We're locking in tight, forever holding on with clutch

The physics of Lego bricks

Chapter 1

Clutch power and friction

Chapter 2

The magic of ABS plastic

Chapter 3

Extreme precision engineering

Chapter 4

Structural limits and giant builds

YOUR GOAL

Master of The physics of Lego bricks

Ch 3 · Extreme precision engineering

lego The life of a mold

lego LEGO Clutch Power

We're locking in tight, forever holding on with clutch power!

lego High pressure injection molding

The life of a mold

lego Lego molds are retired and buried in concrete to prevent counterfeits.

High pressure injection molding

lego Liquid plastic is forced into metal molds under massive pressure.

Extreme precision engineering

BETA

lego Adjust microscopic brick measurements to discover why they click together and never wear out.

Fun Fact

Perfect bricks: Out of every one million Lego bricks manufactured, only about 18 fail to meet the company's strict quality standards.

Glossary

tolerance (noun)
An allowable amount of variation of a specified quantity, especially in the dimensions of a machine or part. Lego maintains a microscopic manufacturing tolerance of 0.002 millimeters to ensure its blocks always interlock perfectly.

Gossip

How do you organize bricks?

Quiz

In what year was the modern interlocking Lego brick design patented?

lego Universal compatibility across decades

Quiz

Why can a Lego brick made today still fit perfectly with a Lego brick from 1958?

lego The two micrometer rule

Quiz

What is used to color the raw plastic granules before they are molded into Lego bricks?

Quiz

Why does the Lego Group bury retired metal molds in concrete under factory floors?

Quiz

What manufacturing process is used to shape liquid plastic into Lego bricks?

Quiz

Approximately how many manufactured Lego bricks out of every million fail quality tests?

Quiz

Where is the global headquarters of the Lego Group located?

Quiz

What is the maximum manufacturing error tolerance allowed for Lego bricks?