I would to love to learn more about the metals used in their drill bits. I think about oil/gas drilling and tunnel boring machines. They are facing some of the harshest conditions possible. (Imagine a tunnel boring machine trying to carve through granite rock in Manhattan or Swiss Alps. It is tough!) These CNC machines are doing similar on a "micro-scale". How often do they need to sharpen or replace these drill bits? And what is the cost?
They use diamond coated bits, and once the coating is gone, so it the bit. Looks like it can get very cheap https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/20degree-Diamond-Bits...