The first stage of developing a plush is making a sample. Every time you place and order for a new plush it is important to develop a sample with the factory you wish to work with. Usually factories will require pictures, blueprints or a previous existing model in order to replicate the sample. It is always good to make a sample before confirming an order, this allows you to have final approval before launching mass production in order to know exactly what your plush will look like.

Plush Production Process- Sample Development

Once you have approved the sample its time to start mass production of the plush. The first step is cutting the fabric. There are many ways to cut the fabric, by using a machine and a mold which cuts through the fabric.

Plush Production Process - Cutting Fabric using a Mold

The second technique to cut plush toy fabric is by using a laser cutting machine. Usually these machines are used when the fabric being cut requires more attention to detail and accuracy. Laser machinery is extremely precise and can cut fabric into small shapes.

Plush Production Process - Cutting Fabric using Laser Machinery

Once all the fabric is cut it is transported to the sewing department. Usually sewing departments in plush factories are comprised of workers and sewing machines. This task is purely manual labor. Workers will sew the textile fabric parts together using sewing machines.

Plush Production Process - Sewing Department

If certain fabric requires embroidery they will be embroidered before being sewn to the rest of the fabric. Embroidery machines are purely automated and do the job quite rapidly depending on the complexity of the embroidery required.

Plush Production Process - Machine Embroidery

Once the embroidery is finished, the fabric needs to be sewn together in order to obtain a full plush body shape.

Additional parts can be sewn on at this moment such as hair or other kinds of fabric in order to create the desired plush design required.

Depending on the type of plush you’re interested in producing some additional steps may be required. For example certain plush models will require clothing, thus additional fabric will need to be cut and sewn and eventually put on the plush doll.

A crucial step of the production of plush toys is the stuffing, referring to the inside of the plush toy. All plush dolls are stuffed with material to make the plush bulky and give it the body volume required. This is a very important step. Each plush needs to be stuffed to the same proportion as the entire order. This is important or else some plush toys will be bulkier then others which may end up giving a strange look to the final product.

Plush Production Process - Stuffing Department

Plush Production Process - Printing Labels

All plush toys around the world require labels. Labels are programmed (bar-code) and designed by computer. Most of the time you may obtain these from your end client or you will need a designer to make one for you. It is very rare that factories in China have the ability to design the label. We recommend using our designer services or your in house capabilities for this task. Factories have machines that print the labels. Any size label is possible to create upon your request. Labels are printed as one long strip, thus they need to be cut and eventually are passed along to the sewing the department to be sewn to the plush. Labels are important to include on plush toys. They usually include a bar code, or directives of how to wash the doll or the substances in the plush, health standards that the product respects etc.

We have done several plush orders in the past where we also included a plastic hand-tag in order to facilitate holding the plush in retail stores.

Plush Production Process - Quality Control Unit

All plush factories have internal quality control departments. These units use a perfect sample of the plush being inspected and compare all units with the perfect model. The employees will pull on the limbs and sides of the plush in order to make sure that the sewing is sufficiently strong in order to avoid the plush to fall apart.

Units that are found defective are discarded. If the problems are extremely important the plush is destroyed and the material is thrown out since it is not re-usable. If there are small problems, the defective unit will be put aside in order to rework the specific problem.

Even though Quality Control departments are frequently found in plush factories we always recommend to perform independent quality control inspections during the production and before the final goods are shipped out of the factory. This allows you to obtain an independent perspective of the job done on your order.

Packaging is the last process of the production process. It is very important to use strong carton boxes in order to avoid damage to the merchandise during shipment. There are several ways to package plush toys. The most basic manner is to seal each piece in a polybag and put many units inside a large carton box.

Plush Production Process - Packaging

Some plush orders require higher end packaging in order to have a higher presentation once on the retail shelf. A box packaging for each unit can be used to package the plush. Each piece of the plush will have its own packaging with full color print requested by the client. These kinds of packaging are more costly and will increase freight costs but will make your plush stand out on the retail shelf!

It is difficult to find a quality supplier of plush suppliers. Use our expertise in making plush toys, we can help you with any kind of production of plush toys!

