ACE Controls International

What ACE Controls International does

ACE Controls International Inc. is a specialist manufacturer of industrial damping technology, founded in 1963 as the originator of the first adjustable industrial shock absorber. The company designs and produces a comprehensive portfolio organized into four pillars: Automation Control (miniature, industrial, and heavy industrial shock absorbers; profile dampers; damping pads), Motion Control (industrial gas springs, hydraulic dampers, door dampers, rotary dampers, hydraulic feed controls), Vibration Control (vibration-isolating pads, rubber-metal isolators, low-frequency pneumatic levelling mounts), and Safety Products (safety shock absorbers, crash dampers, clamping elements, viscoelastic shock absorbers). Its core differentiators are proprietary rolling diaphragm technology (hermetically sealed, up to 25 million cycles, direct installation in pressure chambers up to 7 bar), piston tube technology with membrane accumulator (up to three times standard energy absorption), and V4A stainless steel variants (1.4404/AISI 316L) qualified for food, medical, and pharmaceutical applications. The product line covers effective weight ranges from below 1 kg to over 4,500 kg.

The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Stabilus AG (FWB: STM), acquired in 2015 and integrated under the Stabilus4automation motion control initiative. ACE runs direct sales operations with engineering support in five countries — Germany (Langenfeld, European HQ), USA (Farmington Hills, MI), China (Suzhou), UK (Haydock, operating since 1972), and Japan (Yokohama) — serving markets across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific. The go-to-market combines enterprise direct sales with free sizing-and-selection services, online configurators, CAD downloads, and a web shop. Pricing is quote-based unit pricing; no public price list exists. Customers are OEMs and engineering buyers in mechanical engineering (primary), medical and pharmaceutical, food industry, shipbuilding, and factory automation.

Name

ACE Controls International

Legal name

ACE Controls International Inc.

Website

https://acecontrols.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACE Controls International, founded 1963 and now a subsidiary of Stabilus AG, manufactures industrial damping technology — shock absorbers, gas springs, hydraulic dampers, vibration isolators, and safety products — sold to OEMs in mechanical engineering, medical, food, shipbuilding, and factory automation across five direct country operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Damping and Motion Control Components

NAICS

Relay and Industrial Control Manufacturing (335314)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Brakes, Clutches & Couplings (Electromagnetic Brakes, Torque Limiters) (IMAGACAK)

Keywords

• Industrial shock absorbers
• Industrial gas springs
• Hydraulic dampers
• Vibration isolation mounts
• Automation control components

Headquarters

HQ city

Haydock

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

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. Industrial Shock Absorbers: Manufacture and sale of industrial shock absorbers including miniature, industrial, and heavy industrial categories for damping applications
2. Gas Springs: Industrial gas springs (push and pull type) for motion control applications
3. Hydraulic Dampers: Hydraulic dampers including rotary dampers, door dampers, and hydraulic feed controls
4. Vibration Control Products: Vibration-isolating pads, rubber-metal isolators, and pneumatic levelling mounts for vibration isolation
5. Safety Products: Safety shock absorbers, crash dampers, and clamping elements for safety-critical applications

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACE Controls International designs, manufactures and sells industrial damping technology products — shock absorbers (miniature, industrial and heavy industrial), industrial gas springs, hydraulic dampers, vibration isolation mounts, and safety products (safety shock absorbers, crash dampers, clamping elements). The portfolio covers effective weights from below 1 kg to over 4,500 kg and is sold globally to mechanical engineering, automation, medical/pharmaceutical, food processing and shipbuilding customers via direct sales, technical support and a web shop.

Product overview

ACE Controls International Inc. is a manufacturer of industrial damping technology products, founded in 1963. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio organized into four main product segments: Automation Control, Motion Control, Vibration Control, and Safety Products. The Automation Control segment includes Miniature Shock Absorbers (MC, SC, SC², MA, PMCN families ranging from MC5 to MC600 and V4A stainless steel variants), Industrial Shock Absorbers (MAGNUM MC33 to MC64 series with HT/LT variants), Heavy Industrial Shock Absorbers (CA and A series), Profile Dampers (TUBUS series), and Damping Pads (SLAB series). The Motion Control segment comprises Industrial Gas Springs in push and pull types (GS and GZ series), Hydraulic Dampers, Door Dampers, Hydraulic Feed Controls, and Rotary Dampers. The Vibration Control segment offers Vibration-Isolating Pads, Rubber-Metal Isolators (including levelling mounts, bell mounts, compression mounts, marine mounts, cone mounts, universal mounts, and bubble mounts), and Low Frequency Pneumatic Levelling Mounts. The Safety Products segment includes Safety Shock Absorbers (SCS, CB, EB, SDP, SDH series), Safety Dampers (TUBUS TC and Crash Dampers), Clamping Elements (LOCKED series), and Viscoelastic Shock Absorbers. The company also provides online sizing tools, calculation services, CAD drawings, and technical support as part of their service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACE: Primary brand identity for industrial damping technology products including shock absorbers, gas springs, hydraulic dampers, safety products, and vibration isolation solutions.

