Design Nomenclature / Physical Model Making
Press fit
Also called push fit, friction fit, slip fit, snap fit
A joint held by friction alone between deliberately mismatched sizes, assembled by hand or arbor press. In a model shop it is how printed and laser-cut parts go together without hardware — and it is the first thing kerf, elephant's foot and layer swell quietly destroy. Cut a test coupon before committing the part.
In practice
In the shop "press fit" means anything that stays put when you push it. Engineering reserves the term for a specified interference and gives it a number.