Adam Cromarty worked as an electrical engineer at the ERA Foundation Ltd (also known as the British Electrical and Allied Industries Research Association). Cromarty specialised in rural electrification, and was based at Shinfield, Reading. Following his work at the ERA, he worked for the University of Reading. His research led to the invention of a dairy heat pump, or Dairy Exchanger Unit, used to turn the waste heat from cooling down milk into hot water for use in dairies. His scientific papers were published under the name A.S. Cromarty.