What Ashe Controls Ltd. does

Ashe Controls Ltd., trading as ASHE Converting Equipment, is a UK-based, family-owned manufacturer of slitting and rewinding machinery for the global converting industry. Founded in 1976 and headquartered in Ipswich with a wholly-owned US subsidiary (ASHE America Inc, Brattleboro, Vermont) and a sales/service presence in China, the company produces capital equipment that processes paper, foil, plastics, nonwovens, and pressure-sensitive laminates into finished rolls. Its product range spans widths from 300mm to 8,700mm and covers wide-web slitter rewinders (Sapphire, Diamond, Onyx, Jade, Emerald series) and narrow-web machines (Opal, Solitaire series), all of which are designed hydraulic-free, making them suitable for clean-critical medical, pharmaceutical, and food-grade applications.

The company's underlying technology is largely proprietary: in-house developed web tension control systems, DC drives, AC inverters, servo drives, and PLC/software stacks, with approximately 80% of machine parts manufactured in-house at the UK plant. Patented innovations include a glueless turret rewinder cinch mechanism, a shaft support system for labelstock/paper machines, and a die station design for label converting lines. ASHE sells primarily through direct enterprise field sales supported by a global agent network (e.g., Grupo Impryma in Spain), targeting flexible film manufacturers, flexible packaging converters, pressure-sensitive laminate producers, self-adhesive label producers, and paper converters. Revenue is generated mainly through one-time capital equipment sales of standard or bespoke machinery, complemented by aftermarket spare parts and service. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

The business is privately held by the founding family with no external institutional or private equity ownership, no disclosed funding rounds, and no public revenue disclosure. The company employs roughly 75 personnel across the UK and USA, including in-house mechanical and software/electrical engineers using 3D CAD systems, and continues active product development evidenced by 2025 launches of the Sapphire S3 duplex slitter rewinder and the Opal Series Automated Label Converting Line.

Name

Ashe Controls Ltd.

Legal name

ASHE Controls Limited

Website

https://ashe.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ashe Controls Ltd. (ASHE Converting Equipment) is a UK family-owned manufacturer founded in 1976 that designs and builds slitting and rewinding machinery for paper, film, foil, nonwovens, and labelstock producers worldwide, selling through direct enterprise sales and a global agent network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Converting Machinery (Slitting and Rewinding Equipment)

akta.pro primary industry

Flexible Packaging Converting & Finishing (Slitting, Rewinding, Coating, Embossing) (IMALABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Finishing, Converting & Die-Cutting Services (IMALAKAN)

Keywords

• Slitting machines
• Slitter rewinders
• Converting equipment
• Web tension control
• Film converting machinery

Headquarters

HQ city

Ipswich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Slitter Rewinder Machines: Sale of standard and custom-built slitting and rewinding machinery including wide-web and narrow-web machines, duplex slitter rewinders, turret slitter rewinders, label inspection machines, and converting lines.
2. Custom/Bespoke Machinery: Custom-designed and engineered machinery solutions tailored to specific customer requirements, both mechanically and electrically including all software.
3. Aftermarket Services: After-sales support, training, spare parts, and technical support services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ASHE Converting Equipment designs, manufactures, and sells precision slitting machines and slitter rewinders used to convert paper, foil, plastics, nonwovens, flexible films, and labelstock into finished rolls. The product range spans widths from 300 mm to 8,700 mm and includes wide-web (Sapphire, Diamond, Onyx, Jade, Emerald) and narrow-web (Opal, Solitaire) families, plus custom-engineered machines, with 100% hydraulic-free designs suitable for cleanroom applications in medical, pharmaceutical, and food-grade packaging.

Product overview

ASHE Converting Equipment is an independent UK manufacturer of premium quality slitting machinery and slitter rewinders for the global film, paper, and allied web industries. The company offers two main product families: Wide-Web slitter rewinders (Sapphire S2, Sapphire S2T, Diamond, Diamond T, Onyx, Jade series for secondary/primary films, labelstock/paper, Emerald doctor rewinder) and Narrow-Web slitter rewinders (Opal series for label inspection/turret/converters, Solitaire duplex). All machines are hydraulic-free, making them ideal for cleanroom and medical applications. The product range spans widths from 300mm to 8700mm, with options including duplex, turret, and custom configurations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sapphire Series: World-renowned duplex and turret slitter rewinders known for versatility and speed, available in S2 and S2T models.
• Diamond Series
• Solitaire Series
• Onyx Series
• Jade Series
• Emerald Series
• Opal Series

