The Birth of LEGOs

How LEGOs Are Made: The Plastic Injection Molding Process

LEGOs Today
Today nearly 75 billion LEGO bricks are produced worldwide every year with over 3,700 varieties of the classic plastic bricks. Along with many other major manufacturers, LEGOS are going green in their production processes to help eliminate unnecessary plastic waste. In addition to introducing plant-based materials into the production process in 2018, LEGO has revamped their plastic mold process to allow any incomplete or damaged parts to be recycled and reused, rather than thrown out and discarded as plastic waste. What started as the dreams of a father and son and an injection molding machine has become an iconic toy spanning across generations with LEGOs remaining as one of the most popular toys for kids and adults alike. Ole Kirk Christiansen may have never imagined that what he started with one plastic injection mold machine would transform into theme parks, life-size monuments, and even Hollywood blockbuster movies.


3 Fun Facts About LEGOS And Plastic Injection Molding
- LEGOs can withstand up to 950 pounds of force! Thanks to their extremely compact cellular design and military-like plastic molding precision, LEGOs are created to last for decades so they always maintain their ability to fit perfectly together. Combine their strength with sharp corners and the iconic studs and it makes sense why stepping on a LEGO is so painful.
- Every LEGO ever made is built to fit perfectly with every LEGO ever made: LEGO runs size tolerances on the order of .0005 - in layman’s terms, with variations that are half of a thousandth of an inch. That means the old school LEGO kit you bought in 4th grade is still going to fit with the LEGO kit your grandchild got for their first birthday. Thanks to exceptional process control and logistical integrity, LEGOs are virtually timeless, each one designed to be used in any LEGO brand kit, no matter when or where it was purchased.
- A LEGO plastic injection mold can cost up to $200,000 each. Why the sky-high price tag? Because of their incredibly precise form, each LEGO plastic injection mold is created with the highest standards and needs to be routinely tested and cleaned by a certified LEGO team to ensure flawless block production.
Do You Have An Idea For The Next Great Plastic Injection Mold Product?

If there is something you’re wanting to create using the plastic mold injection process, or just want to learn more about the journey of streamlining the production of a tool or part, the team at Murray Plastics wants to talk to you.
Click here for a custom quote, or contact us directly today!
Sources:
http://brickfetish.com/toys/duck.html https://www.reddit.com/r/lego/comments/8y76rt/retired_mold_that_made_120m_bricks/ https://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2019/03/24/5-things-you-should-know-about-how-lego-made https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/lego1.htm https://lego-tenthings.weebly.com/legos--manufacturing.html https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/04/09/lego/ https://lego-tenthings.weebly.com/legos--manufacturing.html