Twenty years on the tools. Military discipline. Hands-on experience with the systems your equipment runs on. FormStrata Ltd exists because good engineering shouldn't take weeks and cost a fortune.
Keith Croston
Director · FormStrata Ltd
I'm Keith Croston — Director of FormStrata Ltd and the person who designs, prints, and delivers every part we produce. I'm not a salesperson and I don't have a team of account managers. When you deal with FormStrata, you deal with me.
My background is military, followed by over two decades of hands-on engineering across automation, warehousing, and intralogistics. I've worked directly on Vanderlande, Dematic, and Knapp equipment — designing, prototyping, and implementing modifications on live systems. I know these environments from the inside, I understand the operational pressure when a line goes down, and I know what it costs when maintenance has to wait on a part.
FormStrata was built to fix that. A specialist 3D design and print service that works specifically for the automation and industrial sector — with no minimum orders, fast turnaround, and an engineer at the end of the phone who understands your problem before you've finished explaining it.
Every part we produce is designed for the application, printed on industrial-grade hardware, and inspected before it leaves us. The case studies on this site are real jobs on real systems — not marketing copy.
Military background
Trained to work methodically under pressure and get things right first time. A discipline that runs through everything FormStrata does.
20+ years engineering
Hands-on experience across automation, warehousing logistics, and customer-facing engineering roles in the intralogistics sector.
Vanderlande · Dematic · Knapp
Designed, prototyped, and implemented modifications for some of the biggest intralogistics systems in the UK. Knows the equipment from the inside.
Full design to print capability
CAD design, slicing, printing, and inspection all in-house. One point of contact from brief to delivered part.
ISO 9001 aligned QMS
Every job documented, every part inspected. Quality records retained and available on request. Working towards formal certification.
Days, not weeks
From site visit to finished part — typically within days. No tooling lead times, no minimum orders, no waiting on a supplier chain that doesn't understand urgency.
We come to you
Site visits available across the North West and beyond. Measurements taken directly from your equipment — no guesswork, no dimensional errors, no back-and-forth.
One person, fully accountable
You deal with the engineer who designs and prints your part. No account managers, no handoffs, no miscommunication. If something isn't right, I'll fix it.
Sector knowledge
Two decades working on the systems your equipment runs on. You don't need to explain what a tote shuttle is, or why sensor alignment matters. I already know.
Repeatable on demand
Every design is retained. Need more next month, or want to roll out across multiple sites? The part is ready to print — no re-engineering, no setup cost.
Cost that makes sense
No tooling costs, no minimum orders. One part costs what it costs — fairly priced for what it is, with a quote in your inbox the same day you enquire.
If you've got a part that needs designing, a sensor that keeps getting knocked, a bracket that's no longer available, or just an idea you want to talk through — get in touch directly.
There's no obligation, no sales process, and no junior account manager to go through. You'll speak to me — the engineer who'll actually do the work.
I aim to respond to all enquiries within one business day, and for most jobs I can have a quote back to you the same day.
Call or text
07413 937 288
Keith@formstrata.co.uk
Online
Request a quote online
Location
North West England
Tell us what you need. Quote back to you the same day.