Contact us for further information and if you are interested in receiving competitive pricing for a plush project you are looking to manufacture.

Check out some more of our blogs relating to manufacturing processes:

• Machine Blown Drinking Glasses & Sampling.
• Promotional Scarf Production Process in China.
• China Factory Selection.
• Negotiating Contracts & Penalties with Chinese Factories.
• Manufacturing Garments in Asia.
• ODM Factory Visit to Xiamen in China.
• Die Cutting- Production Processes.
• Manufacturing Custom Promo Drinks Glasses.
• Promotional Watches – Following the Manufacturing Process.
• Birds Eye On-Pack Promo: Plush Polar Bear Toy.

Beach Promotional Products

Promotional Products Stationery

Coolzee Supplier

Wine Promotional Products

We have a number of clients who want their promotional products to be Pantone-matched, to ensure consistency of the colours. Since Pantone is an internationally recognized standard, we can be sure that spot colours quoted around the world is the same. This standard helps all clients and suppliers who deal with colours reduce mistakes effectively.

On every Pantone spot colour, a mixing formula is shown in percentages. This helps factories to determine how much of dye to use to get the right Pantone colour.

There are a few steps to take note before evaluating colours on Pantone Guides, with reference to Pantone Plus Series Guide.

1. Check if you have suitable lighting conditions

Pantone Lighting Indicator

Lighting conditions may affect your judgement on colour evaluation. Included free in Pantone Plus Series Guide, a lighting indicator known as ColorChecker® is available at the end of the guide. If the colours on ColorChecker® match, you are most likely to make an accurate colour evaluation. If you see a significant difference, we suggest to seek an alternative area with better lighting conditions.

2. Use the index for quick searches

Pantone Promotional Products

If you already have a Pantone number, make use of the index at the end of the Pantone Plus Series Guide to find the right colour. Otherwise, you can search for the colour by flipping through the guide arranged in chromatic order.

3. Coated or Uncoated?

Depending on the type of products you are looking at, we generally refer to the Coated guide. The basic difference between these two are the colours appearing on two types of paper, one often on glossy surfaces, another on paper we commonly use, eg. printing paper and letterheads. Coated surfaces often absorb less ink but retain ink well.

The difference between a coated and the uncoated can be big..

Pantone Coated Promotions

Or small..

Pantone Uncoated Promotions

Though made of the same mixing formula, the difference in both coated and uncoated can affect your colour evaluation.

Note: Online Pantone Guides may only be used brief reference and not actual colour evaluation. Every display may show different colour shades on the same Pantone colour.

Tell us about all your experiences with the Pantone Guides! Let us know some of the projects you are working on that are Pantone-related!

Interesting Promotional Poster - Grabs Attention Instantly..

It takes balls to fight cancer. Very punchy…

An original concept, the aim of this project is to raise funds for Cancer charities and organizations with a focus on testicular cancer.  With a retail price of US$ 4.00, this organisation donates US$2.00 of sales proceeds to these organizations.

Accessories that can be worn are able to constantly remind the recipients (cancer patients and their family members) that they are not alone in this fight. These guys wish to convey to everyone that just because you are sick, it doesn’t mean that life is over. Life is worth fighting for and laughter is the best cure to it.

Unforgettable promos like this create deep impressions and a call for action… 

Suggestion: A variety of colours could be made available so that there’s something for everyone.

From what we know, a jelly design of this wristband is currently in the pipeline. ODM will be more than happy to help you innovate promotional products for a meaningful campaign.

For other creative concepts of similar campaigns:

• Raising Awareness through Promotional Products – Hair Loss & Breast Cancer
• UV Meter – Promotional Gift

The awe-inspiring display of Jelly Belly

Jelly Belly, the world’s premier jelly bean manufacturer, has recently ventured into gadgets having savoured the success of producing one of the world’s tastiest candies. Spotted in Sogo Causeway Bay, a classic Jelly Belly earphone set is featured alongside its gaping assortment display of jelly beans.

Jelly Belly Earphones Set!

PWP Mechanism: For every purchase of HK$ 100 of jelly beans, add another HK$ 128 and receive this complete Jelly Belly earphones set.

