Application Lab Realistic Investigation and Validation of Abradable Coatings

Thermally sprayed abradable coatings are critical for managing the clearance between turbine blades and housings in turbines and turbochargers. They enhance operational safety and reduce both fuel consumption and emissions.

At our Winterthur site in Switzerland, Oerlikon Metco operates a globally unique high-speed test rig specifically designed for evaluating abradable coatings under realistic operating conditions.. During rub tests, the wear mechanisms of both the abradable coating and the turbine blades are examined under various operating scenarios.

Oerlikon Metco’s in-house test bench allows for the rapid and reliable assessment of metallic and ceramic abradable coatings under a wide range of conditions, delivering highly correlatable results. Compared to conventional methods such as test cells, on-wing, or in-situ testing, this process is faster, more efficient, cost-effective, and significantly less risky.

To support innovation, dummy blades are used for developing new abradable coatings and benchmarking various systems, allowing direct comparison against thermally sprayed abradable coatings. For testing with genuine OEM turbine blades, Oerlikon’s engineering team develops custom mounting solutions for use on a specially-designed rotor disk.

This globally one-of-a-kind test rig is available to customers for coating validation and troubleshooting. It has established a benchmark within the international turbomachinery sector. Customers - including all major turbine manufacturers - rely on our facility for applications in aviation and power generation (gas and steam turbines).

Download high-speed test rig brochure