Products and services

• Miniature Shock Absorbers (MC5 to MC75) Self-compensating miniature shock absorbers with energy capacity from 0.68 Nm/Cycle to 9 Nm/Cycle and strokes from 4 mm to 10 mm. Used in mechanical engineering, medical technology, electro-technology and robotics for compact, efficient designs.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (MC150 to MC600) Self-compensating miniature shock absorbers with rolling diaphragm technology offering energy capacity of 20 Nm/Cycle to 136 Nm/Cycle and stroke of 12 mm to 25 mm. Suitable for up to 25 million cycles with hermetically sealed rolling diaphragm.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (MC150-V4A to MC600-V4A) — Stainless Steel High-performance miniature shock absorbers in stainless steel (1.4404, AISI 316L) based on the MC150 to MC600 family. Feature proven ACE rolling diaphragm technology for maximum service life and direct installation in pressure chambers up to 7 bar.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (PMCN150 to PMCN600) — Protection Series Self-compensating shock absorbers with TPU bellow protection encapsulating the rolling diaphragm from aggressive cutting, lubricating, and cleaning agents. Energy capacity 20 Nm/Cycle to 136 Nm/Cycle.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (PMCN150-V4A to PMCN600-V4A) — Stainless Steel Protection Stainless steel protection series with hermetically sealed TPU bellow. Suitable for food industry and applications where an elegant appearance is important.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (SC190 to SC925) — Soft Contact Self-compensating soft-contact miniature shock absorbers with long stroke and soft impact. Energy capacity 25 Nm/Cycle to 110 Nm/Cycle, stroke 16 mm to 40 mm. Designed for smooth deceleration and low reaction forces.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (SC²25 to SC²190) — Piston Tube Technology Soft-contact absorbers with piston tube technology combining diaphragm seal with extended effective weight ranges of 1 kg to 1,550 kg. Energy capacity 10 Nm/Cycle to 31 Nm/Cycle, stroke 8 mm to 12 mm.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (SC²300 to SC²650) — Accumulator Technology Large soft-contact models with up to three times the energy absorption compared to standard SC190 to SC925 units due to ACE piston tube specialty and membrane accumulator. Energy capacity 73 Nm/Cycle to 210 Nm/Cycle.
• Miniature Shock Absorbers (MA30 to MA900) — Adjustable Adjustable miniature shock absorbers with stepless adjustment capability for precise adaptation to requirements. Energy capacity 3.5 Nm/Cycle to 100 Nm/Cycle, stroke 8 mm to 40 mm.
• Industrial Shock Absorbers (MC33 to MC64) — MAGNUM Series Self-compensating industrial shock absorbers from the MAGNUM range featuring latest sealing technology, annealed guide bearing, and integrated positive stop. Evenly decelerate moving loads over full stroke for lowest braking force.
• Heavy Industrial Shock Absorbers (CA2 to CA4, A1 1/2 to A3) Heavy industrial shock absorbers rounding out the top of ACE's damping technology offerings. Include CA and A series for high-capacity industrial applications.
• Profile Dampers — TUBUS Series Profile dampers including TUBUS TA, TS, TR, TR-H, TR-L, and TR-HD series. Alternative when masses don't need to be decelerated to an exact point, featuring successful TUBUS design.
• Damping Pads — SLAB Series Damping pads from the SLAB series (SL-030-12 to SL-300-25) providing solutions to effectively slow down impact loads over large and small surfaces.
• Industrial Gas Springs — Push Type (GS Series) Industrial gas springs in push type configuration including GS-8 to GS-70, stainless steel variants (GS-8-V4A to GS-40-VA), tandem configuration (GST-40), and GSG gas springs.
• Industrial Gas Springs — Pull Type (GZ Series) Industrial gas springs in pull type configuration including GZ-15 to GZ-40 and stainless steel variants (GZ-19-V4A to GZ-40-VA).
• Hydraulic Dampers Hydraulic dampers including DVC-32, HBD-50 to HBD-85, HBS-28 to HBS-70, and HB-12 to HB-70 series for controlled motion damping.
• Door Dampers (TD, TDE Series) Door dampers including TDE-28 and TD-28 for controlled door closing in various applications.
• Hydraulic Feed Controls (VC25, MA, MVC Series) Hydraulic feed controls including VC25EUFT and FA, MA, MVC series for precise feed control in manufacturing applications.
• Rotary Dampers Rotary dampers including FRT-E2, FRT-G2, FRT-C2/FRN-C2, FRT-D2/FRN-D2, FRT-F2/K2/FRN-F2/K2, FFD, FDT, FDN, and FYN-P1 series for controlled rotational movement.
