Public procurement notice: Prior Information Notice Without Call For Competition
Published: 2016-06-14
Buyer: The National Gallery
Country: UK
Region: Inner London
Contract type: Supplies
CPV classification: 33111400 | 38580000 | 48000000
Award criteria: The most economic tender

Technical requirements: The National Gallery will be seeking to procure a macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) scanning system for in-situ, non-invasive analysis and imaging of Old Master paintings, to advance their interdisciplinary scientific and art historical research.
The equipment will include a scanning/positioning system, a high efficiency X-ray source producing sub millimetre spot sizes and a high sensitivity X-ray detector capable together of generating elemental maps with a spatial (lateral) resolution in the c.100-500 micron range using dwell times in the millisecond range, based on the acquisition of high quality spectral data. The elemental range of interest is Na to U. The equipment will produce scans at different spatial (lateral) resolutions and allow fast measurement (at a sub-millimetre resolution) of paintings up to several square metres in size e.g. within a working day or overnight.
To express an interest or ask for further details contact Catherine.Higgitt@ng-london.org.uk or via Delta.
Scanning/positioning system, high efficiency X-ray source producing sub millimetre spot sizes and high sensitivity X-ray detector generating elemental maps with spatial resolution 100-500 micron range (dwell times in millisecond range) to acquire high quality spectral data
Electronics, cables, peripherals, alignment, control and data acquisition systems and software, data evaluation and post-processing software;
Must ensure safety of both user and examined paintings; compliant with UK statutory regulations for X-ray equipment e.g. Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999;
User-friendly — rapid and easy data acquisition, intuitive and powerful software, for optimisation of data processing.
Usability of scanner, acquisition and post-processing software (including accessibility of raw data) plus flexibility of design and ability to adjust a range of acquisition parameters important.
(i)X-ray source and detector are mounted on an XY(Z) motorised positioning system (allowing the X-ray beam to be scanned over the painting) or
(ii)the painting is moved while the X-ray beam is static. In the latter case the supplier would be expected to offer solutions for integration of the XRF equipment with the Gallery's existing computer-controlled micro-positioning easel (SmartDrive SatScan).
For either option, the full equipment requirement also includes all electronics, cables and other peripherals, associated alignment, control and data acquisition systems and software, as well as data evaluation and post-processing software.
The system must be designed to ensure the safety of both the paintings being examined and the user and must be compliant with UK statutory regulations for X-ray equipment and capable of being operated in accordance with The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999.
The large contract value range noted below reflects the existence of the 2 design options for the MA-XRF scanning system.
https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-London:-Non-medical-equipment-based-on-the-use-of-radiation./E8UM3A9WCJ