The design process of machine tools is regarded as a sequential, discrete, and inefficient works as it requires various kinds of design tools and many working hours. This paper describes an integrated design system embedding a design methodology that can support efficiently and systematically the conceptual structural design of machine tools. The system is a knowledge-based design system and has four machine-tool-specific functional modules including configuration design, configuration analysis, structure design, and structural analysis support module. Through the configuration design and analysis module, a machine configuration appropriate for design requirements is selected, and then the arrangement of ribs fer each structural part is decided in the structure design module. Also, the structural analysis support module is used to evaluate design result by utilizing structural analysis software, ANSYS. The system is applied to design of a tapping machine, and shows that the machine structure can be designed fast and conveniently by processing each design step interactively.