The world’s most popular brands require a well organised and efficient system to meet their demand. The colourful and simplistic design of Lego has made them a favourite amongst children and adults alike for decades. Lego kits can have hundreds of little pieces and with thousands of units being sold worldwide every day, the system to make these fun blocks is second to none. At Prime Engineering, we are fascinated by the efficiency and machines behind these processes, they are truly an engineering marvel! Let’s take a look at some of the amazing tools inside the Lego mega-factory that produces an incredible 21 billion blocks per year in Billund, Denmark.
The plastic used to make the blocks starts off in small pellet or bead shapes. Before they are shaped into their iconic brick form, the beads are dyed in their required colours in batches using a machine that circulates dye to totally coat them. Moulding the bricks is slightly different for every shape that they make, the raw beads are fed into a hydraulic injection moulding machine that moulds them to their intended shape. Plastic spikes are used to shape the indentations of the bricks and are disposed of with the faulty bricks and other byproducts from the process.
Once the bricks are formed they are then sorted. There are multiple stages of sorting, from quality control to types of bricks, to the separation of the bricks into the kits that they are sold in. This process requires speed, at a production rate of 36,000 lego pieces per minute or 2.16 million per hour this task isn’t for the average human eye. A series of sorting machines performs these tasks with incredible accuracy, precision and speed.
Once they are all boxed up on a separate assembly line, they are shipped around the world to retailers who bring them to you! Billund, Denmark is Lego’s first and largest factory but these incredible processes are completed at multiple Lego factories around the world and produce a total of over 75 billion blocks per year.
The Lego factory is a spectacular example of how engineering and machinery can revolutionise and expand business processes. Without these tools, it would not be possible for a singular factory to produce the output quantities of the Lego Billund location! These marvellous outcomes inspire us at Prime Engineering. If you are looking to take your mechanical engineering resources to the next level, our experienced team can help you with custom designs and services to suit your needs. Contact us today!
