What Dart Controls does

Dart Controls is a privately held US manufacturer of variable speed motor drives, motor controls, and accessories for electric motors, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. The company designs and assembles its products in the United States and operates with 101-250 employees under ISO 9001 quality certification. Its product portfolio spans five functional categories: EZ VFD Variable Frequency AC Drives (1/4 HP to 2 HP in Gen II versions), DC Digital Drives (MD Series) and Analog SCR DC Drives, Brushless DC Drives (700 Series, 12-48 VDC up to 1000 W), Low Voltage PWM DC Controls (65E Series, 12-48 VDC, 10-60 A for battery-powered equipment), and support products including the PU Series Hall Effect encoders (indoor and outdoor NEMA 4 versions), DM8000 4-in-1 programmable tachometer, and DP4 digital potentiometer. Differentiated features include the trademarked Multi-Level Current Limit (MCL™) current protection and Anti-Coast Deceleration™ stopping control, with the EZ VFD® line carrying UL/CSA safety certification and RoHS/REACH/SVHC environmental compliance.

The business model is direct hardware sales to industrial and commercial OEMs and end-users, distributed through three channels: phone-based direct sales, a regional factory representative network, and a recently launched e-commerce storefront on dartcontrols.com supporting self-service ordering with same-day shipping. Dart serves eight identified vertical segments: food preparation and packaging, medical equipment, water and wastewater treatment, packaging and material handling, agriculture, metering pump control, distribution center (e-commerce fulfillment), and portable/AGV battery-powered equipment. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. No external funding rounds, acquisitions, parent companies, or management team bios were disclosed in the source material, indicating an independent, founder- or family-operated industrial niche manufacturer with no venture backing or recent ownership transitions on record.

Name

Dart Controls

Legal name

Dart Controls

Website

https://dartcontrols.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Dart Controls is a privately held, US-based manufacturer founded in 1963 that designs and assembles variable speed motor drives (AC VFDs, DC SCR, BLDC), encoders, tachometers, and digital potentiometers for industrial and commercial OEMs across eight verticals including food processing, medical, water treatment, packaging, agriculture, and portable battery-powered equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Motor Speed Controls

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Motors & Generators (3621), Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)

akta.pro primary industry

Motion Control Electronics & Controls (Controllers, Drivers, Feedback Interfaces) (IMAHAGAJ)

Keywords

• Variable frequency drives
• DC motor controls
• Brushless DC drives
• Motor speed controllers
• Digital potentiometers

Headquarters

HQ city

Zionsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Motor Control Hardware Sales: Dart Controls generates revenue through the sale of motor speed control hardware including AC drives, DC drives, BLDC drives, digital potentiometers, encoders, and tachometers. Products are sold directly to industrial and commercial customers with same-day shipping available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dart Controls designs and assembles variable speed motor drives and accessories for AC, DC, and brushless DC (BLDC) electric motors. The portfolio includes AC variable frequency drives (EZ VFD®), digital and analog SCR DC drives, BLDC drives, low-voltage PWM DC controls, digital potentiometers, encoders, and tachometers, sold with same-day shipping to industrial and commercial OEM customers.

Product overview

Dart Controls is a manufacturer of motor speed control products founded in 1963, designing and assembling products in the USA. The product portfolio centers on motor control hardware across five main categories: (1) EZ VFD Variable Frequency AC Drives for three-phase AC motors rated 1/4-2HP in Gen II versions; (2) DC Digital Drives (MD Series) and Analog SCR DC Drives for DC motor control with digital and analog options; (3) BLDC Drives (700 Series) for brushless DC motors at 12-48VDC input up to 1000W; (4) Low Voltage PWM DC Controls (65E Series) for 12-48VDC battery powered applications from 10A to 60A ratings; and (5) Support products including PU Series Encoders (Hall Effect incremental sensors for indoor/outdoor duty, 1-20 PPR), DM8000 4-in-1 Programmable Tachometer (combines tachometer, process meter, counter, zero speed switch), and DP4 Digital Potentiometer (for drive speed setting and multi-motor sync). The products serve industries including food preparation/packaging, medical equipment, water/wastewater treatment, packaging/material handling, agriculture, and portable equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EZ VFD®: Variable Frequency Drive product line for AC motor speed control, available in open chassis and NEMA 4X enclosed versions, rated up to 2HP. Gen II models now available.

