Metal Treating & Research has been a technology leader in the heat treating industry since 1978. AP and its affiliated companies use properly applied Austempering technologies to solve tough engineering problems. AP also continues to work on the development of ever more efficient Austempering systems. This experience and capability are available to you today.

The roots of Metal Treating & Research, Inc. were forged in 1962 when W. R. Keough, with several partners, founded the Atmosphere Furnace Company (AFC). Their introductory product was a controlled atmosphere continuous belt-type austempering line capable of processing 1,500 pounds (680 Kg) per hour of small parts. That development spawned the Atmosphere Group, which included several commercial heat treatment plants specializing in austempering. In 1967 AFC produced the first continuous austempering furnace that allowed hand-loading of the parts. In 1972 the pusher-type austempering furnace was developed. Also in that year, the process was first commercially applied to produce Austempered Ductile Iron (ADI) at an Atmosphere Group facility.