Magnetocaloric effect and magnetostrictive deformation in Tb-Dy-Gd-Co-Al with Laves phase structure

•Single-phase (Tb,Dy,Gd)(Co,Al)2 alloys synthesized using high-purity metals.•Temperature dependence of lattice parameters measured in a wide temperature range.•The second order magnetostructural phase transitions like Curie temperatures (from cubic to the rhombohedral phase) are found.•The magnetostrictive properties and the MCE of the Tb0.2Dy0.8−xGdxCo1.9Al0.1 (x = 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5) compounds were studied in detail.•The influence of partial substitution of Co by Al atoms on the magnetocaloric and magnetostrictive properties (Tb,Dy,Gd)Co2.•Materials with ‘table-like’ MCE are found.