Theprocess
1. The plastic
Thefigures start life as
thousandsof tonnesof
tinyplastic granules,
which shoot along50km
of pipes into themain
factory.
2. Moulding
Thepelletsareheated to
up to200
o
Cand injected
intoaspeciallydesigned
moulduntil theycool
andmovealongona
conveyorbelt.
3. Printing
Piecesare injection
printed,whether that
means theclassiceyes
and smileordetails like
eyepatches forpirates.
4. Figure
assembly
Playmobil figures, the
simplest ofwhich are
madeupof sevenparts,
areassembledby a
machine in around
1.5 seconds.
5. Packaging
Thefigures arepre-
packaged, ieput inclear
bags, beforebeingput in
their final box.
1974:
Thefirst
figures, designed
byHansBeck, are
aNativeAmerican,
aknight anda
construction
worker.
2014:
Playmobil
turns40and
celebratesby
turningout a record
110mfigures.
2015:
Around
4,600 characters
havebeen
developedover
40 years.
1976:
Thefirst
femalecharacters
aredesignedas
figures roleout of
theMalta factory.
1986:
Thepirate is
thefirst figurewith
a roundbelly.
1982:
New
multi-component
mouldingmeans
thatfigurescanhave
rotatinghands.
Playmobil
pieces are
injection-
moulded
by270
machines
andgo
throughan
elaborate
process,
fromplastic
pellets to
products
Evolutionofthe
Playmobilcharacter
N
ot far fromMalta airport,
192newfigures areborn
everyminute– and
whether they’repirates,
policemenor princesses,
they’re always smiling. TheGerman
Playmobil company produces all its figures
on theMediterranean island, andhas done
since 1976–2.8billionhavebeenmade in
theMalta factory since then.
“Itwas anobviouschoice tocomehere
back in the ’70s,” saysMatthiasFauser,
COOof PlaymobilMalta. “Therewas full
employment inGermany, butMaltawas
newly independent, close toourmarket
andoffereda really goodpackage. The
factory’sbeengrowingever since, and
investing inmakingeverythingautomated.”
Today, 1,000peoplework inMalta’s
second-largest factory, which sees 270
injectionmouldingmachines createup
tofivemillionpieces of plastic aday.
Last year Playmobil celebrated its 40th
anniversarywith another record year:
€600million (NOK5.6bn) in turnover, and
110millionmore smiling figures. “We’re
smiling, too,” notes Fauser.
playmobil.com
Norwegianflies toMalta fromOsloand
Copenhagen.Bookflights,ahotelanda
rental caratnorwegian.com
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