To maintain a strong market position in metal manufacturing, Baosteel has set unprecedented high speeds targets for cold rolling tinplate and stainless steel. While some problems with high speed stainless steel manufacturing are known, such as 'heat scratch' occurring at around 300m/min, no knowledge is available about the lubricant performance. This project is investigating lubricant performance under high rolling speeds and an effective method for assessing optimum outcomes. The research includes developing an approach to characterise the effects of temperature, material property change and abrasion-lubricant interaction on lubricant performance when speeds are increased.