There is a growing need in the metal industry to produce high-quality, durable products at a lower cost. Because of the strong feeling that preprimed/prelubed metals will meet this need, this paper will examine the role of lubrication in this process change by describing the principles of sheet metal forming, the theory of lubrications, the role of the lubricant, the areas of quality and cost improvement provided by the lubricant, and the effects of such a process change.
