole Source Justification
NIST's determination for a sole source acquisition is based on the critical need for an optical accessory specifically designed for the existing Anton Paar MCR 502 WESP rheometer. Purchasing a non-factory system risks violating the existing rheometer's warranty and service contracts, or rendering it inoperable. Furthermore, integrating a non-Anton Paar system would incur significant costs (estimated $60K over 10 years) and person-hours for software identification, setup, modification, and user training, with potential interface difficulties. Anton Paar is identified as the only known vendor capable of providing the required accessory, installation, and training.
Contract & Timeline
- Type: Special Notice (Notice of Intent to Sole Source)
- NAICS: 334516, Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (Size Standard: 1,000 employees)
- Product Service Code: 6640, Laboratory Equipment And Supplies
- Place of Performance: Gaithersburg, MD, United States
- Response Due: June 10, 2026, 8:00 am ET
- Published: May 26, 2026
Additional Notes
This notice is not a request for competitive quotations, and no solicitation package will be issued. However, responses received by the due date will be considered by the Government solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed acquisition is solely at its discretion. Contact: Prateema E. Carvajal (prateema.carvajal@nist.gov, 301-975-4390).