DUPRO & Toy Testing: The Key To Improved Toy Quality

An average of more than 100 children’s toys are recalled every year due to critical defects. Recalls and quality issues can be prevented with DUPRO quality inspection and subsequent toy testing.
Learn about what to expect during a DUPRO inspection and why it is the key to improved toy quality here.

Why A DUPRO Inspection for your children’s toy factory?

More often than not performing an inspection after the production of toys is finished is problematic and too late to rectify any quality problems found within the product.

Enter During Production Inspection (DUPRO).

This inspection type is designed to catch quality issues right on the production line to prevent any delays in getting your product to market.

What Can You Expect Of A DUPRO Inspection?

A DUPRO inspection is one of the most commonly used quality inspection types and is normally carried out after mass production has begun when approximately 40% of your toys have been produced and 20% of them have already been packaged.

A quality control inspector will normally go through the inspection line of your toy factory to identify any quality problems that may arise during the production processes.

An inspector will have a checklist to assess the production, which is inclusive of the following;

• Is the production of the toys conforming to the product specs as laid out by the importer/retailer?

• Based on the sampling plan that was decided upon a quality control inspector will look at the children’s toys for any visual defects that may be present and analyze them against the acceptable quality limits as set by the importer/retailer.

• An inspector will conduct on-site toy testing. This is dependent on the product of course, but many children’s toys will have a drop test performed to analyze a real-life simulation of the toy. The fidget spinner is a good example of the type of toy that would undergo an onsite drop test to ensure the inner bearings do not pop out. If they do not this item would be deemed safe and fit for use according to ASTM F963. 

If the above criteria are not met, the supplier will then need to consider corrective action plans and possibly a Root-Cause Analysis (RCA) to work out the problem and devise improvement strategies based on the findings.

This inspector will then produce a full detailed report with images of non-conforming toys and any notes that are deemed necessary and important, allowing you the insight into the quality of the work being done to complete your order.

So, what do you do with a DUPRO report?

Once your supplier receives the inspector’s findings within the report, your supplier will need to adjust the production process to ensure that the issues found are rectified.

**NOTE – If you have to delay production to wait for your supplier to rectify what was found in the report, do so.

Why?

Product recalls!

You do not want to subject your brand to potential recalls that could result in costly law suits causing embarrassment to you and your brand.

Key Takeaways

A DUPRO primarily will;

• Highlight your supplier’s conformity to product specifications

**TIP – It will be crucial for you to adequately and clearly define these for your supplier.

• Analyze the acceptable quality limits as set by you
• As a part of the DUPRO inspection, your QC inspector will perform basic on-site tests to evaluate the children’s toy quality and conformity.

Conducting a DUPRO quality inspection in itself is not recommended as industry best practice, as it does not showcase the average quality of toy that a supplier can produce.

So, what is recommended then?

It is recommended to couple your DUPRO inspection with a Final Random Inspection to ensure that your children’s toys conform to acceptable levels of quality as laid out by you the importer or retailer.

TAKE A DIVE INTO OUR QUALITY INSPECTION GUIDE THAT WILL HELP WITH IMPROVED PRODUCT QUALITY