Introduction: The “Broken Tool” Heartbreak
If you manage a mold factory or a coin mint, you know this feeling: You are 90% through machining a complex hardened steel die. The design features a microscopic serif font or a delicate hair texture on a portrait. Suddenly—snap. Your 0.2mm micro-end mill breaks. The workpiece is gouged. The tool is expensive. You have to start over.
For decades, CNC Milling (Computer Numerical Control) has been the backbone of the die-making industry. It is powerful, reliable, and precise. But in the age of high-security coinage and micro-jewelry, CNC is hitting a physical wall: The Radius Problem.
You cannot cut a square corner with a round tool.
Enter 3D Fiber Laser Engraving. This technology doesn’t cut; it ablates. It peels away metal layer by layer, driven by advanced 3D slicing software. It promises sharp angles, zero tool wear, and geometries that were previously impossible.
In this guide, we will dismantle the “CNC vs. Laser” debate to help you decide which technology belongs on your production floor.