---
title: "Tender for the Supply and Installation of an Environmental Thermal Mechanical Test System to the University of Birmingham"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM"
published: "2022-07-06"
---

# Tender for the Supply and Installation of an Environmental Thermal Mechanical Test System to the University of Birmingham

Buyer: THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb

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## Summary

The University of Birmingham has issued a tender for the Supply and Installation of an Environmental Thermal Mechanical Test System, an essential procurement aimed at enhancing nuclear research capabilities within the UK. This procurement falls under the goods category, specifically focusing on laboratory, optical, and precision equipment, with a total estimated value of £300,000. The tender was originally active until 11 April 2022, allowing suppliers to submit bids electronically. The buyer is seeking a system that can operate under varying environmental conditions, integrating seamlessly with their MC40 Cyclotron and neutron beam facility, located in Birmingham, UK.

This tender presents significant opportunities for businesses involved in advanced materials testing and thermal-mechanical systems, particularly those with expertise in developing custom solutions for high-end laboratory equipment. Companies that specialise in engineering, environmental testing technologies, or bespoke manufacturing processes would find this procurement highly relevant. By participating in this tender, suitable suppliers can leverage their capabilities to capture valuable contracts within the UK's growing nuclear research sector and potentially secure future funding from prominent bodies such as the European Regional Development Fund.

## Notice

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for supply of an environmental thermal mechanical test system for in-situ irradiation. The University operates an MC40 Cyclotron and a neutron beam facility is currently being built. The MC40 Cyclotron can produce the proton beam energies in the range of 3~38 MeV. To support the nuclear research in the UK, the University has been awarded a project by EPSRC to develop a system which will enable the mechanical testing of materials under vacuum (and potentially other environments), and with the capability of in-situ irradiation. The proposed system will have a digital control system to deliver custom deformation waveforms and cooled grips for temperature control. The system will offer the capability of vacuum (and potentially other environments), high temperature, mechanical testing with in-situ irradiation capability and integrated with Birmingham irradiation facility. Ultimately the system will enable the evaluation of the thermal-mechanical properties at application-relevant temperature with simultaneous irradiation of a range of nuclear fission and fusion materials. This project may be funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) or; - European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) or; - Research Councils UK (RCUK), the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils.

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The University of Birmingham invites tenders for the supply of a thermal mechanical test system for in-situ irradiation. The University operates an MC40 Cyclotron and a neutron beam facility is currently being built. The MC40 Cyclotron can produce the proton beam energies in the range of 3~38 MeV. The proposed system will be integrated to the Cyclotron and/or the neutron beams for mechanical testing under elevated temperatures, with in-situ irradiation. The system needs to be interface with the irradiation beams at the University of Birmingham. Thus, it is expected that the system should be mobile and/or adjustable in terms of the positioning. The system shall be able to operate under different environmental conditions, such as air, vacuum or gaseous. The system shall enable the testing of flat samples, but the capability of testing samples of other geometries (such as cylindrical) is highly desirable. The system shall be able to accurately measure and control the temperate of the testing sample. The maximum testing sample temperature equal to, or greater than, 1200 oC is needed. The capability of testing at temperatures lower than the ambient temperature is a plus. The system shall be able to accurately measure and control the displacement/strain on the testing sample. The capability of remote strain measurement such as digital image correlation is highly desirable. The system shall be able to provide the maximum load of 5 kN or above. It is highly desirable to have exchangeable load-cells with different maximum loads. The system shall have a digital control system to deliver custom deformation waveforms (e.g. static loading, creep, fatigue including TMF etc) as well as cooled (using liquid nitrogen/water) grips for temperature control (essential for samples subjected to high beam currents).

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018521-2022 |
| Notice type | Tender Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Goods |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Tender, Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 6 Jul 2022 |
| Submission deadline | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | 26 Jun 2022 |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £300,000 |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £346,800 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM |
| Additional buyers | UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM |
| Locality | BIRMINGHAM |
| Post town | Birmingham |
| Postcode | B15 2TT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLG West Midlands (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLG3 West Midlands |
| ITL 3 | TLG31 Birmingham |
| Local authority | Birmingham |
| Electoral ward | Edgbaston |
| Westminster constituency | Birmingham Edgbaston |
| Delivery location | TLG31 Birmingham |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | CORMET |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 38 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

### Codes

- 38000000 - Laboratory, optical and precision equipments (excl. glasses)

## Release History

- 6 Jul 2022 at 14:52 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/018521-2022
- 9 Mar 2022 at 11:49 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/006433-2022

## Notice URLs

- http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx
- http://www.in-tendhost.com/universityofbirmingham

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-031fbb.json.