Offers designers and users of mechanical systems an overview of structural stiffness and damping and their critical roles in mechanical design. The text assesses the relationship between stiffness and damping parameters in mechanical systems and structural materials. An accompanying disk contains detailed analyses of stiffness- and damping-critical systems.

Addresses important topics of DFM, including how it relates to concurrent engineering, management issues, getting started in DFM, how to justify using DFM, applying quality tools and how DFM is affecting computer technology (and vice versa). Covers topics starting with the creative thinking process, to combining DFM with geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. Also includes product design information that designers should know when committing pen to paper or mouse to mat.