Modification of turbine engine seal abradability

A turbine engine seal assembly comprising:

• a backing;
• and
• a turbine engine seal comprising a honeycomb structure made up of ribbons of ductile material,
• the honeycomb structure comprising a base substrate region that is attached to the backing and a surface substrate region positioned atop and coextensive with the base substrate region,
• the base substrate region defining a first abradability;
• and
• the surface substrate region further defining center and side regions, the side regions positioned alongside and adjacent the center region, the center region defining a second abradability and the side regions defining a third abradability;
• wherein the center region has been locally weakened by a local weakening treatment and the side regions have been locally strengthened by a local strengthening treatment such that the first abradability of the base substrate region is less than the second abradability of the center region, and the first abradability of the base region is greater than the third abradability of the side regions.