Products and services

• Sapphire S2 Duplex Slitter Rewinder World-renowned versatile and high-speed wide-web duplex slitter rewinder available in three rewind diameter configurations (600mm, 800mm, and 1000mm), built for industrial converters of films, papers, and laminates.
• Sapphire S2T Duplex Turret Slitter Rewinder Wide-web duplex turret slitter rewinder with automatic turreting technology offering cycle times as low as 15 seconds for maximum productivity and minimum downtime in film, paper, and laminate converting.
• Sapphire S3 Duplex Slitter Rewinder Latest-generation 1650mm wide Sapphire S3 duplex slitter rewinder displayed at K 2025 for industrial film and packaging converters.
• Diamond Duplex Slitter Rewinder Cost-effective wide-web duplex slitter rewinder based on the Sapphire range, delivering performance for industrial converters with a fixed-budget focus.
• Diamond T Duplex Turret Slitter Rewinder Compact, highly efficient wide-web duplex turret slitter rewinder designed with a turreting rewind section based on Diamond duplex principles.
• Onyx Duplex Slitter Rewinder Low-cost, easy-to-use wide-web duplex slitter rewinder ideal for flexible packaging products and start-up converters.
• Jade Secondary Slitter Rewinder Wide-web secondary slitter rewinder designed to improve winding quality of all films at high speeds with greater flexibility on machine setup, covering widths up to 138 inches.
• Jade Primary Film Slitter Rewinder Wide-web primary film slitter rewinder for plastic films up to 343 inches wide with maximum operating speeds up to 1,200 m/min.
• Jade Labelstock/Paper Slitter Rewinder Wide-web slitter rewinder for paper and labelstock producers with centre surface capabilities and linear tracking system, incorporating ASHE's patented shaft support system.
• Emerald Rewinding/Doctoring Machine Wide-web doctor rewinder (salvage rewinder) designed to minimize waste by transforming badly wound rolls into perfect grade-A rolls at speeds up to 800 m/min.
• Custom Wide-Web Slitting Machines Bespoke wide-web slitting and converting machines designed by the ASHE engineering team for specific customer requirements, including mechanical, electrical, and software customization.
• Wide-Web Core Cutters Wide-web core cutting machinery designed to cut cardboard, plastic, and composite cores from various lengths, diameters, and wall thicknesses.
• Opal ISR Label Inspection Slitter Rewinder Best-choice narrow-web modular label inspection slitter rewinder offering full integration with 100% inspection systems via extended web paths, optimized for inspection, speed, and high production.
• Opal Standard Label Inspection Slitter Rewinder Original ASHE narrow-web label inspection, slitting, and rewinder configurable in many different ways for quick setup in self-adhesive label production.
• Opal EC Label Inspection Slitter Rewinder Low-cost entry-level narrow-web label inspection slitter rewinder using the latest AC brushless motors and advanced PLC control for self-adhesive label inspection and rewinding.
• Opal Turret Rewinder (Inline & Offline) Fully automated four-spindle narrow-web glueless turret rewinder with automatic core loading via chute system and ASHE's patented cinch mechanism for starting on new cores at speeds up to 150 m/min without glue or tape.
• Opal Label Converters & Converting Lines Narrow-web label converters and converting lines with full AC servo motor control for high-speed full rotary die cut supported products, servo-controlled re-registration system achieving +/-0.1mm tolerances, and ASHE's patented die station design.
• Opal Series ALCL (Automated Label Converting Line) Automated narrow-web Label Converting Line (ALCL) within the Opal Series, shown fully operational for the first time at Labelexpo 2025 and designed for self-adhesive label producers seeking fully integrated automated label finishing.
• Solitaire Duplex Slitter Rewinder Narrow-web duplex slitter rewinder designed for a wide range of products from films to papers, laminates, and aluminium foils, using a vacuum roller for tension isolation and ASHE differential winding shafts requiring no lubrication.
• Narrow-Web Core Cutters Narrow-web core cutting machinery for cutting cardboard, plastic, and composite cores from various lengths, diameters, and wall thicknesses.
• Custom Narrow-Web Slitting Machines Bespoke narrow-web slitting machines engineered to meet specific customer requirements, tailored in mechanical, electrical, and software configuration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cycle times as low as 15 seconds on Sapphire S2T turret slitter rewinder
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grupo ImprymacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSales agent for ASHE in Spain. Located at Parque Empresarial Granland, Badalona, Barcelona.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Euromac Costruzioni Meccaniche (Euromac): Italian manufacturer of slitter rewinders and converting machinery for flexible films and packaging. Smaller specialist competing with ASHE primarily in the European film and packaging converting segment.

Direct peers

• Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik: German manufacturer of slitting and winding machines for films, paper, aluminium foils, and laminates. Direct competitor in wide-web slitter rewinders, with a broad installed base across flexible packaging and industrial film converters worldwide.
• SOMA Engineering: Czech-based manufacturer of slitter rewinders and laminators for flexible packaging and film converting. Direct peer in wide-web slitter rewinders with similar customer base in BOPP, BOPET, CPP, and multilayer film producers.
• Pasaban: Spanish manufacturer of slitting and rewinding machines for paper, film, and foil, with strong presence in Europe. Direct competitor particularly relevant in the labelstock, paper, and narrow-web segments where ASHE's Solitaire and Opal lines operate.
• Parkland International: Manufacturer of narrow-web slitter rewinders and inspection machines for the self-adhesive label industry. Direct peer to ASHE's Opal narrow-web label inspection slitter rewinders and turret rewinders.
• New Era Converting Machinery: US manufacturer of custom and standard slitting, rewinding, and converting equipment serving flexible packaging, film, paper, and nonwovens. Direct competitor to ASHE in the North American market with overlapping product categories.
• Atlas Converting Equipment (Titan slitter rewinders): UK-based manufacturer of Titan and Odyssey range slitting and rewinding machinery for film, paper, foil, and nonwovens. Directly competes with ASHE across wide-web slitter rewinders, with overlapping global converter and film-producer customer base.
• GOEBEL IMS (IMS Technologies - Goebel): Manufacturer of high-end slitter rewinders and roll-to-roll converting machinery for films, paper, and specialty substrates. Direct peer in the wide-web and film primary slitting segments where ASHE's Jade and Sapphire lines also compete.

Broad incumbents

• Comexi Group: Spanish group offering a broader portfolio of flexographic presses, laminators, slitters, and converting solutions for flexible packaging. Overlaps with ASHE in slitter rewinders but competes as a full-line supplier to packaging converters rather than a slitter specialist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asheconverting_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Ashe Controls Ltd.