Case study
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Quality comes from attention to details: discover I-CON, the new electric charging station by Gewiss
06 November 2025
I-CON, the wall-mounted charging station for home use by Gewiss boasts a look that is modern, but, more importantly, extremely recognizable. Its texture creates harmony among various moulded components: the wallbox, the connector, and the I-cord set.
Gewiss involved us starting from the first design phase, allowing us to respond to both creative and technical demands of production, such as:
- defining the product identity and maintaining the family feeling across all the I-CON components
- designing the moulds according to the 3D textures, leaving enough margin around the edges
- making pieces easy to extract and avoiding defects during moulding
Identity in variety: the texture
The I-CON texture is the work of the architect Villa of Paolo Villa Design, who also created some 2D graphics applied to the methacrylate sheet used for the I-ON column. The architect reimagined the hexagon, a geometric element associated with the world of electric mobility, enriching it by playing with progressively filling its negative space.
This dynamic, modern concept was our starting point, iterated through successive variations suitable to the form and use of each I-CON component.
WALLBOX
The specifications for the Wallbox required both engraving the 3D geometric texture in designated parts of the moulds and giving the entire mask a matte satin finish. During the feasibility assessment, we evaluated the material and its properties to obtain the best possible result on the moulded pieces.
In fact, Wallbox is made of thermoplastic-injected glass and certified by the "Plastica Seconda Vita" label, which defines products created by recycling discarded plastic recovered from recycling and industrial waste. The use of regenerated plastic makes the product more sustainable, but also - unavoidably - more delicate, glossier and more difficult to mould.
1. Extraction from the mould
The moulded samples presented an extraction problem, causing a high rate of waste and compromising the mould itself. We intervened to optimize the moulding, applying our special NANO-CLAMP® protocol, which helps keep the piece in the punch to facilitate correct extraction from the tool.
2. Defect and gloss management
The characteristics of the material pushed us to recommend a different satin finish from the customer's initial request. We replaced our MLG 200 with the MLK 700 low-gloss finish: perfect for covering defects resulting from the directional flow of the fiberglass, more resistant to scratches, and also more affordable. What's more, it guarantees a low level of gloss, softening the shininess of the material.
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CONNECTOR
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The connector brief gave us precise technical and aesthetic instructions. We proposed a variant of the original texture, scaled and re-imagined to be slip-resistant, directional, and ergonomic, so as to:
- to ensure ease of handling while holding it
- to improve adhesion to the rubber part during the two-component moulding
With our DRE® Render, Gewiss could preview the product "wearing" the texture, achieving a perfect balance between:
AESTHETICS
The texture becomes symmetrical and it reproduces
the interplay of structure/negative space of the 2D.
INDUSTRIALIZATION
We faded the pattern near the edges to avoid
undercuts and mitigate the draft.
FUNCTIONALITY
We oriented the finish to allow a non-slip
and comfortable grip suitable for frequent use.
I-CORD
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Moving on to the I-CORD, the mobile charging set, moulded with a percentage of Renycle®, technopolymer derived from recycled nylon.
For this component we resolved important critical issues with a careful texture design and our patented AIR-OFF® protocol.
To begin with, we redesigned the finish without an orientation to overcome the possible misalignment of the texture between the body and the ring. A stylish detail, which maintains the family feeling with the rest of the components.
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1. Extraction from the mould
Undercuts are a primary area of concern with engraved moulds because they can compromise extraction of the finished piece.
With a clever design we have prevented the problem, tapering the depth of the texture in the cavity. As you can see, the texture of the fixed part fades out on the edges until it disappears. This also adds a powerful aesthetic touch.
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2. Correction of moulding defects with AIR-OFF®
The first samples of the I-CORD nozzle showed stains and areas with missed fills, due to the gases' inability to vent, resulting in an uneven distribution of the material. Open-mould tests confirmed this theory: the defects were gone. On the other hand, the unclosed mould created burrs.
As a result, we proposed engraving with our patented AIR-OFF®, a protocol that enables gas venting without affecting the surface texture. The laser engraving with AIR-OFF® resolved the moulding defects and even allowed us to expand the moulding parameters.
By your side
We'd like to close the case study with the words of the I-CON project manager, who described our role in the project saying:
<<From suppliers of our mould department, you've become full-fledged R&D partners and we'll always involve you from the start of a project>>
Words of esteem, expressing confidence in our services, our team and our approach. Balancing the aesthetic and technical demands allowed us to satisfy Gewiss's needs, suggesting the most suitable solutions for each individual component.
We thank Gewiss for allowing us to tell the story of this project, proof that coordinated effort brings incredible — even iconic — results.