Model based design brought to practice via Virtual Components for energy modeling

General awareness on energy consumption is globally growing, becoming a significant performance parameter also in the manufacturing field. Machinery designers are asked to propose machines with an increased energetic efficiency: industry is therefore looking for numerical models that predict the energy use, allowing an optimization of the energy efficiency. In this paper, an approach for the industrial adoption of modelbased methodologies for energy consumption analysis during the development of production machinery is proposed. The development of "functional component models", to be used as "Virtual Components", is suggested as the key to foster comodeling activity in SME. A proper business model, which involves machine designers and component suppliers, as well as CAE software producers and R&D institutions, is then proposed to guarantee the sustainability of the co-operation scenario. Examples are discussed, describing models that estimate energy dissipation in linear hydrostatic guide ways and in rotary brushless motors.