Sealing element for a turbo-machine, turbo-machine comprising a sealing element and method for manufacturing a sealing element

A method for manufacturing a sealing element for a turbomachine, comprising:

• printing a honeycomb structure using a metallic 3D printing process, for arrangement inside a housing for a rotating structural component, including:
• printing a plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the plurality of honeycomb walls are linear, and the plurality of honeycomb walls extend continuously and radially from an inner circumference of the sealing element to an outer circumference of the sealing element, wherein the inner circumference of the sealing element is a radially innermost portion of the sealing element facing the rotating structural component and the outer circumference of the sealing element is a radially outermost portion of the sealing element closest to the housing for the rotating structural component;
• wherein the printing of the plurality of honeycomb walls forms a plurality of cells, wherein each of the plurality of cells includes portions of a certain number of the plurality of honeycomb walls;
• printing a plurality of support structures formed as transverse walls connected to the plurality of honeycomb walls, wherein the transverse walls are positioned between inner and outer circumferences of the honeycomb structure, wherein the plurality of support structures includes:
• a plurality of inner support structures and a plurality of outer support structures which define radially inner and outer boundaries of the plurality of cells, respectively;
• wherein each cell of the plurality of cells has a radially inner boundary with respect to a radial direction of the rotating structural component, wherein the radially inner boundary is defined by an inner support structure;
• and
• wherein each of cell of the plurality of cells further comprises a radially innermost point of the radially inner boundary, wherein the radially innermost point of a first cell of the plurality of cells is offset in a radial direction from the radially innermost point of an adjacent second cell of the plurality of cells, and wherein the adjacent second cell is one at least one chosen from axially or circumferentially adjacent to the first cell;
• and
• wherein the first cell is a closed, fluid-tight cell.