Alexei Volkov
Lego is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) that accompany an array of gears, figurines called minifigures, and various other parts. The Lego Group began manufacturing the interlocking toy bricks in 1949, two years after they bought an injection moulding machine to make plastic toys. The basic Lego brick has remained the same since the 1950s, and this simple, child-friendly design has been credited with the toys' longevity.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year plastic Lego came out | 1949 |
| Name of the plastic Lego | Automatic Binding Bricks |
| Year plastic Lego was patented | 1958 |
| Year plastic accounted for half of Lego's output | 1951 |
| Year plastic Lego was manufactured in Norway | 1953 |
| Year Lego abandoned wooden toys | 1960 |
| Year Lego began using ABS plastic | 1963 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first plastic Lego bricks were produced in 1949
- Lego bricks were originally made from cellulose acetate
- Since 1963, Lego bricks have been made from ABS plastic
- Lego's plastic products were initially manufactured in Norway
- Lego bricks are made with a variety of plastics, including polypropylene and SAN
The first plastic Lego bricks were produced in 1949
The Lego Group's journey with plastic toys began in 1947 when the company bought an injection moulding machine. The company's employees began experimenting with plastics, and in 1949, Lego produced its first plastic brick, which was an early version of the now-famous interlocking bricks. These bricks were called "Automatic Binding Bricks" and were based on the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, invented by Hilary Page in 1939 and patented in the United Kingdom in 1940.
The plastic bricks were a development of the traditional stackable wooden blocks that Lego had been manufacturing since 1932. The basic Lego brick design has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s, and this simple, child-friendly design has been credited with the toy's longevity and massive popularity in the mid-20th century. By 1951, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output, and in 1953, the name “Automatic Binding Bricks” was removed, and the toys were simply called "Lego Mursten" (Danish for Lego bricks).
In 1958, the Lego brick in its present form, with hollow tubes in the underside for better interlocking capability, was patented by Godtfred Kirk, who replaced his father, Ole Kirk Christiansen, as the head of the Lego company. Lego bricks soon caught on throughout Europe, and in 1968, the first Legoland theme park opened in Billund, Denmark. Lego has continued to innovate and expand its product line, introducing wheels in 1961 and 1962, Duplo bricks for younger children in 1969, and Minifigures in 1978.
Over the years, Lego has become a global enterprise, with production and sales in Norway beginning in 1953 and Lego Canada being established in 1988. The company has also expanded into new areas of toy-making and marketing, targeting different age groups and interests, such as pre-school children, girls with the Lego Homemaker theme, and fans of popular culture franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Lego was inducted into the US National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998 and was named "Toy of the Century" by multiple authorities in 2000.
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Lego bricks were originally made from cellulose acetate
In 1947, after World War II, Christiansen purchased an injection moulding machine, and Lego began experimenting with plastic toys. In 1949, Lego produced its first plastic brick, an early version of the now-iconic interlocking bricks, called "Automatic Binding Bricks". These plastic bricks were based on the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, invented by Hilary Page in 1939 and patented in the UK in 1940. The bricks were originally manufactured from cellulose acetate, marking a shift from the traditional stackable wooden blocks.
By 1951, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output, and Lego was well on its way to becoming a global enterprise. In 1953, the name "Automatic Binding Bricks" was removed, and the toys were simply called "Lego Mursten" (Danish for Lego bricks). That same year, the Lego name was moulded into all bricks, and the company began to expand beyond the Danish market.
In 1963, Lego transitioned from using cellulose acetate to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic), which is still in use today. ABS is a more stable material that is non-toxic, less prone to discolouration and warping, and more resistant to heat, acids, salt, and other chemicals. This transition marked a significant step in the evolution of Lego bricks, ensuring their durability and longevity.
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Since 1963, Lego bricks have been made from ABS plastic
The Lego Group began in the carpentry workshop of Danish furniture maker, Ole Kirk Christiansen, in 1932. Initially, he crafted wooden toys, but in 1934, he named his company Lego, derived from the Danish phrase "leg godt", meaning "play well".
