
Case Studies
Welcome to our Case Studies section.
Dorothea Restorations
The leading UK specialist in Architectural Metalwork Restoration
CONTEXT
SDS have been working with Dorothea Restorations since 2019.
Dorothea Restorations had a requirement for SDS to replace the main drive system in a mill they were working on. As a result, SDS provided a Parker AC10 IP66 Version (water proof) due to the nature and environment of what the drive was needed for.
To support the new drive, we further supplied a new motor and a gear box.
SOLUTIONS
We took a standard AC10 and customised it to include local operator controls so to prevent unauthorised operation.
The build took place in SDS’s site workshop, where our team wrote all the programs, fully tuning it before it was collected and taken to the mill site.
Items used:
Parker AC 10 IP66
AC Vector motor
CHALLENGES
- Calculating the speed range for the Mill (gear box ratio).
- Custom building the AC 10 to meet their criteria.
BENEFITS
Benefit One
The system is now fully working which is fully controllable from0 to maximum speed (which they didn’t have before).
Benefit Two
They have a fully restored mill, so their project was fulfilled.

“We approached SDS drives to solve a tricky and technically challenging problem that we were presented with by our Client. We needed to power a traditional set of millstones to enable flour production but sitting all the equipment in a small and difficult space. Following discussions SDS Drives came up with control units and motors that worked in the environment and space required and even enabled us to control and read the output speed of the millstones which is invaluable for those operating them. We would certainly use their services again as they have proved themselves to be a professional and competent company.”
John Wallis. I.Eng MIMechE
Managing Director