Ashley isn't making a grab at anything. His artwork has always had an erotic tilt to it and has always been as heavy on the sexy ladies as it is on robots. One of the earliest figures he wanted to make and is only just making now is Lasstronaut, a chick in a spacesuit top with no pants. The toys are just an extension of that. Not for everyone no doubt but it's a core of what he's into from an art standpoint and by no means anything new from him.
He states it all the time, ThreeA isn't going after mainstream customers. If you take him at his word (which I choose to do) he just keeps making the stuff he wants himself.
I suspect the reason we see iterative runs of certain figures is that he does one, likes the way it came out and it inspires him to do variations on it. Not unlike how many artists will do a series of paintings all in a similar stye and subject.
As far as I'm concerned that sector of Ash's artwork is little different from the 'art' doodled in public toilets, in quality or inspiration.. there is nothing 'erotic' about them whatsoever.
ThreeA's robot work is excellent.. the tediously obvious, pron queens should be marketed under a different label.. since they are clearly aimed at a different customer base.