I Didn't Know That: Doll Factory
Visit a factory in Yiwu, China, where workers use 500,000 tons of polyethylene plastic to make five million Lucy dolls each year.
Transcript
JONNY PHILLIPS: I can't believe it, Richard and I have managed to score a date with two of the 20th Century's hottest fashion icons.
RICHARD AMBROSE: I know they don't do much, and they don't say a lot. But they look great.
NARRATOR: Though the boy's fantasy dates look kind of Swedish, they actually come from.....China.
Population: 1.3 billion.
Here in Yiwu, the last 30 years have seen a huge increase in the economy with production of one of their biggest exports: toys.
This factory in Yiwu makes Lucy Dolls.
They're made out of a polyethylene plastic - similar to the material that's used to make plastic carrier bags.
This type of plastic is cheap, flexible and fire retardant, and they use 500,000 tons of it to make 5 million dolls a year.
The plastic is melted down into a liquid form at 150 degrees Celsius. Then it flows into these doll moulds.
One side of the machine is the head, torso and arms, the other, the backside and legs.
All of the doll pieces get joined by hand. This chap is the Lucy Doll champion putting together a staggering 10,000 dolls every day.
The faces are painted using a lead-free oil based paint. Each stage of Lucy's make-up is done separately.
The heads are then stored in a bucket where a light bulb keeps them warm and softens the plastic, making it easier to sew the hair on.
The hair is made from polymer nylon and a team of hairdressers makes sure Lucy looks her best, by giving her a full-on hair cut and style.
The dolls dresses are made out of a variety of different materials, and the patterns are pressed out in bulk.
The complex designs are sewn together by a team of expert seamstresses.
After being dressed, Lucy goes through Quality Control and then she's ready for her big date with Richard .... Ding Dong!