• Vibration-Isolating Pads (SLAB, CEL, PAD) Vibration-isolating pads including SLAB 170 to SLAB 275, CEL-200/300, and PAD series for insulation technology and vibration isolation.
• Rubber-Metal Isolators Rubber-metal isolators including Levelling Mounts (LEV), Soft Bell Mounts (CFBMS), Light Bell Mounts (CFAB), Hard Bell Mounts (CM-VSC, CFBMH), Compression Mounts (COM series), Marine Mounts (SFM, CCFQ), Cone Mounts (CN), Universal Mounts (UMO, CGM, CTC, T), and Bubble Mounts (BM).
• Low Frequency Pneumatic Levelling Mounts (PLM, PAL Series) Low frequency pneumatic levelling mounts including PLM and PAL series (PAL-3 to PAL-1000) for precision levelling and vibration isolation.
• Safety Shock Absorbers Safety shock absorbers including SCS33 to SCS64, SCS38 to SCS63, CB63 to CB160, EB63 to EB160, SDP63 to SDP160, and SDH38 to SDH63 series for safely slowing down damaging forces from moving loads or emergency braking.
• Safety Dampers — TUBUS TC and Crash Dampers Safety dampers including TUBUS TC and TC-S series plus Crash Dampers CD 20 to CD 88 for crash and safety applications.
• Clamping Elements — LOCKED Series Clamping elements including LOCKED PL, PLK, SL, SLK, LZ-P, PN, PRK, and R/R-Z series for secure clamping in industrial applications.
• Viscoelastic Shock Absorbers (VS Series) Viscoelastic shock absorbers including VS-BA1-FC/FA, VS-BA5-FC/FA, VS-BXLR-FC/FA, and VS-BALR-FC series for specialized damping applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25 million cycles service life with rolling diaphragm technology
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• StabiluscoreTechnology or IntegrationStabilus is the parent company/partner for ACE Controls. The partnership includes Stabilus4automation motion control solutions, with ACE operating as part of the Stabilus group. The companies share distribution channels and technology development, particularly in gas springs and industrial damping solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Parker Hannifin: Parker Hannifin is a diversified motion and control technologies giant whose industrial motion and pneumatic divisions overlap with ACE's gas spring, hydraulic damper, and vibration isolation products across global factory automation markets.
• SMC Corporation: SMC is a global leader in pneumatic and automation components. Its shock absorber, cushion, and motion control products compete with ACE in factory automation, particularly in end-position damping for pneumatic cylinders.
• Bosch Rexroth: Bosch Rexroth is a large industrial automation and motion control supplier with shock absorber, linear motion, and assembly technology offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent selling damping products into factory automation alongside ACE.
• Stabilus AG: Stabilus AG is ACE's publicly listed parent company (FWB: STM) and the global leader in gas springs and hydraulic dampers. Comparable as a broader motion control incumbent; ACE operates as a core subsidiary within the Stabilus group.
• Moog Inc. Moog is a broad motion control incumbent offering industrial shock absorbers, vibration control, electromechanical actuators, and servo systems. Comparable as a wider-portfolio competitor to ACE in industrial damping and motion control.

Direct peers

• Weforma: Weforma is a German-based manufacturer of industrial shock absorbers and damping technology, competing directly with ACE across miniature, heavy industrial, and polyurethane-based damping products sold to machine builders and OEMs.
• Enidine (ITT Inc.): Enidine is one of the most direct competitors to ACE in industrial shock absorbers, rate controls, and vibration isolation products for automation, material handling, and heavy machinery. Both firms compete head-to-head in miniature and heavy industrial damping categories.
• Kinetrol: Kinetrol manufactures pneumatic rotary vane actuators, hydraulic dampers, and motion control products overlapping with ACE's hydraulic damper and rotary damper lines, especially in industrial automation and process control applications.
• Elesa+Ganter: Elesa+Ganter is a standard machine elements supplier with hydraulic shock absorbers, vibration mounts, levelling feet, and dampers in its catalog, competing with ACE in industrial mechanical engineering applications globally.
• Zimmer Group: Zimmer Group manufactures grippers, industrial shock absorbers, clamping elements, and damping technology for automation. Its product portfolio closely overlaps with ACE's safety shock absorbers, clamping elements, and motion control lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

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 ACE Controls International