In this paper, an experimental based industrial feasible approach is presented on micro milling of micro-featured precision dies and moulds in hardened steel. The approach covers the micro features characterization on the die and mould, CAD/CAM programming, micro milling trials and metrology analysis, and the process optimization. The approach is further explored and evaluated by industrial application case study from an industrial company client, which is the micro punch die made from the quenched 45 steel and with micro features. By comparing the cutting efficiency, the surface roughness and tool wear performance, the optimum CNC micro milling protocol is developed including the appropriate milling tool path and optimized cutting parameters setup. The CAD/CAM is based on UG NC programming and the KERN EVO five-axis NC machine is utilized for undertaking the micro milling trials. The die components machined are assessed against the industrial requirements from the company client, further supported by the results, analysis and discussion. The paper concludes with a further discussion on the potential and applications of the approach for broad micro milling production.
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