Based on the principle of minimum energy consumption the paper presents a synthesis of theoretical formulation and experimental evidence to show that the surface quality of the final product in material removal type manufacturing processes, such as machining, can be predicted from both "force control"and "feed control". The key factors are the material removal rate (MRR) and the energy required for removing the unit volume of the workpiece material (Specific Energy) in order to optimize the other parameters for the best economic consideration. The third important parameter is the coolant supply in order to reduce the tool wear and thus, to improve the surface quality of the final product (component).