In 1947, Lego expanded into plastic toys, and in 1949, the company produced its first plastic brick, an early version of the now-iconic interlocking bricks. These plastic toys were marketed under the name "Automatic Binding Bricks". By 1951, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output, and in 1953, the name "Automatic Binding Bricks" was removed, with the product simply called "Lego Mursten".
However, it was not until 1963 that Lego bricks were manufactured with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, which is still in use today. ABS is a non-toxic material that is more resistant to heat, acids, salt, and other chemicals. It is also less prone to warping and discolouration. The switch to ABS plastic in 1963 marked a significant step in the evolution of Lego bricks, ensuring their durability and longevity.
Over the years, Lego has continued to innovate and experiment with different types of plastics, such as polypropylene for flexible parts and corn-based PLA for sustainable bricks. While ABS is the most well-known plastic used by Lego, the company employs a wide variety of materials depending on the specific use case.
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Lego's plastic products were initially manufactured in Norway
Lego was first established in 1932 in the carpentry workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, a Danish furniture maker. In 1934, he named his company Lego, derived from the Danish phrase "leg godt", meaning "play well". Initially, the company made wooden toys, but in 1947, Lego expanded into plastic toys. The company's first plastic products were introduced in 1949, including an early version of the now-famous interlocking bricks, called "Automatic Binding Bricks". These bricks were based on the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, invented by Hilary Page in 1939 and patented in the United Kingdom in 1940.
In 1951, the name "Automatic Binding Bricks" was supplemented by the Danish name "Lego Mursten" (literally Lego bricks) as the company fully embraced plastic production. By 1954, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output, despite initial scepticism from Danish trade magazine 'Legetøjs-Tidende ("Toy Times")' that plastic would never replace traditional wooden toys.
In 1963, Lego ended its agreement with the Norwegian plastics company when Norway lifted its import restrictions. Lego replaced cellulose acetate, the original material used to create Lego bricks, with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic), which is still in use today. ABS is non-toxic, less prone to discolouration and warping, and more resistant to heat, acids, salt, and other chemicals.
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Lego bricks are made with a variety of plastics, including polypropylene and SAN
Lego bricks are made from plastic, specifically acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). The company began using plastic as the primary material for their bricks in the late 1940s, with the first plastic toys being produced in 1947. The Lego Group started manufacturing the plastic interlocking toy bricks in 1949, and by 1951, plastic toys accounted for half of the company's output.
Over the years, Lego has used a variety of plastics for its bricks, including polypropylene and SAN. Polypropylene is a tough and flexible plastic, used for Lego elements that could break easily if they were made from a more rigid plastic. Its durability and high melting point make it suitable for Lego bricks that need to maintain their shape and structural integrity under high temperatures. SAN, on the other hand, is a clear, glassy plastic that is rigid and strong but may turn yellow over time. It is often used for inexpensive drinkware, and Lego likely used it for windscreens from the 1970s to the early 1990s.
Lego has also experimented with other types of plastic, such as polyethylene, polycarbonate, and cellulose acetate. In 2018, Lego announced that it would use bio-derived polyethylene for its botanical elements, and in 2021, the company stated its intention to produce bricks without using crude oil, although this decision was reversed in 2023. The company has tested over 250 variations of PET, as well as hundreds of other plastics, including corn, algae, and wheat.
The types of plastic used by Lego are carefully chosen to ensure durability, flexibility, and safety. The exact plastic formulations are trade secrets, and the company adheres to strict manufacturing standards to ensure the quality and safety of its products.
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Frequently asked questions
Lego started making plastic toys in 1947.
Lego produced its first plastic brick in 1949.
The first plastic bricks were called "Automatic Binding Bricks".
Originally, the bricks were made from cellulose acetate. In 1963, this was replaced by acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS plastic).
Lego stopped making wooden toys in 1960, following a warehouse fire that destroyed most of the company's inventory of wooden toys.
