DLA26BZ02-NV008 — US Based Fixture Development and Manufacturing
Award Maximum: $100,000 Period of Performance: 12 months Phase Type: Phase I
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this SBIR is to establish and demonstrate a rapid-response manufacturing capability that directly addresses critical maintenance delays in Navy shipyards. This capability will empower DLA to source custom or replacement fixtures in days, not months, by enabling agile partners to rapidly design, reverse-engineer, and fabricate tools, even when original technical data is missing. The ultimate goal is to build a foundation for the responsive manufacturing network needed to keep our naval fleet ready.
DESCRIPTION: When Navy ships enter the port for maintenance, work often stops because a single, specialized tool or fixture is broken, missing, or was never designed. Sourcing a replacement can take months, idling entire maintenance teams and delaying the ship's return to the fleet. DLA needs a network of responsive, U.S.-based manufacturing partners who can quickly build these custom and replacement fixtures, turning a critical vulnerability in our maritime supply chain into a domestic manufacturing strength.
PHASE I: Not to exceed a duration of 12 months and a cost of $100,000.
Phase I (Feasibility and Speed Demonstration): Phase I will challenge the small business to prove its ability to respond to an urgent, simulated demand signal, mirroring a real-world work stoppage scenario. Key activities will include:
Establishing a secure process for handling government-provided technical data, which may be export-controlled.
Upon receipt of a representative 'problem fixture' (e.g., a broken part, a set of interface requirements), rapidly executing the reverse-engineering and design process to create a producible digital model.
Manufacturing and delivering a functional prototype within an accelerated timeframe, demonstrating a significant reduction from traditional sourcing timelines.
Quality control process to ensure that the fixture design is compatible with the boat's arrangement and component for the platform.
Providing a final report detailing the end-to-end timeline from 'request' to 'delivery,' analyzing the process, and outlining a plan for scaling this capability in Phase II.
PHASE II: Not to exceed a duration of 24 months and a cost of $1,000,000.
Phase II (Capability Maturation and Operational Integration): Assuming Phase I is successful, Phase II will focus on maturing the rapid-response process into an operational capability ready for integration into the DLA/Navy supply chain. The small business will:
Refine the end-to-end workflow to optimize for speed, cost, and repeatability across a diverse range of fixture types and complexities.
Demonstrate this refined process by producing several different qualified fixtures in response to simulated, time-sensitive requests from a "shipyard."
Conduct rigorous qualification testing (e.g., material analysis, load testing, on-site fit checks) to validate fixture performance under realistic maritime maintenance conditions.
Develop and deliver a comprehensive Transition Plan that outlines the "order-to-delivery" business process, defines communication protocols, and provides a clear model for how the company will function as a responsive partner within the DLA-managed network.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase III's can be DLA managed or Service managed. Ensuring development and production are separated. Successful history with this in the Maritime Industrial Base and PMS397L12 office.