Instead of 1 tenemut ore per craft, each tier could require the higher item from research. Ore and plates could use ore, next needs scoops, next needs the transducer, and then conduit. The tenemut required could might also instead be scaled by 2-power from the replicator it came from, so if it's the base machine, 2^0 = 1, but if you need the highest machine, you need at least 16 for those recipes.

If it is possible, the tenemut use could be tied to a "fuel" value, and each recipe or even machine requires a certain amount (faster machines consume more tenemut, but produce faster). Tying fuel consumption to recipe indirectly would mean longer times take more matter, which is already mostly proportional to ingredients, and also open up processing the tenemut into other products that are more "fuel"-efficient.

I'm asking on the mod forums, to see if an electrical requirement and fuel requirement can be separated. I have a little programming background, so I'm mostly throwing out ideas here than making requests. I can play with things myself before bringing them up further.