Manufacturing processes are usually energy intensive, contributing to the global carbon
dioxide emissions. Deep Drawing is one of the most common types of sheet metal forming
processes with great potential for energy efficiency improvement. In this paper, the
optimised combination of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) and graphite is proposed as a solid
lubricant to reduce the punching force and energy consumption of deep drawing process.
Different mixtures of MoS2 and graphite are prepared and their tribological performance are
measured using experimental tests on tribometer. In order to investigate the friction
reduction rate in deep drawing process, finite element simulation of the drawing process is
performed. Results show that friction reduction using proposed combination of lubricants has
significant effect on punching force and would provide greater process efficiency
