Questions tagged [manufacturing]

Questions about the industrial manufacturing process of brick toys or related materials.

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30 votes
2 answers
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What kind of plastic are LEGO bricks made of?

It’s rather obvious that Lego bricks are made from plastic, but there are many kinds of plastic. Is the recipe for LEGO bricks plastic secret?
mikl's user avatar
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28 votes
1 answer
6k views

Are transparent neon Lego bricks made from a different plastic than usual?

There are several colors of transparent, fluorescent Lego bricks. In particular, "trans neon yellow" and "trans neon orange", introduced in the early 1990s, exist in a variety of specialized shapes ...
aedia λ's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Does Toy 'R Us (or more expensive-than-average) retailers have more extra parts than average?

I haven't bought LEGO sets for a while, as my kids are just getting old enough to make the sets, but I am assembling the LOTR sets which I find impossible to resist. I bought Gandalf Arrives (9469) ...
Peter Turner's user avatar
33 votes
4 answers
14k views

Has anyone made their own custom LEGO bricks?

As I've just learned, LEGO bricks are made from ABS plastics. I wonder if it would be possible to make some simple molds at home, get some ABS pellets, melt them up and make your own custom bricks? ...
mikl's user avatar
  • 1,350
27 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why are old LEGO bricks more brittle than new ones?

My vintage LEGO sets (circa 1980) are difficult to unbuild. Some pieces are prone to break. Did the plastic recipe change with time or are the bricks simply degrading?
jfyelle's user avatar
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15 votes
5 answers
4k views

Are companies producing custom molded LEGO pieces legally entitled to do so?

We have seen (or I have seen, given I am a member of a few popular BIONICLE fan sites) an uproar from custom molding companies -- that is, companies that create their own LEGO pieces. My question is ...
Purag's user avatar
  • 251
38 votes
3 answers
5k views

How has the basic brick changed over the years?

The basic 2x4 brick has many versions. For example the modern one has thinner walls and funny shaped tubes compared to an early 1980s brick. What were the changes over the years and how did they ...
Erik Olson's user avatar
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23 votes
3 answers
47k views

Where are LEGO parts made?

Are all LEGO parts made in a single factory, or are there multiple factories? Where abouts is it/are they? If there are several, are there different factories for different pieces/sets, or do all ...
fredley's user avatar
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22 votes
4 answers
12k views

Are LEGO bricks recyclable?

Yes, I know that it is kind of a dumb question, as no one would want to dispose of LEGO bricks. But it's a curiosity thing: are LEGO bricks recyclable?
fouric's user avatar
  • 904
10 votes
2 answers
2k views

Lego with hollow posts underneath - dates?

When did TLG change the small posts on the underside of the modern bricks and plates , eg 1x6 and 1x4, to hollow ones?
David Simpson's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
17k views

Is there a logic to the way The LEGO Group fills the plastic bags?

When opening a new box, most of the pieces are in closed plastic bags, and sometimes inside those plastic bags is another plastic bag for smaller pieces. I find the pieces, for the most part, rather ...
LarsTech's user avatar
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24 votes
1 answer
990 views

How does LEGO decide it needs a new element?

Aside from the need to add licensed series specific pieces, how does LEGO decide it's time to introduce a new shape to the element palette?
Major Stackings's user avatar
21 votes
5 answers
16k views

What material is used to make capes and cloth in LEGO sets and where do I get it?

It seems like a conspiracy to keep everyone from knowing this. Custom cape sellers don´t say what it is, the women from the draperies I questioned always say something along the line of "coated ...
NavyFenson's user avatar
21 votes
3 answers
2k views

What causes these 'bite marks' that appear consistently on new bricks?

I purchased a set (second hand) which has the following defects on the 75°-sloped, inverted 2x1x3 blocks: I assumed they were teeth-marks and asked the seller for replacements, and he found and ...
sblair's user avatar
  • 313
18 votes
3 answers
7k views

Is it possible to build Lego bricks with a makerbot replicator 3D print?

Is it possible for plates, tiles or small pieces ? Is it possible to use MLCAD with a Makerbot replicator?
john lamarck's user avatar
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

Under what conditions are the LEGO boardgame dice unfair, and by how much?

For LEGO's board game line, they have moulded a LEGO die, with a 2x2 stud pattern on each side. Obviously, weight distribution is going to be thrown off if you use a full studless plate on one side ...
user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
669 views

Are the molds for LEGO bricks maintained in house or is maintanance partly outsourced?

I'm a maintenance engineer myself and busy with my MBA courses with the following strategic question: what maintenance can be outsourced or not. I was wondering if Lego does all maintenance of the ...
Marco Stayen's user avatar
7 votes
4 answers
26k views

How much does an average LEGO brick cost to produce?

I know that LEGO bricks approximately sell for 10 cents per piece but what does it cost to make an average brick?
Snyder's user avatar
  • 71
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

What is the difference between the plastic used in mainstream minifigs and the plastic used to make the popular collectable series of minifigs?

What is the difference (if there even is a difference) between the plastic used in mainstream minifigs and the plastic used in the popular collectable minifig series? It seems to me that the ...
Major Stackings's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
614 views

Where are the cloth / fabric minifigure capes / cloaks in my set?

I purchased The Mines of Moria (Lego Lord of the Rings item 9473) directly from The Big Store in Legoland, Florida. When I opened it up at home, the capes / cloaks for Pippin and Boromir were missing....
JoshDM's user avatar
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