Description / Abstract: Material Description. This specification details the requirements of all lubricant formulations for sheet metal surfaces. Lubricants are used for one or more reasons which include protecting sheet metal surfaces against corrosion and stains, reduce friction to enhance formability, clean metal surface, improve quality, and reduce scrap. The lubricants are classified as:

Mill Oil: Mill applied primarily for the corrosion protection of sheet metal.

Pre-Lube: Mill applied primarily for the protection of sheet metal that also enhances formability.

Hotmelt: Semi-solid or solid film used to enhance formability. Blankwash: Used to clean the coil/blank and enhances formability.

Drawing Compound: Press applied to enhance formability and protect metal parts during storage.

Treatments: Additional layers to enhance formability (removable in paint). The lubricants can be oil or water based, liquid or solid, and/or synthetic or non-synthetic. Acceptance criteria for performance and process requirements will be specified by each region.

Applicability. All lubricant formulations for sheet metal surfaces applied at mills or stamping plants.

Remarks. Lubricants are approved regionally. Additionally, if the lubricant is applied in one region and shipped to another region, both regions must approve the lubricant.

Lubricants must be compatible with current production cleaner, phosphate, nano ceramic conversion coatings, and electrodeposition primer (ELPO) applications. Chemicals that can contaminate these systems cannot be used. This includes but is not limited to silicone and lanolin. Compatibility tests are in 3.5.3 and 3.5.4.