The Supply Delivery Installation and Commissioning of an Automated Composite Ply Cutting System

The University of Strathclyde (Contracting Authority) on behalf of the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland (NMIS) seeks a single

supplier to supply, deliver, install and commission an Automated Composite Ply Cutting System, to be delivered and installed at

the NMIS facility. The Contract duration is anticipated for a period of 15 months inclusive of a 12 month warranty period and a maximum 8 to 10 week lead time.

The Contract Notice relates to an open tender below the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) threshold for The Supply Delivery Installation and Commissioning of an Automated Composite Ply Cutting System. single supplier is required to carry out all

aspects of the Contract. The successful supplier shall be able to fulfil the below non-exhaustive list of requirements:

1. Supply an automated ply profiler for composite materials with an automated conveyor bed.

2.Cutting bed working area to be approximately 1800mm × 2500mm.

3.Provide a wide variety of cutting tools capable of adapting to multiple composite and non‑composite materials without modification.

4. The solution must be able to provide UK‑based support and be delivered by an organisation with a recognised industrial reputation in composites manufacturing.

5. System must be modular, allowing reconfiguration, repurposing, or upgrades without major hardware changes.

6. Must interface with all common industry‑standard CAD and CAM software for both import and export.

7. Include material handling, movement, mounting systems, and assistive hardware.

8. Provide operator‑adjustable movement acceleration between 1.5G and 2.0G.

9. Provide operator‑adjustable plotting and cutting speeds between 50–100 m/min.

10. Include software for material nesting aligned with industry‑standard composite cutting practices.

11. Include multiple emergency stop buttons within easy operator reach.

12. Include safety features such as light barriers or area‑monitoring sensors.

13. Include carbon‑fibre protection methods to prevent dust and fibre ingress into machine components and control PC.

14. Operate with vacuum hold‑down capability for material retention on the cutting bed.

15. Provide an operating and control PC as part of the supplied hardware.

16. Deliver high repeatability and accuracy with a tolerance of approximately ±0.03mm.

17. The offered Equipment shall be compliant with UL tested, ISO 60950 and delivered with CE marking and an EC declaration of conformity.

18. The offered solution shall be delivered to the NMIS facility within an maximum 8 to 10 week lead time.

19. The successful supplier shall include a minimum warranty period of 12 months within their offer.. Economic operators may be excluded from this competition if they are in any of the situations referred to in regulation 8 and 9 of the

Procurement (Scotland) Regulations 2016.”

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 31156. For more information see:

http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

The buyer is using PCS-Tender to conduct this ITT exercise. The Project code is 31156. For more information see: http://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/info/InfoCentre.aspx?ID=2343

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see: https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

Community benefits are included in this requirement. For more information see:

https://www.gov.scot/policies/public-sector-procurement/community-benefits-in-procurement/

A summary of the expected community benefits has been provided as follows:

A menu of Community Benefits has been developed which provides details of types of benefits the University seeks to be delivered through its contracting activity. This menu highlights the key priorities of the University which are aligned to its Procurement Strategy and Sustainable Procurement Duty.

The Community Benefits menu targets delivery of outcomes in relation to:

Targeted Employment and Training Initiatives;

Educational Support Initiatives;

Supply Chain Development Activity;

Vocational Training;

Community,

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental Initiatives;

Supported Business, Third Sector and Voluntary Sector Initiatives.

The Community Benefits Menu provides a definition and where appropriate details of the specific points attributed to each outcome and

should be considered when preparing tender documentation.