Jelly Belly Earphones Set includes:

• Ear Buds (in 2 different colours) with 8 different colour combinations to choose from
• Chromed Wire Catcher in Jelly Bean Shape
• Polyurethane & EVA Carry Case in the shape of a jelly bean for recipients to stash both earphones and MP3/iPhone

A replica of the brand’s signature jelly beans, there is accrued visibility and awareness with the easy association. Using promotional products to create fun impressions like this encourages customers to make purchases, sometimes even impulse ones.

Jelly Belly Dispensers are up for sale

Candies are able to induce a positive mood and a right mix of colour combinations can achieve likewise – Chupa Chups is another great master of this art..

Check out other earphones promotions:

• Citibank Earphones Promo
• Givenchy Earphones Promo
• Jolly Shandy Stylish Headphones PWP

Milo, a chocolate and malt beverage brand under the Nestle Group, is following this trend and is featuring some of its old and current van models as collectibles in Malaysia.  These six delightful designs (from the 50s to 2011) will most certainly allure Milo lovers. This was proven so, with the first two launches fully redeemed way before the deadline.

Promotional Products Slideshow with up close pictures. Click to view slideshow.

How to Redeem:

1. Buy any participating Milo Products
2. Download redemption form
3. Send the proof of purchase and the redemption form to Milo HQ

A Promotional Watch

Recently, I had the opportunity to head down to our watch factory in Southern China to conduct a factory audit with some clients. From inspecting each stage of manufacture you can gain valuable insight into the possibilities of product development and all the assembly process and the industry.

Let us take you through a step by step  process and things to look out for:

1. Inner Components of Analog Quartz Watch
2. Manufacturing the Case
3. Assembly & Packaging
4. Quality Control

Inner Components of Analog Quartz Watch

The inner components are the “brain” of the watch, controlling all of its function. The accuracy of analog watches is determined by how each precise each individual component is when manufactured and fitted together. These include:

Movement
The movement is the most vital aspect – the internal mechanism of the watch, made of many moving parts which run the clock.

The Different Parts of a Movement

In this Promotional watch factory 3 types of movement are used depending on the range of the watch:

• Swiss movement – most expensive of the lot, where the cheapest can usually last a minimum of 8 years
• Japanese movement – standardized movement which is used for most watches, considered good with a lifespan of about 3 years or more. Usually this movement is shipped from either Singapore or Japan itself.
• Chinese movement – the cheapest amongst all 3, used only for low budget watches – estimated to be around 1 year of lifespan.

Batteries
The lifespan of watch batteries (typically alkaline) differs based on your specified requests and budget. Our factory is using batteries mainly from HK(18 months), Indonesia (1 year) and Japan (2-3 years) for its mass productions.

Our factory generally boycotts Chinese batteries due to their low quality nature. However, some factories are still using them, to cut costs so do take note.
Often, these batteries are made to be easily replaceable due to its relatively short lifespan.

Dial
The dial is what makes your watch highly marketable with your brand logo/artwork printed fashionably along with the hours of the day.

Rubber Gasket
A rubber gasket is a part which keeps the watch water resistant. The factory will install one each on the front and back of the watch. When unscrewing the back cover to replace your battery, beware that this part is very vulnerable to falling off. If not put back in place properly, your watch may lose its resistance.

A whole pack of Rubber Gaskets

Manufacturing the case

It is essential to ensure quality in the manufacture in the case as it encloses and protects the movement and dial of a watch. To begin, untreated metal alloys retrieved from another factory are used to form the shape of the casing thereafter receiving treatment to look as good as new .

Moulds for Different Kinds of Casing

1. Attaching the different metal components together so that they are treated as a whole.

2. Scraping – The case will go through a huge machinery where it files and scraps off any unwanted material or flaw off the surface to create a smoother touch. Lubricants are used to accelerate this process.

A Factory Worker tending the Scraping Machine

3. Polishing & Shine – The case will then receive its shine after polishing treatment. This gives it a renewed look and is very important as some may not be cleaned properly and stains can still be seen. So it is essential that all parts that go through this process are cleaned thoroughly.

