Demeng Toy, a trailblazer in the art toy industry for over a decade, specializes in custom vinyl toy manufacturing. Having mastered the intricate vinyl rotocasting process and sofubi production, we can blend traditional plastic toy craftsmanship with modern 3D printing technology, while our expertise extends to creating diverse, collectible vinyl toys. From vinyl toy series to pop culture figures to designer art toys, we meet the quality requirements of art toys for collectors and art lovers around the world. At Demeng Toys, each vinyl piece is more than just a toy, it is a unique piece of art that reflects our commitment to quality, innovation and artistic expression in the ever-evolving world of art vinyl collectibles.
What is a vinyl?
Vinyl often mistaken as a material, are in fact "vinyl" is a unique manufacturing process known as rotocasting. This art toy has evolved significantly, intertwining history, culture, and innovation in the world of collectibles.Vinyl toys, or rotocast toys, have their roots in a specialized plastic toy manufacturing process. Originating as a technique for creating hollow molded products, the process involves a unique method of layering copper on a prototype to form a basic metal mold. This mold is then filled with a PVC paste resin, adjusted for various softness and hardness, and heated while being rotated to ensure uniform heating and cooling. This method, cost-effective and versatile, gave rise to the distinct feel and texture of soft vinyl toys, differentiating them from ordinary PVC toys and plastic toys.
Sofubi(ソフトビニール), a Japanese term for soft vinyl, represents a subset of vinyl toys known for their soft texture and bouncy feel. The production of sofubi involves mixing PVC powder with additives and heating the mixture in molds to form the toy. This process, different from regular rotocasting, offers a unique texture and finish to the toys, making them highly sought after by art toy collectors worldwide. Vinyl toy makers and vinyl toy factories often use this process to produce cool kaiju vinyl toys and urban vinyl toys.
Going from a designer art toy concept to a real premium vinyl toy is an intricate one. Initially, you need carve a clay sample, followed by a wax sample to account for shrinkage during the mold-making process. The wax sample undergoes electroplating to create a copper mold, the master mold for production. With the advent of 3D printing technology, many contemporary designer art toys start as computer models, later transformed into master molds through direct 3D printing. At the same time, we can also use 3D printers to make 3D printing vinyl toy prototype samples at a lower cost.
The Future of Vinyl Toys
