Shrink-fitting

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Shrink-fitting is a technique in which pieces of a structure are heated or cooled, employing the phenomenon of thermal expansion, to make a joint. For example, the thermal expansion of a piece of a metallic drainpipe allows a builder to fit the cooler piece to it. As the adjoined pieces reach the same temperature, the joint becomes strained and stronger.

Another example is fitting the iron strip around the edge of a cartwheel. The strip will be heated and expands to the wheel's diameter, and is fitted around it. After cooling, the iron rim contracts, binding tightly in place.

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