France’s largest toy manufacturer Smoby Toys (Lavans-lès-Saint-Claude / France; www.smoby.fr) has opened its new “toy centre” in Arinthod / France incorporating a newly-constructed production building for the manufacture of toys from plastic utilising new production technologies and logistics and improved energy efficiency.

The subsidiary of Simba Dickie Group (Fürth / Germany; www.simba-dickie.com) created the new EUR 7m, 5,000 m² production unit in Arinthod as part of a reorganisation of its French sites and invested a further EUR 6m in 21 injection moulding machines for the site, where the company’s production will be centralised – see Plasteurope.com of 26.01.2010. Improved production logistics have been achieved through the use of many different elements including a direct material supply and a double crane system for tool change, the company said. Increased energy efficiency has been attained through, among other factors, oil and material conserving working methods, such as a gravimetrically controlled material handling system and a new cooling system. Former production sites in France will be used for warehousing or assembly.