AbstractThe ongoing trend towards the increasing component functionality and closely-tolerated complex functional components shows the limits of classical sheet and bulk metal forming operations. The combination of sheet and bulk metal forming operations to the new process class of sheet-bulk metal (SBMF) operations gives the possibility to produce the requested parts. Combining sheet and bulk metal operations is leading to different surface pressures and hence to different tribological conditions within the forming process. Thus, the basic investigations of the tribological conditions in SBMF are described within this paper. Also the idea of tailored surfaces for providing process adapted tribological conditions to improve the forming process and a method for realization are presented.