4. Drilling in holes for the assemble team to rivet smaller parts to the watch like the watch crown.

5. Now that the cases are all done and ready to go, the workers will then send them for colouring – through either plating or paint.

6. Glass placement to complete the whole shell.

7. For special requests on water resistant watches, a leakage test is conducted through this machinery right here – the test pressure will then be indicated as an equivalent water depth in metres usually.

Leakage Test Machinery

Assembly and Packaging

After all these have been completed, the case will be sent to the assembly team. The assembly team is responsible for putting together the inner components of the watch mentioned earlier, along with its strap and back cover.

Working with full concentration...

Usually, the assembly team has to be very experienced as fitting these tiny, fragile parts together can be very tricky. Not done the right way, it will render the whole watch useless. Therefore, members in the assembly team are chosen carefully, possessing nimble fingers as assembling a watch requires much dexterity…

Anatomy of the strap
The strap is easily customizable to any designs you want. Material of the strap includes:

• Leather
• Metal Bracelet
• Synthetic Rubber
• Plastic
• Cloth/Fabric
• Nylon

Besides the dial, the strap is often where you can work on your promotional efforts and designs, with the buckle on the strap usually showcasing your brand logo.

Watches for Kids on their way to be worked on. Notice the artwork on the strap

Once the back casing is secured to the timepiece, the whole process is completed by placing another layer of protection on both the front and the back.

The completion of the watch brings us to reviewing packaging options. We will be writing another specific post on this, so stay tuned!

Quality Control

Usually most factories conduct Quality Control inspections for at least 3 times – the minute parts of a watch are delicate so most watch factories will designate a whole department for QC to ensure quality.   ODM take random samples during the production for testing both for functioning and for lab tests such as Rohs & CE.

QCs are done when:

• The case is completed and a first round of QC is done to ensure they live up to expectations.
• The watch is assembled – the watch is tested to see if it is able to tell the time accurately.
• After packaging – random checks are made to make sure one final time that everything is good and ready to deliver.
  

  Girls checking meticulously for defects

This toy collection series not only caters to young kids and with its modern design, also act as a very nice display for vehicles and homes alike!

Promo Mechanism:

Benefits: 

• Strong Brand Association
• Reward Loyal Customers with collectibles, making them feel exclusive
• Brand Distinctiveness; standing out from competitors and giving people reasons to purchase petrol at Caltex, thus driving sales
• Die Cast with strong perceived value.

Over the years, limited editions have been diluted, many brands selling themselves through this strategy.  A limited edition must embody deep authenticity, true credibility and instinctive brand synergy.  Caltex embraces this concept like no other, celebrating its 75th anniversary through the medium of relevant replicas of its proud heritage.   Not mentioned explicitly in its promotion – subtle ’75′ logo at the bottom – started on 30 June 1936.

For a true commemoration of your brand, contact ODM today and let us brainstorm for promotional products which represent the sentiment of your brand. Also check out: Caltex Malaysia Car Boot Organizer

Caltex On Site Promotional Banners in Wanchai near ODM Offices.

Caltex On Site Promo Displays

Check out the latest designs for our quirky and chic collapsible shoes for ladies.  ODM loves them and we are sure you will too… Click to view slideshow.

Capable of attracting both party girls and working ladies; this shows how versatile the design of the Chinelas, removing the dilemma of having to niche your target audience! The Chinelas are currently available in 3 sizes but we can customise more as required.

• S (AU 6.5-7/24cm),
• M (AU 7.5-8.5/25.5cm),
• L (AU9-10/28cm)

Customize the pouch to have your brand logo to add a marketing/advertising value to it! Making a really nice promotional product or corporate gift, clients and customers alike would definitely thank your brand for it when these flats provide them with much needed relief. Being there for them at times of need would thus convert to higher customer loyalty and better customer relationship.

