An action figure is rarely one moulding. A five inch articulated figure typically needs four to eight separate tools: torso halves, arms, legs, head, hands and a set of joint pins. The way those parts are split, gated and assembled decides whether the figure stands up straight, holds a pose after a month on a shelf, and passes a drop test in the retail box.
We build figures from that tooling plan outward, in PVC plastisol for soft detail parts and rigid ABS or POM where a joint has to carry load.
Why multi-part tooling instead of one mould
A single-piece body cannot carry undercuts at the elbow or knee, and it cannot be painted in separate colours without masking everything. Splitting the body lets each part be moulded in the colour it will finally be, keeps the paint operation to the areas that need it, and allows the joint design to use a different, harder material than the visible skin.
- Undercuts at joints become possible without sliders in every tool
- Parts can be moulded in different resins on the same platform
- Paint and tampo work stays on flat, accessible surfaces
- A single body platform can carry several heads and costumes
Articulation design
Ball joints are used where a limb needs a cone of movement: shoulders, hips and neck. Hinge joints suit elbows and knees, where the movement is single-axis and the joint has to resist collapse. Swivels are added at the thigh and upper arm when the pose requires rotation. Joint pins are moulded in POM rather than the body resin, because POM keeps a low-friction surface after repeated assembly and does not creep under a sustained load.
Specification
| Height | 3.75, 5, 6, 7 and 12 inch platforms; custom heights from tooling |
|---|---|
| Body material | PVC plastisol (soft parts), rigid ABS (armour and hard parts) |
| Joint material | POM pins and sockets, nylon inserts on high-load joints |
| Articulation | 9 to 20 points depending on the platform |
| Surface | Moulded texture, sanded seams, or matte varnish |
| Tooling | P20 steel, 200k to 500k shots, 4 to 8 tools per figure |
| MOQ | 1,000 pieces per figure, 3,000 for a new body platform |
Painting and printing
Spray painting runs in a booth with masking jigs cut for each part. Tampo printing covers face features, markings and small graphics up to six colours. Where a buyer wants a weathered or metallic look, we quote a wash and dry-brush step as a separate operation, because it is hand work and does not scale like printing.
Tooling schedule
DFM review takes about a week. Tooling for a four-part figure runs 30 to 40 days, first articles follow in 10 to 14 days, and production starts after the sample is signed off. Changes to joint geometry after steel is cut are expensive, so the articulation study is done on the drawing, not on the mould.
Licensing and compliance
Where a design refers to a film, game, sports or entertainment property, the buyer must hold the licence and provide written authorisation before tooling starts. We do not reproduce protected characters on our own initiative. Figures intended for children are produced to the safety standard the buyer specifies, with test reports issued by an accredited third-party laboratory appointed by the buyer.
