Toy Factory

Go inside the toy factory with this LEGO build that sees the playthings go from floor to floor via the conveyor built system

This family-owned toy manufacturing business has gone through many changes over the years. It began as a growing concern that only occupied the ground floor and was solely reliant on manual labour and skilled craftsmen. As demand increased, so did the business and they invested in an additional two floors to accommodate a bigger workforce and new machinery to optimise parts of the process.

The manufacturing process flows from the top floor, the product works its way down through some well-positioned chutes linking the floors and strategically placing the product onto the conveyor belt below.

toy factory - 03 - whittling

lego

Floor 2 – Whittling and Management

The first part of the process involves whittling the raw material into the shape of the product. It’s clearly the most labour-intensive part of the process which generates a lot of swarf which needs to be cleared regularly throughout the working day.

The second floor also accommodates the management office, a modest space but key to the success of the business. The owner is rapidly approaching retirement and has begun the process of handing over the reins to his son which has made the workforce uneasy – rumour has it that he is not committed to the toy manufacturing business and he’s all too aware of the value of the factory’s footprint as it’s located in a very up and coming neighbourhood.

toy factory - 05 - maintenance guy

Floor 1 – Heat Processing and Paint Shop

This floor houses one of the large investments the business made in manufacturing machinery – the AK-S900 which cures the product and applies a base coat in just under 120 seconds. This is followed by the process of hand painting the detail onto the product – a highly skilled task which requires a very steady hand.

toy factory - 09 - goods out

Ground Floor – Quality Control and Goods Out

This business prides itself on a quality product so this is an important part of the process requiring an acute attention to detail. Rejected products are put to one side and only those that meet the high standards of the Quality Assurance Officer leave via Goods Out and ultimately into the hands of the consumer.

toy factory - 01 - front

I wanted to build something that felt a little like a modular set but could be photographed in a single shot to tell the story of a day in the life of this Toy Factory. I also wanted a series of floors that felt diverse but also connected, while at the same time showing a business that has expanded upwards from their beginnings in a brick built factory – no pun intended.

The first floor is my personal favourite as it was a chance to use the gorgeous olive green panels I’d acquired for the first time. I love the mix of colours on this floor as well as the minifigures which tell a tale of their own!

Enjoy!

See more of Justin’s work at his Flickr feed, which can be found under the handle justin_m_winn

Author Profile

Justin Winn
I'm long-time LEGO fan who fully emerged from my ‘dark age’ in 2014, after three children and a lot of LEGO building reignited my interest. My first love is Classic Space – they're the first sets I owned – and this passion is reflected in my creations as a recurring theme. You can see my LEGO builds on Flickr, where my handle is justin_m_winn.

Justin Winn

I'm long-time LEGO fan who fully emerged from my ‘dark age’ in 2014, after three children and a lot of LEGO building reignited my interest. My first love is Classic Space – they're the first sets I owned – and this passion is reflected in my creations as a recurring theme. You can see my LEGO builds on Flickr, where my handle is justin_m_winn.

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