How is LEGO made?

We are often asked "How are LEGO® bricks made?"

The trucks arrive It all starts with small chunks of plastic in many different colors, called granules. Trucks full of granules drive to the LEGO factory, where giant hoses suck up the granules and dump them into three-story metal silos.

There are 14 silos, and each silo can hold up to 33 tons of granulate. From the silos, the plastic granulate goes through tubes to the injection molding machines. The temperature rises In the injection molding machines, the granulate is heated to a temperature of approximately 230 degrees Celsius (450°F). The melted plastic slurry is injected into casting molds, small metal containers in the shape of hollow LEGO bricks.

Think of a very complicated version of the ice cube mold at home in the freezer. The injection molding machine applies hundreds of tons of pressure to ensure that the stones are formed with perfect precision. They are then cooled and removed from the mold; that only takes about 10 seconds.

Robots lend a helping hand Due to the dangerous conditions and the required precision, the molding process is almost completely automated. The finished stones roll into boxes via conveyor belts.

When a box is full, the molding machine sends a radio signal to one of the robotic trucks that drive through the factory hall. The robot trucks are guided through slots in the floor.

They pick up the full boxes and place them on another conveyor belt, which takes them to the next step in the manufacturing process. Time to decorate What would our stones be without all the cool details and decorations?

The next step in the manufacturing process is the assembly hall, where the details are printed and multi-piece parts are assembled. Faces, control panels, numbers, words and other decorative details are stamped on the stones by a giant printer. Some LEGO® parts, such as the legs of the minifigures, consist of different pieces that fit together.

These complicated pieces are clamped together by machines that apply pressure very precisely. We pack everything. The final step is collecting the right parts to make complete LEGO® sets.

Sets can include hundreds of different pieces, so the packing process must be quick and accurate. Boxes called cassettes roll along conveyor belts to under trays containing each type of stone.

The bins open and close to release the correct number of pieces into each cassette. Finally, packers fold the boxes, add extra parts and construction descriptions, and check that the machine has not made any mistakes