This paper addresses the feature sequencing problem in the Rapid Design System (RDS). The RDS is a feature-based design system that integrates product design and process planning. An important issue in feature-based process planning for machined parts is the order in which material is removed to form the resultant part. The order, or sequence, is partially dependent on the geometric relationships between features. The sequence affects the safety, the time it takes to machine the part, and the quality of the finished part. The sequence of material removal depends on two types of relations between features: (1) intersections and (2) interfeature associations. Both types of relations compound the search for an 'optimal' sequence of material removal. Therefore, the research problem has been the discovery and development of a genetic algorithm (GA) that efficiently searches the solution space for all possible sequences and identifies the best sequences in terms of safety, time and quality. © 1996 Chapman & Hall.