ENIGMATEC: Efficient Netshape manufacturInG for reduced MAterials waste in production or ThermoElectric Coolers

95% of thermoelectric devices are manufactured in China, Russia or the Ukraine. Thermoelectric end users have experienced extreme supply chain issue over the last 3 years and are seeking a UK based manufacturing solution with inherently more resilient supply. Greater than 50% of the material is wasted in the manufacture of commercial devices today due to a slicing and dicing approach. ENIGMATEC directly addresses this to deliver an industrial scale net-shape sintering process that reduces material loses. The project also develops automated thermoelectric leg inspection and digital module design tools to enable UK manufacture to be globally competitive.

ENIGMATEC has the overall objectives to develop an industrial scale thermoelectric sintering process capable of sintering bismuth telluride materials to \> 99% theoretical density with complex leg shape capability.

The technology will transform the commercial prospects of IML and ETL, high tech SMEs enabling them to secure cumulative revenues of £52 million by 2030 and creating 55 highly skilled jobs.