In multi-axis machine tool systems, the configuration of system gains and the coordination of redundant degrees of freedom are often a problem of insurmountable difficulty. This study explores the use of a nontraditional scheme, the genetic algorithm, in the configuration of system gains and exploitation of redundant degrees of freedom. The off-line gains configuration functioned as a kind of system design which may serve as a starting point for on-line adaptation. The allocation of redundant DOF was done on-line. The success in this work inspired the idea of future on-line GA application and the possibility of integration of GA with other non-traditional algorithms for manufacturing.