Service Contract for XPLORA Raman Confocal Microscope

The purpose of this requirement is to acquire a multi-year service contract for the Office of Laboratory Operations and Applied Science (OLOAS), Office of Microbiology and Technology (OAMT), Division of Food Processing Science and Technology (DFPST)’s XPLORA (Horiba) confocal Raman microscope with enhanced darkfield / hyperspectral imaging accessory.

DFPST currently possesses a state-of-the-art Horiba XPLORA confocal Raman imaging system with enhanced darkfield / hyperspectral imaging accessory. This instrument is used to support a range of food packaging, sensing, and chemistry projects at DFPST. The device was procured in FY2020, serial number 1429 and there is no current maintenance contract.

To ensure that data acquired with this instrument are accurate and reliable, the Raman imaging system needs yearly professional calibration / alignment in accordance with manufacturer specifications and potential unscheduled maintenance. Calibration and alignment ensure that the Raman system has maximum sensitivity and that measured geometrical parameters (object size and inter-object distance, etc.) are accurate in accordance with manufacturer specifications. Additionally, the instrument may malfunction, necessitating emergency repair. Ensuring that project milestones are completed in a timely manner requires that instrument downtime associated with addressing malfunctions be minimized.

For these reasons, DFPST requests a yearly service contract that includes a yearly preventative maintenance visit or emergency service, as well as remote support for more routine (hardware or software) malfunctions.