Here’s an excerpt from an article on PES Performance that you can find in the latest BQ Magazine.
Still living life in the fast-lane
After a career measured in bomb disposals and bob skeleton racing, Mike Maddock’s path crossed that of long-serving F1 engineer Dan Fleetcroft. They conspired to create and grow a business which, they tell Andrew Mernin, is now just as relentlessly exciting as their previous undertakings.
Their business, Performance Engineered Solutions (PES) Ltd, does exactly as its name suggests – engineer ways to boost performance, as well as solve problems.
And its fingerprints can be found in a seemingly endless list of sectors. Bike parts for Team GB, the development of the longest driver in golfing history and decoy systems for fighter jets are just a fraction of the projects on PES’s plate currently.
Then there’s the Porsche across the pond. “We’ve got a client in New York who over the last 10 years has been working with engineering firms to light-weight his Porsche,” says Dan. “It’s a bit of an odyssey. We’ve managed to take over 600 kg out of it and I reckon he’s spent more than US$4m.
“Nearly everything on the car has been light-weighted, with changes made through new manufacturing techniques and material selection, including the extensive use of composites. Some parts have been remade again as technology has evolved over the last decade. His aim is to explore advanced engineering techniques and how and where they can be applied to deliver performance gains. He’s just a very wealthy individual, who’s very well connected in the US. We can’t say any more than that.”
The company now has a handful of staff, including another ex-F1 engineer, and expects to grow this to 10 in the coming months, with several major contracts likely to land.
Eventually the company hopes to turn some of its creations, perhaps including a carbon road bike, into products that it will sell under its own brand or in collaboration. Its global client base covers organisations working in aerospace, defence, elite and motor sports, energy, marine, medical and manufacturing industries.
Recent projects include the new Ribble 883 Aero bike, which was designed, modelled and tested in conjunction with PES through hours of advanced computer simulations to produce the frame’s varying aerodynamic profiles. PES was also involved in defining the composites specification for the bike.
It also worked on the composite and aerodynamics design of the DR-Moto GP Track Bike – a MotoGP eligible specification bike built to give the enthusiast rider access to Grand Prix level technology and performance. PES is also assisting the restoration of a 100-year-old rollercoaster through reverse engineering techniques. And several supercars of various badges are also lined up for clever modifications by the firm.
Read the full article online here (Page 50 onwards).
