Plastic Toys manufacturing processes

Toy manufacturing evolution

The first plastic toys made of celluloid appeared in the late 19th century. The most archetypal
must surely be the bather with molded and fully hand-painted blonde hair. But it was not until
World War II that plastic toys became firmly established.

Wood and metal proved unsuited to the mass production needed to meet the ever-growing
demand for toys. By the late 1940s, Fisher Price, then a fledgling firm, a bare ten years old, was
the first company to make its entire product range in plastic. It was such an instant hit that rivals
like Ideal began to copy it with the staggering sales achievement of over three million plastic
telephones in just a few months. Hasbro would become the name in boys’ toys, marketing the
famed GI Joe in the 1950s, which would sell nearly ten million copies over the years. It was not
until the end of that decade that the Barbie doll, to become the undisputed star, would appear on
the market: and whose sales have now topped the billion mark.

From that time, there was no stopping the boom in plastic toys. Even the oil crisis of the 1970s
would not stifle production – anything but! The demand was still there, so manufacturers had to
adapt. And so they did, with the added fillip of ever more creativity, such as licensing cartoon
characters to jump on trend bandwagons. Shapes, colours, functions, "playability," strength...all
benefits accorded by plastics. Today, plastic toys account for 90% of the market.
Manufacturing process
Rotational molding
Plastic Doll
Two major plastic forming processes are used to make doll body parts. The heads and limbs are
made by a process called rotational molding. Rotational molding is used for producing hollow,
seamless products of all sizes and shapes with uniform wall thickness. Blow molding is
sometimes used to make the torso if cost is an issue since it is a faster, more economical method.

Raw material preparation

 A separate compounding operation is required to convert the form of a resin, while also
introducing any additives, into one suitable for the molding processes. Usually this step is
done at the plastic manufacturer, though sometimes it is performed by the doll
manufacturer if a special formulation is required.

Molding
 During rotational molding, the mold cavities are first filled with a predetermined amount
of the compound, in liquid form. Each metal mold consists of multiple cavities and the
quantity depends on the size of doll. For instance, as many as 60 heads can be made at
once. After the molds are closed, they are placed in a heated oven and rotated biaxially.
During the heating cycle, the resin melts, fuses, and then densifies into the shape of the
mold cavity.

 Next, the molds are slowly cooled inside a chamber using air and water. Once cooled, the
molds are removed from the chamber, opened, and the finished part is removed.

 During blow molding, a hollow tube called a parison is first formed out of molten plastic
by extrusion through a tubular reservoir. This tube is then placed between two halves of a
steel mold and forced to assume the shape of the mold cavity by use of air pressure. The
air pressure, ranging from 80-120 psi, is introduced through the inside of the tube, forcing
the plastic against the surface of the mold.

 After either molding process, the part is trimmed by hand to remove the flange

Decorating the head

 Before all the body parts are assembled to make the doll, the facial features and hair are
applied. First, the eyes are inserted and then cheeks, lips, and sometimes lashes are spray
painted using an air brushing method. This process can involve up to 15 steps.
  If the hair isn't molded as part of the head, nylon is rooted into the vinyl using a special
sewing machine that is operated by hand. The hair is then carefully trimmed, combed,
and set. The head can now be attached to the body, along with the limbs.

Dressing and packaging

 The next step is to dress the doll and trim any hanging threads. Any special labels or tags
are attached before packaging. Most dolls are packaged in boxes by hand since they often
must be posed. Each doll is given a final check before the box is covered. The boxes are
then packed in shipping cartons.

Injection molding
LEGO toys

All of the basic Lego elements start out as plastic granules composed primarily of acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene – material Lego is trying to get away from. A highly automated injection
molding process turns these granules into recognizable bricks. The making of a Lego brick
requires very high temperatures and enormous pieces of equipment, so machines, rather than
people, handle most of their creation.

When the ABS granules arrive at Lego manufacturing facilities, they’re vacuumed into several
storage silos. The average Lego plant has about 14 silos, and each can hold 33 tons of ABS
granules. When production begins, the granules travel through tubes to the injection molding
machines. The machines use very accurate molds with a precision tolerance as little as 0.002
millimeters.

The machines melt the granules at temperatures of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, inject the
melted ABS into molds and apply between 25 and 150 tons of pressure. After about seven
seconds, the new Lego pieces cool and fall onto a conveyor. At the end of the conveyor, they fall
into a bin.

When the bin fills, the molding machine signals a robot to pick it up and carry it to an assembly
hall. In the factory, eight robots move 600 bins of elements per hour. In the assembly hall,
machines stamp designs onto bricks and assemble components that require multiple pieces. The
machines assemble the components by applying precise amounts of pressure to specific parts.