Design and Integration of a Manufacturing Robotics Workcell

Sources Sought Notice Announcement Type: Sources Sought Announcement Number: NIST-SSN-26-73WORKCELL Subject: Design and Integration of a Manufacturing Robotics Workcell Applicable NAICS: 541330 – Engineering Services Applicable PSC: R425 – Support – Professional: Engineering/Technical

BACKGROUND

This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) requesting industry response to help the Government determine the availability and capability of small business and other than small businesses that are capable of providing any or all of the services required by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This notice is strictly to request information for market research purposes to help NIST determine the appropriate acquisition strategy for a potential requirement. This notice shall not be construed as a solicitation, an obligation, or commitment by the NIST. OVERVIEW NIST is conducting market research to identify potential sources that can perform design and integration of a manufacturing robotics workcell. The NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) Measurement Science for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (MSRAS) Program requires a professionally designed and fully integrated manufacturing testbed capable of performing an industrial task repeatedly and continuously over extended periods (hours to days), similar to the uptime of a real manufacturing cell. The workcell design shall represent a realistic manufacturing environment, integrating common industrial automation tools like robot arms, conveyor belt, fixtures, etc., as well as human safety components. The specific task

requirements are minimal, so the Contractor may propose a task (or simulated task) of their choice, that represents a frequently implemented integration service. ANTICIPATED POTENTIAL

REQUIREMENTS Task 1 – DESIGN OF A MANUFACTURING WORKCELL The Contractor shall: Design a robotic workcell satisfying the following

requirements: Accomplish a commonly seen industrial manufacturing task, either continuously or in reverse (‘undo’ the task, e.g. load and unload a pallet) The full workcell must fit within a footprint of 12’ x 18’ The workcell must contain at least two but no more than five robotic systems Optional: Integrate two Universal Robots UR10 (CB-series models) into the design The workcell must include a conveyor system Parts used should not be destroyed in the process, such that the system can be run continuously without waste A Human-Machine Interface must be included with the ability for Government staff to integrate custom software Create a Digital Twin or simulation of the designed and accepted workcell and provide this to the Government team. Preferred platforms are RoboDK or Siemens Process Simulate, but the Contractor may propose a platform of their choice. If proposing an alternative, it must be approved by the Government team. Meet with the Government team over video conference to review and refine the design until the Government team has approved it to move forward. Provide a full Bill of Materials for the proposed design and a list of any power or other utility pre-requisites, to be approved by the Government team before moving forward. The Bill of Materials should include