Products and services

• EZ VFD® Variable Frequency AC Drive Variable frequency drive for AC motor speed control, available in open chassis (VF100C, VF200C) and NEMA 4X enclosed (VF100E, VF200E) versions, rated 1/4HP to 2HP for three-phase AC general purpose and inverter duty motors. Features MCL, Anti-Coast Deceleration, and flexible supply voltage (115/208/230VAC jumper selectable).
• DM8000 4-in-1 Programmable Tachometer Field programmable digital device combining tachometer, process meter, counter, and zero speed switch in one unit. Operates from 1 RPM to 30,000 input pulses per minute with accuracy of ±0.4%, in a 1/8 DIN housing with 1/2 inch LED display and universal 85-250VAC power supply. Available models include DM8000-1 (panel mount), DM8000-P (plug connector), and DM8000-R (dual relay alarm output).
• PU Series Encoder (PU-E Indoor and PU-R Outdoor) Hall Effect incremental encoder for motor speed monitoring with encapsulated sensor head, dust/dirt resistance, no-alignment design, 5-24VDC operation, NPN/sinking source output, and 1 to 20 PPR options (PU-2 through PU-40). Available in indoor (PU-E) and outdoor NEMA 4 (PU-R) ratings with 6 feet of UV resistant cable and drill-and-tap installation.
• 65E Low Voltage PWM DC Motor Control (10A/20A) Compact PWM motor speed control for 12-48VDC battery powered applications rated 10 or 20 amps continuous. Features smooth 18kHz switching, adjustable MAX/MIN speed, IR compensation, current limit, acceleration control, NEMA 4X enclosed models, energy-saving MOSFET design, ±1% speed regulation, inhibit input, and drive status LEDs.
• 65E Low Voltage PWM DC Motor Control (40A/60A) High-performance PWM battery control for 12, 24, and 36 volt battery powered equipment rated up to 2000W. Includes 65E40 (40A/480-1440W) and 65E60 (60A/720-2160W) models with adjustable current limit and thermal protection, low battery compensation, analog armature feedback, and speed potentiometer with leads. Designed for heavy-duty applications such as floor scrubbers, personnel carriers, AGVs, and agricultural sprayers.
• DC Digital Drives (MD Series) Digital DC motor speed controls with closed-loop accuracy, 4-20mA/serial communications, and programmable display. Includes MD10P, MD3P, and MD3E models for industrial DC motor applications.
• BLDC Drives (700 Series) Brushless DC motor speed controls available in chassis and enclosed configurations with open and closed loop operation. DC input from 12-48V, power up to 1000W. Models include 731BDC and 711ADC series for energy-efficient brushless motor applications.
• DP4 Digital Potentiometer Digital speed potentiometer with scalable display that works with any drive. Enables synchronization of multiple motors and provides digital accuracy without requiring an encoder, with digital display and adjustable scaling.
• Analog SCR DC Drives Traditional analog silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) DC motor speed controls for industrial DC motor applications.

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric's Altivar VFD family and Lexium motion controllers overlap with Dart's AC drive and motion control product lines, particularly in industrial automation OEMs.
• Baldor (ABB): Baldor (now part of ABB) is a broad incumbent offering industrial motors and matched variable-frequency drives across a much wider power range, competing with Dart at the low end and dominating the high end.
• Yaskawa America: Yaskawa is a broad incumbent and global leader in AC drives and motion control; its low-HP VFD offerings (e.g., V1000) directly overlap the EZ VFD product positioning.
• Eaton: Eaton offers industrial drives (DG1, PowerXL) and motor control components spanning much of Dart's portfolio but as part of a much broader electrical portfolio with global distribution.
• Danfoss Drives: Danfoss Drives is a broad incumbent in AC variable-frequency drives with the VLT and iC2 lines that compete with Dart's EZ VFD in low-horsepower industrial applications.

Emerging players

• AutomationDirect: AutomationDirect distributes low-cost VFDs (Durapulse, IronHorse) and motor speed controls via e-commerce, directly overlapping Dart's new online shopping-cart channel and sub-2HP product positioning.
• Oriental Motor: Oriental Motor offers brushless DC motors with integrated or matched drivers at sub-400W ratings, competing with Dart's BLDC 700 Series and 65E products in the fractional-to-low-HP segment.
• Allied Motion: Allied Motion provides integrated precision motor and drive solutions including BLDC and DC motor controls, competing in the same motion control electronics niche as Dart, especially in medical and industrial applications.

Direct peers

• KB Electronics: KB Electronics is a direct peer — a US-based, privately-held manufacturer of DC and AC motor speed controls in a similar sub-3HP power range, serving industrial OEM and aftermarket customers with comparable SCR and PWM drive products.
• Anaheim Automation: Anaheim Automation is a direct peer offering brushless DC motor controllers, stepper drives, and AC/DC motor speed controls at similar sub-2HP ratings, competing for the same SMB and OEM customer profile as Dart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dartcontrols

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dart Controls