The system construction of a 3-axis precision micro-milling machine tool with overall size 300 mm×300 mm×290 mm was presented. The control software package integrated with a video collecting system in Chinese was developed to facilitate users' operation. This micro-milling machine tool has been successfully used in manufacturing a micro-groove in film work piece (the film thickness is 65 μm

material removal rate of the micro-groove along the film thickness is 90.7%

surface roughness of the bottom of the micro-groove is 0.365 μm

and the yield is more than 80%). Furthermore

the experiments with the TiAlN coated and uncoated carbide micro-end-milling tools were carried out to analyze the mechanical characteristics and wear mechanism of the tool. Finally

the effects of cutting parameters (spindle speed

cut depth and feed per tooth) on cutting forces were discussed. The works mentioned above are the foundation of next research on the mechanism of micro-end-milling.