Custom Toy Manufacturing Services: How Toys Are Made

You may be curious, how are toys made? As an OEM and ODM factory, we have a variety of special manufacturing machines that can help produce customized toys.

Why Custom Toy Manufacturing

People like unique and creative things, hence the variety of toys in stores. Unlike mass-produced toys, customized ones have a specific purpose, audience, and theme.

If toy A is ordinary, but toy B has personalized packaging and brand design, it will usually attract more consumers than toy A. B is a customized toy because it is different from other toys and can satisfy a niche market or specific consumers.

The benefits of custom toy manufacturing include optimization of details, management of logistics and supply chain, and strict quality control.

Customization Options

The most exciting thing about custom toy manufacturing is that it offers many customization options.

From color and shape to functions and features, manufacturers can customize every aspect of a toy. Even if you are not good at design, the manufacturer can model and customize it for you according to your description.

Like all custom services, custom toy manufacturers can also make personalized products for you. Unique toys will make it easier for you to succeed in business.

Logistics and Supply Chain Management

You know, in cross-border trade, cargo transportation and customs clearance are tedious tasks. Without a stable supply chain, you may lose customers because you cannot put your products on the shelves on time.

Custom toy manufacturers will take care of all this because we have an efficient logistics and supply chain management system.

Maintaining long-term and stable cooperation with suppliers can ensure that our production plans are completed on time and with quality.
Our professional team will customize logistics solutions according to your situation and simplify the process. This can minimize delays and costs.

Quality Control and Assurance

No one wants to buy inferior products, so quality control and assurance are essential in toy manufacturing. Customization is a personalized service, and we want to ensure that every detail meets safety standards and your expectations.

Quality control starts from selecting safe and non-toxic raw materials to every step of manufacturing. Our engineers and technicians take strict quality control measures to ensure that every custom toy delivered is qualified.

How Toys Are Made

In OEM and ODM factories, making toys usually requires several processes: prototype design and making, material selection and sourcing, manufacturing, assembly, etc.

Prototype Design and Making

You need to tell us what kind of toys you want to make, including type, size, specifications, packaging design, etc.

For example, you have a branded toy with a unique design, you need to tell us its specifications. 3D models are best because we can clearly know what it looks like. Well, you can certainly send samples for us, which is nice.

On the other hand, we can also help you design toys and 3D modeling according to your description and ideas. After analysis and testing by our engineers, we will make samples and send them to you for review. By adjustment and confirmation, we will mass produce it.

Lab Safety Testing

Children’s toys have strict safety requirements, so before manufacturing, our engineers will conduct physical and chemical tests on samples in the laboratory.

One of them is the boron content test. Currently, the Huilian factory can manufacture boron-free (zero boron content rather than very low) toys, including super light clay, slime putty and foam clay.

In addition, there are microbial (bacteria and fungi) tests, viscosity tests, humidity tests and softness tests. These lab tests can ensure that the toys we produce are safe and non-toxic.

Material Selection and Sourcing

We will select suppliers and source suitable materials based on the needs.

With decades of operation, we have worked with many long-term and stable suppliers. They provide us with high-quality and reasonably priced raw materials, which greatly saves production time and cost. This is the key to our annual output of millions.

Of course, the final beneficiary is you, as you will cost less to get high-quality toys and get more profits.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing of toys is carried out in a dust-free and sterile workshop, including production, mixing, cutting and packaging. It’s completed by automated production lines and professional technicians.

Production

Taking clay toys as an example, technicians will mix and foam the raw materials to make super lightweight clay. All the materials have passed QC according to the formula. After production, we will place the clay on the shelves to rest for a period of time.

Stirring

Take the clay out of the sealing bag on the shelf, cut it into small pieces and put it into the blender.

The machine will squeeze and knead the clay to make the air in it escape. The blended clay will be softer and more elastic.

Cutting

After stirring, the clay will come out through a small opening (or several openings) where it will be molded into a specific shape. Depending on the shape of the opening, the clay can come out as a cylinder, an oblate cylinder, or a triangle (one side is round).

Then, the clay will pass through a cutter and be cut into uniform sizes. The cutter is controlled by a program and will cut according to the set specifications.

Packaging

According to the packaging requirements, the cut clay will be packed into bags or boxes. This process is mainly completed automatically by a specific packaging machine. And technicians will supervise and adjust it to ensure the normal operation.

In addition, each of the above steps has quality control personnel to screen and remove unqualified clay. The unqualified finished products will be discarded and remade.

