From a play idea to a global success story

50 years ago, a success story began that is still going strong today: the first Playmobil figures from the Horst Brandstätter Group conquered the hearts of children as knights, American Indians and construction workers. Since then, the range has expanded rapidly - there are now over 6,600 different figure variants and around 100 million new figures are produced every year. But what is actually behind these small but detailed play figures? A look behind the scenes shows how much technological innovation and safety awareness goes into every single figure.

The structure of a Playmobil figure
A Playmobil figure consists of several individual parts:

•    Head
•    Hairstyle or headgear
•    Torso
•    Two arms
•    Lower body

A particularly important production step is the attachment of the hairstyle or headgear. These are ultrasonically welded onto the figure's head - a technology that not only ensures the necessary safety but also guarantees the highest quality.


Safety thanks to innovative ultrasound technology
To prevent small children from swallowing the headgear, it must be firmly attached to the figures' heads. This safety aspect is ensured by a special ultrasonic welding process. The advantages of this method:

•    Non-detachable connection of head and headgear
•    Tensile strength tested for each welded part
•    Complete documentation of each individual welding process
•    Automatic quality inspection, which immediately rejects defective parts

Perfect welding geometry and high-precision technology
To meet the demanding quality criteria, Playmobil has been working closely with Weber Ultrasonics for over 10 years. We advise Playmobil on the optimum welding geometry for the heads and headgear as early as the design phase. This ensures that the welding process runs efficiently and reliably.


Quality control at the highest level
The systems designed for Playmobil are based on the modular SAPHIR welding system and set new standards in production. They are not only highly flexible and compatible, but also enable seamless monitoring and documentation of all process parameters thanks to state-of-the-art generator and control technologies. Numerous safety and control functions are also integrated, including

•    Mechanical quality control by means of a tensile test
•    Height control of the components
•    Product marking for seamless traceability
•    Automatic sorting of faulty parts

Conclusion: Playmobil stands for quality and safety
Playmobil has been delighting children all over the world for 50 years - and behind every figure is a highly developed production process that meets the highest safety and quality standards. By using the latest ultrasound technology and precise quality controls, Playmobil ensures that the little play figures are not only fun to play with, but also absolutely safe for children. A recipe for success that is sure to last for many decades to come!