The LEGO House is offering visitors the opportunity to buy a 3D-printed LEGO minifigure-sized duck for a limited time only in November.
The duck is the first stand-alone 3D-printed element to be released by the LEGO Group. Previously, a 3D-printed element had been included in a special edition set given to participants in the 2019 LEGO Inside Tour.
“We are excited by the possibilities of additive manufacturing and can’t wait to hear from our fans. We will use their feedback to help shape future innovation as we continue to test the limits of 3D-printing technology," said Ronen Hadar, Head of the LEGO Group’s Additive Design & Manufacturing team. “We’ve worked incredibly hard to make sure our 3D-printed elements meet our very strict quality, safety and durability requirements. And as for this duck, it’s gone through extra quality checks to ensure its beak smoothly opens and closes!”
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing will sit alongside injection moulding technology in the company’s factories. Injection moulding allows the company to make bricks at high speed, while the newer technology offers greater flexibility to support product innovation and, in the future, make a greater variety of elements in smaller volumes. All elements are subjected to the same quality and safety checks.
The duck element will be available exclusively in the LEGO House store as part of the Minifigure Factory experience on the following weekends:
- 11-13 November
- 18-20 November
- 25-27 November