Toy Assembly and Finishing

The assembly process is usually done manually. The staff will put qualified toy products (including sealed air-dried clay, tools and molds, etc.) into outer packaging. Then, they will put the packages neatly into the warehouse, waiting for final inspection and shipment.

Toys Making Technology

At Huilian Toy Factory, the main technologies we use are mold making and injection molding. Although they are not new, like scissors, they always work.

Mold Making

Mold making starts with a detailed design, and we create it using CAD software. Then, based on the 3D model, we make physical molds out of durable steel or aluminum. With the molds, we can create complex and consistent shapes, ensuring that each toy is the same.

We use molds for mass production, so after we have finished making them, they need to be tested and improved to ensure that all details meet the needs of custom toys.

Injection Molding

Injection molding is the process of injecting molten material (usually plastic) into a prefabricated mold under high pressure. The material fills the mold cavity, taking on its shape and details. After cooling, the mold opens and the product is ready.

In toy manufacturing, injection molding technology mainly makes accessories. For example, containers (plastic boxes or storage boxes) for sand and air dry clay, noodle machines and molds in playdough sets, etc.

The advantages of injection molding are high efficiency and low cost, and we can use it to mass-produce the same toy accessories.

Today, mold making and injection molding are still the main technologies in toy manufacturing. They combine precision engineering with creative design to create fun and reliable toys.

What is the Difference Between OEM and ODM

The difference between them is just the word in the middle.

OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer.
ODM: Original Design Manufacturer.

OEM means we have the technology and equipment to make toys, and we can produce according to the toy design and specifications you provide. On the other hand, ODM means we can both design and manufacture the toys.

OEM vs ODM

	OEM	ODM
Full name	Original Equipment Manufacturer	Original Design Manufacturer
Mode	Only manufacture	Design + Manufacturing
Ideal For	For unique, proprietary products	For white-label or existing product designs
Customization	High degree of customization possible	Limited customization, mostly cosmetic changes
Minimum Order Quantity(MOQ)	Higher	Lower
Intellectual Property	Client owns the IP and product design	Manufacturer owns the IP and product design

Toy Safety Regulations and Standards

Whether manufacturing or selling, we must comply with toy safety regulations and standards. These files protect not only children from the harm of inferior toys, but also your rights.

Certifications for Toy Safety: Regulations You Must Know >>>

Bad money drives out good money, and bad toys are always cheap, and they are easy to win in commercial competition. But this victory will eventually make consumers lose confidence in toys, which is bad for everyone.

That’s why each country has its own toy safety guidelines, which are usually mandatory.

At present, Europe’s EN71 and the United States’ ASTM F963 are the most popular safety standards. When you import and sell toys, the customs or relevant departments will ask you to show relevant test reports and certifications.

EN71 vs ASTM F963

	EN 71	ASTM F963
Main Market	European Union	United States
Mechanical and Physical Properties	Ensures no physical hazards like sharp edges or small parts.	Similar requirements, with additional tests for impact and torque.
Flammability	Toys must not be highly flammable.	Limits on flammability.
Heavy Metal Migration Limits	More stringent limits on 17 metals	Less stringent limits, only 8 metals
Hygiene	Toys for children under 36 months must be hygienic and easy to clean.	Focuses on overall toy hygiene, including requirements for materials in contact with the mouth.
Third-Party Testing	Not always required, can rely on self-certification	Mandatory third-party testing by CPSC-accredited labs
Microbiological Safety	/	New requirements
Labeling and Warnings	Clear labeling with safety warnings and age recommendations.	Detailed labeling requirements, including warnings, age grading, and instructional literature.

Toy Manufacturing Capabilities: Why Choose Huilian

As one of the best children’s toy manufacturers in China, AKIA Group (Huilian’s parent company) was founded in 1982. For more than 40 years, we have been providing high-quality toys such as air dry clay, playdough, slime and more around the world.

Today, AKIA Group has 2 toy manufacturing factories covering an area of 40,000 square meters and more than 300 professional staff. In the factory, we are equipped with advanced injection molding machines and assembly lines, which ensure we can produce 1 million toys per year.

In the past decades, our toys have been exported to over 50 countries. These high-quality toys have won reputation and profits for 300 B2B customers and well-known brands.

As a toy maker, we take children’s happiness and healthy growth as our mission. We have held ourselves to the high standards of the toy industry. Because of professional service, we are proud to be one of the most favorite OEM/ODM toy manufacturers for buyers and wholesalers.

Create Your Own Custom Toy Today!