Contracting Office Address

Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714

Description

DISRUPTIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES (DMT) SOL: BAA06-34, Full Proposals Due 1600 ET, October 19, 2006

DESCRIPTION
The rate at which asymmetric threats evolve has increased the speed with which new systems and platforms must be produced and increased the need to distribute new technologies (e.g., upgraded body armor) to a larger number of troops. Ironically, at the same time, increased lethality of our modern weapon systems has resulted in a reduction of the number of large systems required to accomplish missions. This new environment places a premium on fast and affordable manufacturing processes. Furthermore, when the cost of manufacturing spare parts is taken into consideration, it becomes clear that new approaches to defense manufacturing are critically needed to guarantee the future success of the military.

To address this shortfall, this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is focused on disruptive manufacturing technologies that will have a pervasive impact on DoD systems and platforms, both current and future. Note that while the substitution of higher performing components (for example, ceramics for metals or new semiconductors) is an important area of research, this is NOT the purpose of this BAA.

A Proposer Information Pamphlet (PIP) for this program provides further information on Disruptive Manufacturing Technologies (DMT), the submission, evaluation, and funding process, white papers, proposals, teaming information, and other general information. The DMT PIP is available online at http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/DMT.pdf

Successful proposals to this BAA will be focused on reducing the fabrication time as well as the cost of materials and/or components that are currently used (or currently programmed for use) in existing platforms or would be used if their price was reduced. Thus, each proposal must have at least one component challenge problem that will culminate in the qualification of the manufacturing approach for existing materials/components where time, price and performance metrics exist for benchmarking.

It is anticipated that the challenge problem components will be qualified as preferred spares or as part of a spiral upgrade to the system. This requirement will ensure that all the fabrication and related finishing and nondestructive analysis tools are in place to provide quantitative benchmarks with the conventional manufacturing processes. That said technologies that are pervasive beyond the specific challenge problem will be considered more favorably.

TOPICAL AREAS OF INTEREST TO DMT
The following list illustrates some of the possible research areas (these examples are not meant to be all inclusive). Any disruptive research topic that can be justified against the criteria found in this BAA will be acceptable.


Raw Materials:
Approaches for significantly reducing the cost of raw materials especially through a radical change in the process that changes the cost paradigm.

Tooling:
Approaches for rapidly defining and producing production quality tooling or approaches for completely eliminating tooling.

Part Manufacturing:
Approaches that reduce the cost of manufacturing, such as technologies for fabrication of composite parts without the need for an autoclave or near-net-shaped metallurgical fabrication of a high value metal such as titanium.


Precision Assembly:
Approaches that reduced the cost of producing precise finished parts. For example, improving the weldability of metals such as titanium, or production of alignment jigs and gages.

Manufacturing Equipment:
Approaches to (1) significantly reduce the cost of capital equipment and therefore the total cost of parts made in small lot sizes, or (2) significantly increasing the uniformity and repeatability of production, thereby enabling a mixed product stream comprising diverse processes, devices, and materials to be efficiency fabricated on high-volume manufacturing equipment.

Of particular interest is manufacturing tools that enable affordable low volume manufacturing of Microsystems Components, including Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS), electronics, and photonics.

Photonics:
Approaches for significantly reducing the cost of integrating photonics into military systems. This could include approaches for dramatically reducing the packaging cost of key components, e.g., transceivers that can consume up to 90 percent of the cost of the final component, cabling costs, fiber optic backplanes, integrated PWB/photonic modules.

Software Producibility:
Software enabled products that can adapt to new environments, are critical to ensuring critical functionality and long life for complex manufacturing systems. Methodologies and tools for developing adaptive software are needed. How can adaptive features be built in at an acceptable cost? How general can these adaptive features be? How can one ensure that destructive adaptation be prevented?

DARPA Initiative in Titanium
http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrusts/matdev/titanium.htm

Accelerated Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals
http://www.darpa.mil/dso/solicitations/solicit.htm

Discovery and Exploitation of Structure in Algorithms
http://www.darpa.mil/dso/thrusts/math/algorithms.htm

Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Technology
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/wbg/

Thrust I - RF/Microwave/Millimeter-wave Technology
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/rf/index.html

Thrust II - High Power Electronics
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/hpe/index.html

Supermolecular Photonics Engineering
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/morph/index.html

MEMS Exchange
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/memsexchange/

Antimonide Based Compound Semiconductors
http://www.darpa.mil/mto/abcs/index.html

The goals of this program will be enhanced by a multi-disciplinary team of companies and technologists. Expertise may include materials science and engineering, machine design, process modeling, technical cost modeling, structural mechanics, nondestructive analysis as well as application specific expertise. The team may include technology companies, part fabricators, and tooling companies. Most importantly, it is critical that each research team identify which team member will serve as the Systems Integrator (SI) and take ultimate responsibility for acceptance and implementation of successful technology. The SI will be responsible for liaison with the military acquisition command responsible for the purchase and qualification of the class of components to be demonstrated. Since team composition will ultimately determine the success of this program, a teaming website is provided to facilitate these interactions and can be found at http://www.sainc.com/DMTTeaming.

