Applied Process Inc. had its beginnings in 1978 as a research effort of Atmosphere Furnace Company in Wixom, Michigan. In 1984 Applied Process was incorporated as a division of Atmosphere Group Inc. dedicated to expanding the application of the austempering process. In 1986 Applied Process moved to its current 31,000 sq. ft. facility in Livonia, Michigan. In 1994, as a result of a friendly spin-off, Applied Process Inc. became a stand-alone corporation with John Keough as President and CEO. The Livonia facility uses leading edge controlled atmosphere-to-salt technology for austempering cast steel, gray or ductile iron, and carbo-austempering of steels. AP has developed proprietary computer models for establishing heat treat processes and predicting the resultant material properties. In 1994 AP converted to a fully data- based process control system. AP employees have developed numerous patents related to the austempering process. Meanwhile, AP has continued to grow, modifying and expanding its capabilities to improve efficiency and quality.