Universal Testing Machines - Calibration and Maintenance

2026-11-03

Please note : This is a Sole Source Notification . The Missouri Department of Transportation has determined that only one source , Instron Corporation , can provide the department with a one - year service support agreement at a discounted rate for existing Instron Corporation equipment and for additional Instron Corporation equipment that may be obtained by MoDOT during this contract period which is from Notice of Award through one year with two ( 2 ) additional one - year renewal option periods or any portion thereof . This all - inclusive service support agreement ( s ) will cover all costs associated with the preventative maintenance and verification of calibration for all system components . Knowledge and history of existing equipment and software of the manufacturer is critical to maintain quality testing . The following equipment are included in this SFS : Universal Testing Machines ; Extensometers ; Brinell Tester ; Rockwell Tester ; Loading Device ( Electric Motor ); Asphalt Direct Tension Testing Device . lease specify the exact product / service your agency needs : Calibrating and performing routine maintenance on the following pieces of equipment : - Five Universal Testing Machines - Eleven Extensometers - One Brinell Tester - One Rockwell Tester - One Loading Device ( Electric Motor ) - One Asphalt Direct Tension Testing Device Is this a one - time acquisition or an ongoing need to acquire this product / service ? Ongoing ; If ongoing , please specify the period for which the SFS is being requested : n / a ; JUSTIFICATION : . Supplies are proprietary and only available from the manufacturer or a single distributor ; or Universal Testing Machines ( UTM ) are essential equipment for MoDOT . These machines are utilized for the following purposes : 1 ) Perform quality assurance testing on materials ( i . e ., concrete , reinforcing steel , cable , bolts , plastic pipe , etc .) utilized on MoDOT projects . 2 ) Perform in - house concrete research 3 ) Perform forensic investigations To improve testing accuracy and reduce testing variability , the Physical Laboratory made the decision in 2000 to convert the UTM ' s from manual control to computer control . This involved each UTM having its own computer loaded with software to operate the UTM during testing . Instron was the company that converted the machines to computer control . The conversion involved installing equipment that enabled the computer to communicate with the UTM thereby operating the machine automatically during tests . Each UTM has its own computer loaded with software called Universal Bluehill which operates the machine during testing . Universal Bluehill was developed and designed by Instron for use on their computer control operating systems . Instron ' s history and knowledge of all existing equipment and software is critical to maintaining quality testing . b . Based on past procurement experience , it is determined that only one distributor services the c . region in which the supplies are needed ; or Supplies are available at a discount from a single distributor for a limited period of time .

Missouri

2026-04-29