Renishaw, a global supplier of measuring systems and manufacturing systems, says its additive manufacturing (AM) systems have been added to the General Services Administration (GSA) procurement system in the USA, which means the company is now officially recognised as a provider of AM solutions to the US federal, state, and local governments.
This development has come about after
Machine Tools USA (a specialty dealer bringing high-quality metal working machines from the world’s largest and most respected manufacturers to the US government) agreed to collaborate with Renishaw to assist in the marketing of metal AM systems to the US government.
Machine Tools USA’s existing contract with the GSA allows Renishaw AM systems to be included under the multiple awards scheme (MAS) for 3-D printing and AM solutions. The MAS scheme allows government bodies to access commercial products at competitive price points. As part of this, Renishaw AM systems are listed in the GSA eLibrary, a centralised online resource used by federal, state, and local governments to assist in the research and identification of businesses that can provide products and services under a GSA contract.
To be eligible, products listed on the GSA procurement system have to meet strict criteria including: commercial availability; competitive pricing and compliance with Trade Agreements Act (TAA); the Buy American Act; and environmental and labour standards. Machine Tools USA has been appointed as a distributor of Renishaw’s AM products to the US Government and will help to ensure that these products continue to meet these requirements.
Marianne Ross Burroughs, Machine Tools USA’s president, said: “GSA contracts are issued for a 20-year period and we at Machine Tools USA are currently halfway through our second contract, so we understand the value of this agreement. A GSA contract is a valuable asset to gain access to this market; and as we go into the 45th year of our company, we are thrilled to expand our expertise and assist Renishaw on this journey.”
On the eLibrary, agencies can explore Renishaw’s RenAM 500 series of metal additive manufacturing systems, which provide solutions for a range of research and production applications, from a single laser system (RenAM 500S) to a four-laser system (RenAM 500Q).