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How Are Dice Manufactured?

Dice are small implements used in different kinds of gambling and social games to generate random numbers. Standard dice can be of different colors and sizes, but are most always cubical. Each side has a unique number or dots ranging from one to six. In modern times, the most common method of manufacturing dice is by plastic injection molding and the painting of numbers or dots on it.

History
- Some of the most ancient civilizations including Egyptian society have depicted dice games in their art forms. Archeological remains extracted from the tombs of emperors have shown ancient dice to be made from the ankle bones of small animals. These ancient dice were only marked on four faces instead of six. The dice that we use in the modern day were first manufactured in China as far back as 600 B.C.
Design
- The manufacturing process of dice depends on the use of the dice. For domestic board games, 12 mm dice are used with rounder corners. However, for casino games, dice with each side measuring 33 mm are used. These dice are translucent and straight edged to increase randomness. For each of these dice, the manufacturing mould is different. The mould is made up of two pieces and plastic is injected into it to make a die.
Raw Materials
- There are numerous raw materials that can be used to make dice. Throughout history, materials like glass, wood, bones and seeds have been used to make dice. However, in modern times, plastics are the most widely used raw material for dice manufacture. Polymethyl methacrylate is the most commonly used plastic to make dice because it has good impact strength, can be easily colored and is heat stable
Manufacturing Process
- After plastic pellets have been colored, filled and melted, there are three basic stages of dice manufacturing. The first is forming, in which molten plastic is injected into metal casts. Second, the plastic is held under pressure and allowed to cool, forming a solid cube. Third, the cube is washed and final decorations are applied by painting the appropriate spots, company logos and other artwork or by using stickers.
Quality Control
- There are a number of quality control measures enforced to make sure that the dice manufacturing process adheres to standards. The physical and chemical properties of the raw materials are thoroughly checked before the dice are cast. There are chemical, physical and visual inspections of random samplings. Computers and high tech machines may be used for the same inspections.

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