Shrink Fit Temperature Calculator
Heating temperature to expand a hub over an interference-fit shaft: interference, assembly clearance and CTE in — oven setpoint out.
The trick everyone forgets is the assembly clearance: heating just enough to cancel the interference gives you a hub that seizes halfway on. Add a real slip margin — 0.001×d is a good start — and have the parts aligned before you pull the hub from the oven, because on a 60 mm bore you have only seconds before the gap closes. Rolling bearings must never exceed 120 °C; for hardened hubs stay under the tempering temperature or you change the part.
Formula
Note: Life-of-the-part operation: confirm the interference class from the actual measured diameters, not nominal sizes, and respect the material's maximum safe temperature (bearings 120 °C, most hardened steels 150–200 °C).
Heating temperature to expand a hub over an interference-fit shaft: interference, assembly clearance and CTE in — oven setpoint out. A free machinist & fabrication essentials tool — no sign-up, no upload, instant results in your browser.
About Shrink Fit Temperature Calculator
Shrink Fit Temperature Calculator computes the governing relationship ΔT = (δ + clearance) / (α · d) ; T_set = T_ambient + ΔT live as you type. The trick everyone forgets is the assembly clearance: heating just enough to cancel the interference gives you a hub that seizes halfway on. Add a real slip margin — 0.001×d is a good start — and have the parts aligned before you pull the hub from the oven, because on a 60 mm bore you have only seconds before the gap closes. Rolling bearings must never exceed 120 °C; for hardened hubs stay under the tempering temperature or you change the part. Defaults are pre-filled with realistic values for this exact scenario, and the worked example substitutes your numbers step by step so the math is never a black box.
How to use Shrink Fit Temperature Calculator
- 1Enter your values — Bore diameter, Diametral interference, Assembly clearance wanted, CTE of hub material and more (sensible defaults are pre-filled).
- 2Read the live results: Required temperature rise, Oven / heater setpoint.
- 3Check the "with your numbers" line to see ΔT = (δ + clearance) / (α · d) ; T_set = T_ambient + ΔT substituted step by step.
- 4Adjust inputs until the scenario matches yours, then copy or share the result.
Why use Shrink Fit Temperature Calculator?
- ✓Instant, free and private — every calculation runs client-side in your browser; nothing is uploaded
- ✓Built on the stated formula ΔT = (δ + clearance) / (α · d) ; T_set = T_ambient + ΔT with authoritative sources cited on the page (Machinery's Handbook, 31st ed.; Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design, 11th ed.)
- ✓The trick everyone forgets is the assembly clearance: heating just enough to cancel the interference gives you a hub that seizes halfway on.
- ✓SI ⇄ Imperial toggle converts your inputs in place, so you can work in the units your drawings use
Frequently asked questions
What formula does the shrink fit temperature calculator use?+
It evaluates ΔT = (δ + clearance) / (α · d) ; T_set = T_ambient + ΔT, exactly as published. Sources: Machinery's Handbook, 31st ed.; Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design, 11th ed.. The substituted worked example on the page lets you verify every step against the textbook.
How should I read the result — and how far can I trust it?+
The trick everyone forgets is the assembly clearance: heating just enough to cancel the interference gives you a hub that seizes halfway on. Life-of-the-part operation: confirm the interference class from the actual measured diameters, not nominal sizes, and respect the material's maximum safe temperature (bearings 120 °C, most hardened steels 150–200 °C).
When is this calculator the right tool for the job?+
Heating temperature to expand a hub over an interference-fit shaft: interference, assembly clearance and CTE in. Add a real slip margin — 0.001×d is a good start — and have the parts aligned before you pull the hub from the oven, because on a 60 mm bore you have only seconds before the gap closes. For neighbouring scenarios, the related tools below cover the same engine with different presets.
Does it support both metric and imperial units?+
Yes — the SI ⇄ Imperial toggle converts the values already in the fields, preserving the physical quantity, so you can flip mid-calculation without re-entering anything.
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