Calculate how much a metal part will grow or shrink with temperature changes. Input material, starting temp, ending temp, and nominal dimension.
Last updated April 2026
Aluminum expands roughly 0.0013 inches per inch per 100 degrees Fahrenheit. A 10-inch 6061 part heated from 68F to 168F grows about 0.013 inches. This matters for press fits, tight-tolerance machining, and assemblies with mixed materials. Always account for thermal growth when holding tolerances tighter than +/-0.002" on parts that see temperature swings.
7075-T6 aluminum has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of approximately 13.1 x 10^-6 per degree Fahrenheit (23.6 x 10^-6 per degree Celsius). This is slightly lower than 6061-T6 at 13.0 x 10^-6/F. Both are significantly higher than steel at 6.5 x 10^-6/F, which is critical for bimetallic assemblies.