Planning

Ultra-High Temperature Materials Testing Equipment

UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY

This public procurement record has 1 release in its history.

Planning

15 Nov 2023 at 17:20

Summary of the contracting process

The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is planning a tender for the procurement and supply of Ultra-High Temperature Materials Testing equipment at their premises in Culham, Oxfordshire, UK. This tender, with an estimated value of £1,300,000, aims to establish unique equipment for mechanical testing under vacuum at temperatures above 2,500°C for various material families. The procurement is in the planning stage, and after an engagement exercise, UKAEA intends to issue an Invitation to Tender through the EU Supply and Find a Tender portals by August 31, 2025.

This procurement opportunity by UKAEA offers potential lead contractors, SMEs, and manufacturers the chance to compete for supplying specialized equipment required for ultra-high temperature materials testing. Businesses in the electromechanical equipment industry category, particularly those with expertise in loadbearing equipment and heating equipment, would be well-suited to participate in this tender. The procurement process is expected to create business growth opportunities through competitively tendered contracts and engagement with UKAEA for the design and provision of the required equipment.

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Notice Title

Ultra-High Temperature Materials Testing Equipment

Notice Description

UKAEA wishes to engage with potential lead contractors, SME's, manufacturers for the procurement and supply of Ultra-High Temperature Materials Testing equipment for the UKAEA. The goal of this procurement activity is to establish UK-unique Ultra-High Temperature Materials Testing equipment (UHT-MaT) for complex, representative mechanical testing under vacuum at ultra-high temperatures, 2,500+ degC for the following material families of interest: refractory metallic alloys, ceramics, and ceramic-matrix composites. UHT-MaT will be housed at UKAEA's premises in Culham, Oxfordshire, UK by October 2027 at the latest. After the engagement exercise, and dependent on securing funding, UKAEA intend to issue an Invitation to Tender through the EU Supply and Find a Tender portals (replacement to Tenders Electronic Daily) to procure services for design and provision of equipment through competitively tendered contracts.

Lot Information

Lot 1

The following main pieces of equipment are requested: * Mechanical load frame(s) (up to 3 frames) for static, quasi static and cyclic mechanical loading. The load frame and/or load frames will have the mechanical infrastructure, control systems, and software capable of supporting numerous standard mechanical tests, specifically: tensile, compression, low cycle fatigue, ratchetting, creep, creep fatigue, crack growth in fatigue , and crack growth in creep. The load frame(s) should include several load cells with a maximum capacity of 100 kN (unless justified otherwise), fixtures and gripping solutions for standard geometry specimens of the material families of interest at ultra high temperatures: refractory metallic alloys, ceramics, and ceramic-matrix composites. The load string must be capable of operating up to the required temperature for at least one test, with the understanding that fixtures are consumable when operating at these temperatures. The load frame(s) should have appropriate test control systems (e.g. to control for strain on the sample at temperature) and sufficient working space to permit the insertion of vacuum and heating systems. * A vacuum system compatible with mechanical testing at ultra high temperature. If there are multiple load frames then the single vacuum system (or the load frames) must be mobile to allow the vacuum system to be used by different load frames at different times. There must be ports for test control, optical ports for the data-rich diagnostics and their calibration and additional ports to allow future flexibility in diagnostics. * A gas introduction system to allow alternative atmosphere testing. * A heating system to allow sample test temperatures up to 2,500 degC and above for the material families of interest. The heating system must not limit the line of sight for the data-rich diagnostics. * An appropriate cooling system to protect the load cell and fixtures, where required. * A high spatial resolution IR camera and/or bolometer for spatially-resolved temperature measurement.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-041a32
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/033837-2023
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
Planning Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

31 - Electrical machinery, apparatus, equipment and consumables; lighting

34 - Transport equipment and auxiliary products to transportation

39 - Furniture (incl. office furniture), furnishings, domestic appliances (excl. lighting) and cleaning products


CPV Codes

31720000 - Electromechanical equipment

34950000 - Loadbearing equipment

39715200 - Heating equipment

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
£1,300,000 £1M-£10M
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
15 Nov 20232 years ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
30 Aug 2025Expired
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
Not specified - Not specified
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planned
Lots Status
Planned
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY
Contact Name
Charlotte Byrne
Contact Email
charlotte.byrne@ukaea.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
ABINGDON
Postcode
OX14 3DB
Post Town
Oxford
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLJ South East (England)
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLJ1 Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC
Delivery Location
TLJ South East (England), TLJ14 Oxfordshire CC

Local Authority
South Oxfordshire
Electoral Ward
Sandford & the Wittenhams
Westminster Constituency
Didcot and Wantage

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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The Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) is a framework designed to increase transparency and access to public procurement data in the public sector. It is widely used by governments and organisations worldwide to report on procurement processes and contracts.

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