Legoweb > Making the Bricks

Making the bricks is a long and complex process. Here are some of the major steps which it evolves...

The bricks start the journey as little granules. They are taken to huge storage silos, like the 14 at Kornmarken, Billund! Each silo holds 30 tonnes (33 tons) although they are normally only filled up to the 26 tonne mark (28 tons).

From there they are piped into the moulding machines. These are sophisticated pieces of equipment and when the boxes are full, they automatically call a truck to pick it up. At Kornmarken, two operators control 64 moulding machines. What a job!

The bricks are melted at 220-235 degrees Centigrade and are moulded to an accuracy of 0.005 mm. This takes 7-10 seconds.

Next the pieces are transported to another factory where they are finished off. The paint is added, along with tyres to wheels and arms to bodies. All the machines apply heavy pressure to ensure that the items cannot be dislodged. The paint if also added with precision and a four-colour pattern is applied in one stamp. An ingenious system secures the people in just the right position.

Finally, the pieces are packaged and prepared to be sent to the shops. Special equipment ensures that pieces are not missed out and display trays are manually packed.

And last of all ......... we buy them!