Enable Manufacturing has been awarded funding as part of the 5th wave of the Technology Developer Accelerator Programme
Enable Manufacturing is one amongst 11 small to medium size enterprises (SME) that have been awarded a combined total of up to £1.48 million investment, to help develop the ‘next big thing’ in zero-emission tailpipe technology for cars, buses and heavy-duty vehicles.
The funding is provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and is being made available under the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP).
Under this program, each company will receive up to £135,000 to help take their concept a step closer to being used by the automotive industry and helping drive the UK towards a net-zero emissions future.
Enable uses a new technology called Additive Casting for the manufacture of metal parts. The process uses moulds made via additive manufacturing to cast high-quality production parts from over 130 different metals, including magnesium. This novel method eliminates the need for expensive tooling and allows manufacturing business to re-shore productions to the UK, leading to a reduction of CO2 emissions and enabling manufacturing business to innovate quicker, reduce inventory and implement a digital supply chain approach for metal parts.
Additive Casting has proven to be particularly suitable for the automotive industry, as it offers a new design freedom for engineers to design better, lighter and more cost competitive metal components – large or small – by enabling part optimisation, light weighing of parts and eliminating costly and inflexible tooling.
Head of SME Programmes at the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Josh Denne said: “We are delighted to be working with Enable Manufacturing as part of our Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP). The past 12 months have been difficult for the automotive sector, with COVID-19 and shortages of some key materials, it’s been challenging for all parts of the supply chain, not least those small to medium enterprises trying to turn their green automotive innovation into a commercially viable product.
“The technology developed by companies like Enable Manufacturing could play a crucial role in the automotive industry’s net-zero carbon future. We are excited to support them on their journey of ensuring their innovative technology becomes commercially viable.”
Josh Denne, Head of SME Programmes at the Advanced Propulsion Centre
However, the TDAP is not just about funding the technology development. APC are keen to ensure that these ideas turn into a commercial success as Josh goes on to explain: “The winners of this competition demonstrated that their technology enables the shift towards net-zero emissions vehicles, but our aim is to provide successful applicants with a systematic, phased approach to building their businesses – a 360-degree programme of support to help great ideas flourish in a commercial space.
Being part of this programme is a great opportunity for Enable Manufacturing and will be crucial in further developing the Additive Casting technology for the automotive sector in its quest to zero-emission manufacturing.
“We are delighted that the Advanced Propulsion Centre has made this grant available to support the further development of our Additive Casting process. Having support from the APC is a great testament to the potential of Additive Casting and will help us and our customers to reduce weight, add performance and reduce costs for many critical drivetrain components.”
Phil Kilburn, Sales Director at Enable
About Enable Manufacturing
Enable is bringing a new, innovative manufacturing process to life – Additive Casting. The process uses moulds made via additive manufacturing to cast high-quality production parts from over 130 different metals. It bridges the gap between traditional casting and state-of-the-art manufacturing, offering the volume benefits of casting while increasing possible complexity, cutting lead times and eliminating the need for expensive tooling.
For more information, please contact our office at +44 (0) 3333 05 09 04 or office@enable.parts.
About the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC)
The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) collaborates with UK government, the automotive industry and academia to accelerate the industrialisation of technologies, supporting the transition to deliver net-zero emission vehicles.
Since its foundation in 2013, APC has funded 150 low-carbon projects involving 375 partners, working with companies of all sizes, and has helped to create or safeguard over 50,000 jobs in the UK. The technologies developed in these projects are projected to save over 260 million tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of removing the lifetime emissions from 10.2 million cars.
With its deep sector expertise and cutting-edge knowledge of new propulsion technologies, APC’s role in building and advising project consortia helps projects start more quickly and deliver increased value. In the longer term, its work to drive innovation and encourage collaboration is building the foundations for a successful and sustainable UK automotive industry.
In 2019 the UK government committed the Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) to accelerate the development of a net-zero vehicle supply chain, enabling UK-based manufacturers to serve global markets. ATF investments are awarded through the APC to support strategically important UK capital and R&D investments that will enable companies involved in batteries, motors and drives, power electronics, fuel cells, recycling, and associated supply chains to anchor their future.
For more information go to apcuk.co.uk or follow us @theapcuk on Twitter and Advanced Propulsion Centre UK on LinkedIn.
