ThermoCalc Database Upgrades

This memorandum documents a request to restrict competition for a commercial purchase not exceeding the simplified acquisition threshold (SAT) for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD). The Requirements Owner seeks approval to procure three database upgrades from Thermo-Calc Software, Inc. to maintain simulation capabilities for the Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) lab. The acquisition involves the TCAL9, TCFE14, and TCOX14 thermodynamic and kinetic databases. These upgrades are essential for supporting ongoing research and development programs, including PMS 397, PMS 450, and PMS 378/9. The justification for restricting competition to a sole-source procurement is based on proprietary rights and system compatibility. Thermo-Calc Software, Inc. holds exclusive rights to develop and maintain these databases, and no other commercial databases are compatible with the existing software suite. Transitioning to an alternative software platform is impractical due to high upfront costs and the inability to convert historical simulation data. The Contracting Officer approved the request on July 9, 2026, in accordance with FAR Part 12 procedures.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Code 611 has issued a requirement to upgrade six previously acquired Thermo-Calc material databases to their most recent versions. These upgrades are essential for maintaining the capabilities of the Agile Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Toolkit program and supporting the U.S. Navy's advanced material-based modeling, process optimization, and simulation efforts. The contractor must deliver the upgraded versions of the following six specific databases: TCS Titanium and TiAl-based alloys (TCTI7), TCS Metal oxide solutions (TCOX15), TCS Al-based alloy (TCAL10), TCS Steel/Fe-alloys (TCFE15), TCS High entropy alloys (TCHEA 8), and TCS Ni-based superalloy (TCNI 13). These databases must integrate directly into the existing Thermo-Calc Software suite utilized by NSWCCD. The contractor is required to deliver the software licenses via digital download within 15 days of the contract award, coordinating the transfer directly with the designated NSWCCD Technical Point of Contact (TPOC).