For other blogs on Chinelas, check out:

• For those of you who are not in the know yet – Chinelas Folding Shoe Invention
• Chinelas Patent Abstract
• Folding Shoes – The Perfect Gift for Conferences

• Polyester (PES) – Mainly used in textiles
• Polyethylene (PE) – Supermarket bags and plastic bottles
• Polypropylene (PP) - Bottle caps, drinking straws, containers, plush toy fillings
• Polystyrene – Food containers, plastic tableware, disposable cups, plates, cutlery
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – ODM’s Octopus Suction Coolie

When it comes to hard plastic, acrylic and polycarbonate (PC) are the two main plastics used.

Examples of Acrylic

Acrylic – Popular Use:

• Motorcycle helmet visors
• Helicopter windows, submarine windows
• Spectator protection in an ice hockey arena

• Less impact resistance
• Less likely to scratch.
• Does not turn yellow after time
• Better clarity. Acrylic can be restored to optical clarity by polishing.

• Compact discs, DVDs
• Lighting lenses, sunglass lenses, safety glasses,
• automotive headlamp lenses
• Drinking bottles

Key characteristics of Polycarbonate

• Resistance towards impact / chipping
• More likely to scratch
• More costly
• Used mainly for industry applications
• Yellows over time
• Easier to work with in terms of cutting as they are less likely to break
• Poorer clarity, diffuses light, can lighten (could be positive)

Not sure which plastic to use for your next production? Contact us and will have experience advises coming along!

All plastics are made with synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacturing process of the majority of industrial products. The two most basic raw materials used to make plastics are petroleum and natural gas.

When your company is developing a product, sourcing the wrong type of material for manufacturing could lead to hazardous results. Chemical composition and flexibility are important when the plastics are to be combined with other materials. Certain glues work best with some plastics for example.  Some plastics are rigid and others are flexible.

All plastics fall into two categories either thermoplastics or thermosetting polymers.

• Thermoplastics are plastics that never undergo chemical transformation in their composition when they are heated. These types of plastics can be molded over and over again, thus they are recyclable.
• Thermosetting polymers are plastics that are chemically altered during the curing process. Once they are molded they stay solid and can not be altered by any way possible. This is very important factor to know if you want to source your product using recyclable materials Thermosetting polymers are very difficult and costly to recycle. They cause more harm to the environment then thermoplastics.

A perfect example of thermoplastic recyclable processes is used by Patagonia when they take old plastic water bottles and transform them into fibers to be used in fleece sweaters. This increases the life cycle for the material and causes less harm to the environment.

Thermosetting polymers are hard to decompose thus they are hard to dispose of and emit higher levels of pollution.

Here is a list of the different types of plastics and some examples of  products they are used for:

Thermoplastics:

• Polyethylene (plastic bags and bottles).
• Polystyrene (PS) (plastic tableware, plates, cups, food containers, CD and cassette boxes).
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (pipes, gutter, flooring, window frames).
• Polyethylene terphthalate (Plastic jars, Microwavable packaging, Cans).
• Polyester (used in textile and fibers). (mostly a thermoplastic but can also be a thermosetting polymer).
• Low density polyethylene (LDPE) (furniture, floor tiles, shower curtains).
• High density polyethylene (thicker type of plastic bottles).
• Polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) (food packaging).
• Polypropylene (PP) (Straws, bottle caps, car bumpers, all types of appliances).
• High impact Polystyrene (HIPS) ( Refrigerator liners).
• Polyamides (PA) ( Fibers, toothbrush bristles, car engine moulding).
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) ( Electronic cases, monitor cases, printer cases etc)
• Polycarbonate (PC) ( Eyeglasses, riot shields, security windows, lenses).
• Polycarbonate / Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PC/ABS) (mix blend of PC and ABS plastics, creates a very strong density plastic. Used for mobile phone parts, car parts exterior and interior).
• Many more plastics…

Thermosetting polymers:

• Polyurethane (PU) (Cushioning foam, used for thermal insulation, surface coating, one of the most used plastics on the market). (Can also be a thermoplastic).
• Polyimide (PI) (Used to make plane parts and circuit boards).
• Duroplast (Used to make car parts).
• Polyester Fiberglass.
• Many more plastics…

Contact ODM for any help sourcing your product and for more information about what kind of plastics to use in the manufacturing of your products.

• Sourcing for suppliers in the China market
• Shipping Hazardous materials