Patent ID: 8106331

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling alignment between precision ground plates, the apparatus comprising: a first plate including a main body portion having a first surface, an opposing second surface, and a plurality of passages that extend between the first and second opposing surfaces, the first plate including a first heating device mounted to heat the main body portion to a selected temperature; a second plate including a main body portion having a first surface, an opposing second surface, and a plurality of passages that extend between the first and second opposing surfaces, the second plate including a second heating device mounted to heat the main body portion to a selected temperature; and a controller operatively connected to the first and second heating devices, the controller being programmed to selectively control each of the first and second heating devices to establish the selected temperature in each of the first and second plates to achieve a desired alignment between the plurality of passages in the first plate and the plurality of passages in the second plate.