The goal of the KT Quality Control Department is to ensure that customer receives parts that meet or exceed their design requirements. To achieve this, turbocharger has to undergo a number of tests. This test programme includes tests of individual turbocharger components, tests on the turbocharger test stand and a test on the engine. Some tests from this complex testing programme are described below in detail.

If a compressor or turbine wheel bursts, the remaining parts of the wheel must not penetrate the compressor or turbine housing. To achieve this, the shaft and turbine wheel assembly is accelerated to such a high speed that the respective wheel bursts. After bursting, the housing's containment safety is assessed. The burst speed is typically 50 % above the maximum permissible speed.

The temperature drop in the turbocharger between the gases at the hot turbine side and at the cold compressor inlet can amount to as much as 1000 °C in a distance of only a few centimetres. During the engine's operation, the lubricating oil passing through the bearing cools the centre housing so that no critical component temperatures occur. After the engine has been shut down, especially from high loads, heat can accumulate in the centre housing, resulting in coking of the lubricating oil. It is therefore of vital importance to determine the maximum component temperatures at the critical points, to avoid the formation of lacquer and carbonised oil in the turbine-side bearing area and on the piston ring.

During engine operation, the waste gate is exposed to high thermal and mechanical loads. During the waste gate test, these loads are simulated on the test stand. The checking of all components and the determination of the rates of wear are included in the cycle test. In this test, the turbocharger is run on the engine for several hundred hours at varying load points. The rates of wear are determined by detailed measurements of the individual components, before and after the test.