Determination of an optimal feed rate is valuable in the sense of the precision and efficient machining. In this regard, a new surface roughness model for the face milling operation that considered the radial and axal runouts of the inserts in the cutter body was developed. The validity of the model was proved through the cutting experiments, and the model is able to predict the real machined surface roughness exactly with the information of the insert runouts and the cutting conditions. From the estimated surface roughness value, the maximum feed rate that obtains a maximum naterial removal rate under the given surface roughness constraint can be selected by using a bisection method. Therefore, this mehod for optimizing the feed rate can be well applied to the using a bisection method. Therefore, this method for optimizing the feed rate can be well applied to the using selsction of the cutting condition during the NC data generation in CAM.