About
The Peto Group drives innovation in the key area of power efficiency. Comprising a number of small start-ups and established companies The Peto Group is an environment that engenders entrepreneurship, technological inspiration, and business skills.
The theme that flows throughout is efficiency – in deployment of resources in the business, and in technology reducing usage of energy or in increased product durability. In a world where demand for energy increases while resources from which power is traditionally generated diminish and the side effects of energy production will affect future generations, we feel it is the responsibility of our generation to utilise knowledge and technology to ensure that electricity is used more efficiently and less energy is wasted. The Peto Group believes that the application of game-changing technology in the field of power efficiency will make dramatic inroads into energy-saving worldwide, reducing carbon emissions and contributing to world-wide efforts to stabilise the effects of global warming.
Worldwide approximately 40% of generated electricity is used to power electric motors – whether in domestic appliances and systems or on an industrial scale, and in our homes around one third of our electricity is consumed by our gadgets and entertainment systems, double the amount used for lighting! This dynamic is in constant flux, and the projected surge in electric vehicles will increase demand for power, which must be met with the most efficient use of electric motors yet.
Companies
The Peto Group companies are involved in specific areas of design, development and production of technology that contribute to efficiency of energy usage, as well as efficiency of production and sales. The group operates a flexible intra-company approach to growth, enabling its cash-generating subsidiaries to fund its technological development divisions. This approach nurtures a sense of ownership and commitment across the staff, inspired by the vision that they are making a real difference to dealing with the planet’s future energy and economic challenges.
The Peto Group’s board of directors are all technologists and engineers by training and experience; they are all practical thinkers, and they have all set up and run successful businesses. They have come together with a shared passion to build a business structure that makes great ideas real, enables hi-tech businesses to be formed and grown, and supports upcoming engineers and entrepreneurs.
The Peto Group’s flexibility means that it will take advantage of different business models that suit each division, and ultimately acquire, sell-off and found new subsidiaries as technology reaches key value milestones.
RTC Systems has developed a new power conversion topology aimed at improving efficiency in electric motors and power supplies.
With around 45% of all electricity generated world-wide turning electric motors, and the unprecedented rate of development of electric vehicles, increasing efficiency of electric motors and their control systems will have a significant effect. Not only will electric vehicles benefit from increased range and performance per charge cycle, but installed electric motors in industrial and domestic applications will consume less power saving their owners money. And the knock-on effect should be a reduction in demand for electricity generated by burning fossil fuels, with a positive effect on our environment and ecosystems.
RTC Systems is initially targeting induction and permanent magnet motors utilised in industrial and automotive applications. Its HERC~ motor controller, manufactured initially in the United Kingdom, improves the end-to-end efficiency of a system including power supply, power control electronics as well as reducing system size and cost due to its minimal heat dissipation. This is achieved by delivering sine wave output of exactly the voltage and phase to meet the motor’s demands, which is both ‘motor-friendly’ and ‘power supply-friendly’. Systems have been developed for induction, permanent magnet and switch reluctance motor types.
RTC has several families of patents granted world-wide protecting its developments, with further patents in process. The HERC~ topology will next be targeted at power supplies and power converters. Within The Peto Group, RTC is funded to complete initial development and first stage commercial deployment. 2017 will see demonstrators being shipped to key customers, and generic and customer-specific variants of HERC~ are currently being developed for mass production.
Index Marine is a successful and profitable UK-based manufacturer of electrical fittings for use in harsh-environment applications. Its brand is well-established as a market leader in the marine market, and is now expanding into energy and infrastructure installation markets.
Proof against water and dust ingress is vitally important in ships, boats, leisure vehicles, buildings and many other applications, and Index Marine offers a wide range of IP-68 rated sealed glands, connectors, junction boxes and other fittings specifically for the purpose of keeping water out. With customers including shipbuilders, super-yacht and working boat manufacturers, solar panel fitters and installers of security and lighting systems, Index Marine products are keeping electrics dry around the world every day.
Recent expansion into control and alarm panels has opened up new markets for Index Marine. It’s water and fluid sensors, alarms and pump controllers are a vital safety measure in boats, as well as an important aid in flood-prone areas, such as cities with underground infrastructure like tunnels and metro systems, where entire networks can be monitored remotely.
Utilising The Peto Group’s centralised design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, Index Marine has ambitious growth plans, with a range of innovative new products targeting new global markets.
Anomaly Engineering provides customer-specific product design and manufacturing services. It’s developments include safety lighting systems that are installed in a large number of military and commercial vehicles, and home environment management systems currently deployed in many thousands of homes in the UK. Utilising The Peto Group’s efficient centralised design, engineering and UK-based production facilities, Anomaly Engineering products are cost-effective while enabling the company to remain profitable and invest in its own new product concepts.
Anomaly Engineering is where The Peto Group’s early stage research into new technologies for new markets takes place prior to the technology being commercially deployed. Among its current programmes is a new Power-over-Ethernet topology that enables DC power, data and control signals to be delivered via an installed Cat5 or 6 network in home and office applications. This technology will bring together the benefits of efficient and failsafe power distribution to network-attached products, and the Internet of Things, enabling building/user interaction.
Directors
Raymond Peto
CEO and Technical Director
Raymond has been immersed in electronics starting at the tender age of 4 with a big box of plugs, sockets and adaptors used by his child minder to keep him quiet! He was one of the first to gain an Honours Degree in Electronics at the then recently formed Brunel University, during which time he also completed an apprenticeship at Marconi.
Mike Cooper
Director of Operations
Mike has a wealth of electronic and mechanical engineering experience. His early career was with Rank Bush Murphy as an electronics engineer and production engineer, from where Mike went on to become a pioneer in introducing ‘job enrichment’ techniques to production systems. A complete career change then beckoned with 13 years in the Police force with extensive experience in CID and Firearms.
Nevelle Marchent
Director of Finance
Nevelle is an engineer by training, and moved into business leadership becoming Development Director of automotive tech company Crypton Technology, where in 1998 he led a successful MBO. As new Managing Director and major shareholder he grew the business – organically and acquisitively – before a successful trade-sale exit in 2007.
Chris Fearnley
Director of Engineering
Chris has worked in the electrical and electronic field for the last 6 years and has worked closely with Raymond Peto to develop his knowledge of a range of aspects of the engineering sector, as well as gaining experience in managing start-up businesses. He studied at Southampton University and gained his BSc (Hons).
James Lewis
Director of Sales and Marketing
James brings a mix of technology and commercial leadership to hi-tech start-ups. Graduating with a BSc(Eng) in Electronic Engineering from the University of London, he started his career designing telemetry systems for an aerospace company, before moving into technical support for a major semiconductor supplier at the time of some of the most rapid advancements in chip technology.
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