When an interference fit is required, the traditional way of fitting a component into another is either the force fit method or to expand the outer component with heat. Both these methods have disadvantages in that the former can lead to mechanical damage between the two faces and the latter can cause local damage or stress due to uneven or poor heating procedures for each application using the traditional methods, liquid nitrogen shrink fitting can invariably be used as an alternative.

Shrink fitting is a technique in which an interference fit is achieved by a relative size change after assembly. This is usually achieved by heating or cooling one component before assembly and allowing it to return to the ambient temperature after assembly, employing the phenomenon of thermal expansion to make a joint.