Apparatus for accurately heating and cooling articles

An apparatus for heating and cooling articles in a batch operation, comprising:

• a base;
• a first thermal plate disposable in thermal contact with said base and having a working surface region with means for receiving said articles;
• a second thermal plate disposable in thermal contact with said base and having a working surface region with means for receiving said articles;
• heating and cooling means disposed within said base for effecting a predetermined temperature cycle of said working surface region of one of said first and second thermal plates disposed in thermal contact with said base;
• and
• both said first and second thermal plates having means for manual engagement and removal from said base without the use of tools, a first plurality of said articles being mountable onto said first thermal plate at a remote location out of thermal contact with said base while said second thermal plate with a second plurality of articles mounted thereon is engaged with said base and undergoing said predetermined temperature cycle, and said first thermal plate being subsequently manually removable from said base following said predetermined temperature profile and said second thermal plate with said second plurality of articles mounted thereon being manually engageable with said base for thermal cycling of said second plurality of said articles.