This project was undertaken to explore the viability of manufacturing polymer-coated cans using current drawing-wall-ironing methods, and centres around exploring polymer-coated alternatives to lacquered food and beverage cans. A full process FEA model was developed in Abaqus, and a polymer coating characterisation was attempted via tensile and compressive tests of available PET. As an alternative, the polymer was modelled as a force/over-closure con-tact definition in finite element analysis models, using force data derived from existing polymer data. The contact definition demonstrated an effective alter-native to modelling a finite element meshed polymer layer but needed opti-mising to match physical results. A tensile test machine rig was designed and manufactured capable of ironing strip metal specimens for otherwise unavail-able ironing metrology. The rig was calibrated using uncoated steel, then used to gain data on force and resulting geometry for polymer coated steel during and after ironing. Rig data was used in a finite element analysis automated feedback loop to optimise the force/over-closure and friction coefficients for the contact definition. Finally, a full-process drawing-wall-ironing simulation on polymer coated steel was implemented in a design of experiments study, which mapped the previously unexplored design space. The most significant parameters in resulting can geometry were the percentage of redraw and iron-ing during the respective forming phases, as well as the redraw radius. De-creasing the diameter of both redraw and ironing tooling rings resulted in a longer and thinner can, as did decreasing the redraw radius. Whilst not an ex-haustive study, the project ultimately demonstrated the viability of modelling polymer-coatings using contact definitions in finite element analysis and paves the way for further study into the polymer-coated steel can.