White Paper Submission
Before proposers put together a full proposal, it is highly recommended that a white paper be submitted in response to this BAA. This white paper should clearly state the uniqueness of the disruptive manufacturing idea presented in the context of existing defense manufacturing capabilities. The white paper should also describe the proposed approach and explain why it is unique. Further, the proposer should estimate the direct and/or indirect cost savings that would result from a successful project and the extent to which the project would have pervasive impact relative to number of Defense systems impacted. Key quantifiable milestones expected in the effort should be described. Also, a brief discussion of the technical expertise of the proposed principal investigator and other key team members should be provided. Finally, an estimate of the program costs and duration (in months) should be included. White papers should not be longer than 8 pages.


A website http://www.sainc.com/DMT0634 has been set up to facilitate the submission of white papers. White paper submissions may also be made by attachment to an e-mail sent to BAA06-34@darpa.mil (Word 97 or higher is recommended). WHITE PAPERS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 1600 ET, Thursday August 24, 2006.

FULL PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS
The PIP outlines necessary details for full proposal submission. Proposals shall consist of two volumes: Technical and Cost. Both volumes should be included as a single document when uploaded to the website. FULL PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 1600 ET, Thursday October 19, 2006.

EVALUATION CRITERIA
Evaluation of proposals will be accomplished through a technical review of each proposal using the following criteria, listed in order of importance:

Scientific and Technical Merit of the Proposal
Proposers must demonstrate that the disruptive manufacturing technology that they proposed is innovative and unique, that they have an understanding of critical technical issues and risks related to the success of that technology and that they have a plan for mitigation of those risks. Successful proposals will also demonstrate a full understanding of the current processes that are to be replaced and provide detailed technical justification of why the proposed technology will indeed improve the process. Proposers should clearly and quantitatively recommend and justify technical milestones for both Phases I and II that are on the critical path to successful insertion of the technology.

Value to Defense
Proposers must demonstrate the potential of successful research to radically change the cost structure of the manufacture of a critical material/part/component currently used in a DoD system. Proposers must also quantitatively justify any claims of pervasive value of this technology to DoD in general. Proposers must demonstrate they understand the path to insertion of this technology into existing and future DoD systems. Efforts with shorter timeframes to insertion will be considered to have increased value to Defense.

Capability of the Personnel and Facilities to Perform the Proposed Effort
Proposers must demonstrate that their team has the necessary background and experience to perform this project. This includes the identification of Systems Integrator and the potential role on the team of the ultimate Service/industry transition partner. The balance of the technical capabilities of the team must match that required in the program plan. The relevant experience of key personnel must be sufficient to provide confidence that the proposers can accomplish their objectives. Proposers must demonstrate that the combined facilities of the team are sufficient to accomplish the objectives of the proposal.

Cost Realism
Costs of the proposal must be reasonable for the technical work described and provide a high value to the Government.

Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals. However, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for Small Disadvantaged Businesses, HBCU, and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of this research for exclusive competition among these entities.

ADMINISTRATIVE ADDRESSES
Mailing Address for Submission of White Papers or Full Proposals (Except Classified Proposals):
DARPA/DSO, ATTN: BAA06-34
3701 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203-1714

Web Address for White Paper and Full Proposal Submission: http://www.sainc.com/DMT0634

Fax Number and Email Address for Administrative Questions:
Fax: (571) 218-4553 (Addressed to: DARPA/DSO, BAA06-34)

Electronic Mail: BAA06-34@darpa.mil

This announcement may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/baa/.

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 1600 ET, Thursday, October 19, 2006

Web address for Full Proposal Submission: http://www.sainc.com/DMT0634

TECHNICAL POINTS OF CONTACT
Lee Badger, Information Processing Technology Office, Phone (571) 218-4327, Fax (703) 248-1879, Email: lee.badger@darpa.mil

William Coblenz, Defense Sciences Office, Phone (571) 218-4647, Fax (703) 248-1852, Email: william.coblenz@darpa.mil

John Evans, Microsystems Technology Office, Phone (571) 218-4524, Fax (703) 248-1808, Email: john.evans@darpa.mil

Douglas Kirkpatrick, Advanced Technology Office, Phone (703) 696-4762, Fax (703) 516-8788, Email: douglas.kirkpatrick@darpa.mil

Brian Leininger, Information Exploitation Office. Phone (571) 218 4528, Fax (703) 248-1820, Email: brian.leininger@darpa.mil

Mitchell Zakin, Special Projects Office, Phone (703) 248-1509, Fax (703) 807-1743, Email: mitchell.zakin@darpa.mil


Point of Contact

William Coblenz, Program Manager, DSO, Phone 571-218-4647 , Fax 571-218-4553, Email william.coblenz@darpa.mil