Future Abradable Requirements Needed by Aerospace OEM’s and Their Material and Equipment Suppliers Available to Purchase

The cost of in-service clearance control coating failure analysis can be high to the aerospace OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The failure analysis process is labor-intensive and time-consuming. It is for these reasons that OEM’s will be requiring vendors of materials and equipment to have: (1) greater in-process controls on spray process equipment, (2) greater statistical process control (SPC) documentation of key material manufacturing process variables, (3) increased documentation of cause and effect of powder manufacturing and spray process variables and better understanding of the influence of these variables on overall performance, and (4) more detailed coating/powder specifications. This paper will discuss the future needs of aerospace OEM’s in these four areas and specifically discuss how vendors are addressing these needs.