UKCA Help
Test your finished product
Complete the applicable mechanical and flammability checks on the toy you actually manufacture and sell.
Complete and record the applicable safety checks
A 3D-printed toy must be assessed in the finished form in which it will be sold.
The filament may be strong and supported by suitable material evidence, but that does not prove the finished toy is mechanically safe. The model, print settings, scale, joints, assembly and added components can all affect the result.
For many ordinary 3D-printed toys, the manufacturer can conduct and document the applicable mechanical and physical checks themselves using the correct guidance and equipment.
3D CertHub helps you identify the relevant checks, work through them and bring the results into your Technical File.
Why test the finished print?
Two toys printed from the same digital model can behave differently.
The result can be affected by:
- Product size and scale
- Wall thickness
- Infill
- Layer height
- Print orientation
- Layer adhesion
- Filament material
- Nozzle and temperature settings
- Joint clearances
- Glued or assembled parts
- Added components
- Finishing methods
A change that appears minor can create a different breaking point, detached part or sharp edge.
Test the toy you actually sell
Testing a piece of filament, relying on the model designer or copying another maker's result is not enough. Your evidence needs to relate to the finished toy that you manufacture and sell.
Before you begin
Record exactly what you are testing, including:
- Product name or reference
- Intended use
- Intended age group
- Product dimensions
- Filament brand, range and material
- Print settings
- Assembly method
- Glues, paints or coatings
- Added components
- Test-sample or batch identification
Take clear photographs of the completed toy before testing. These provide a record of its original condition and help show where any damage occurred.
The CertHub app keeps these details connected to the product and its test results.
Which checks apply?
The applicable checks depend on the toy's design, intended age group, features and foreseeable use.
For an ordinary 3D-printed toy, the EN71-1 assessment may include:
- Cleanliness and condition
- Small parts
- Soak testing where applicable
- Torque
- Tension
- Drop testing
- Tip-over testing where applicable
- Impact or compression
- Sharp edges and sharp points
- Cords, chains and loops
- Holes, gaps and moving parts
- Cleanability for toys intended for children under 36 months
Not every check applies to every toy. You must consider each one and record either the result or the reason it does not apply.
Start with a visual inspection
Inspect the toy before applying any force.
Look for:
- Cracks or weak layer adhesion
- Loose or poorly fitted parts
- Rough surfaces
- Excess filament or support material
- Sharp projections
- Fragile joints
- Trapping points around moving parts
- Poorly bonded glue joints
- Loose material inside hollow parts
- Accessible internal components
- Contamination introduced during printing, storage or assembly
Record any issue found and correct it before continuing. Testing a visibly defective sample will not provide useful evidence for the product you intend to sell.
Small parts
The small-parts check identifies toys and components that could present a choking hazard to young children.
You may need to check:
- The complete toy
- Removable parts
- Accessories
- Parts detached during testing
- Broken fragments
- Components exposed after damage
For toys intended for children under 36 months, small parts must not be present or become detached during the applicable tests.
For a toy genuinely intended for children aged three and over, a detached small part may lead to an appropriate age restriction and warning rather than an overall failure.
Age grading must suit the toy
A small-parts warning cannot be used simply to avoid the stricter requirements if the product is clearly intended for children under three.
Torque and tension
Torque and tension testing assess parts that a child could grip, twist or pull.
On a 3D-printed toy, this may include:
- Heads
- Limbs
- Tails
- Ears
- Antennae
- Wheels
- Accessories
- Buttons and switches
- Keyring attachments
- Chains
- Glued parts
- Other projections
These checks often expose weaknesses in joints, layer orientation, narrow sections and glued assemblies.
If something detaches, assess both the loose part and the remaining toy. Look for small parts, sharp points, sharp edges and exposed internal components.
The app provides a place to record the feature tested, test applied, result, damage and supporting photographs.
Drop, impact and compression
A toy may be dropped, knocked, stepped on or subjected to pressure during foreseeable play.
Drop, impact and compression checks can reveal:
- Cracking
- Layer separation
- Broken joints
- Detached parts
- Exposed infill
- Sharp fragments
- Damaged mechanisms
- New trapping or pinching hazards
Use the applicable equipment, test values and method. A soft carpet or ordinary household floor may absorb too much energy and give a misleading result.
Inspect the complete toy after every applicable test and record any change.
Soak testing
Soak testing may apply where moisture could affect the toy or weaken its construction.
This may be relevant to:
- Glued parts
- Mouth-actuated toys
- Toys intended to be put in the mouth
- Toys likely to be washed
- Materials or assemblies that could weaken when wet
After soaking, inspect the toy and complete the applicable mechanical checks. Look for softened material, weakened glue, separation, swelling, cracking or other deterioration.
Not every 3D-printed toy requires a soak test. Record the reason when it does not apply.
Sharp edges and sharp points
A toy that is smooth before testing may become hazardous after it breaks.
Check for:
- Jagged layer lines
- Snapped projections
- Broken joints
- Cracked shells
- Exposed wire or metal
- Damaged screw holes
- Sharp fragments
- Exposed internal supports
Inspect the toy before testing and again after the mechanical checks.
Sharp edges and points should be assessed using the appropriate equipment and method, rather than relying only on touch.
Moving parts and finger traps
Articulated toys are designed to move, but their joints and mechanisms can introduce additional hazards.
Consider:
- Gaps that change size during movement
- Hinges and rotating parts
- Sliding mechanisms
- Springs
- Holes accessible to fingers
- Pinching or crushing points
- Parts that close suddenly
Record how the feature moves, who is intended to use it and any risk created during foreseeable play.
Keyrings and added components
Adding a keyring, chain, switch, magnet, bell or other bought-in component changes the finished product.
You need to consider:
- The strength of the attachment
- Parts that could detach
- Small-part hazards
- Sharp edges or points
- Loops and chains
- Accessible materials
- New trapping or pinching hazards
- Other requirements triggered by the component
Test the complete assembled product
A certificate for the component's material does not prove that it is mechanically safe after being attached to your toy.
Assess EN71-2 flammability
EN71-2 deals with flammability hazards.
Specific requirements apply to categories such as:
- Toys worn on the head
- Toy disguise costumes
- Toys a child can enter
- Soft-filled toys
- Toys with textile, furry or hair-like surfaces
A specific flame-spread test may not apply to an ordinary rigid 3D-printed toy. You must still complete and record the assessment.
Consider all materials used, including filament, fabric, faux fur, filling, paint, coatings, adhesives and decorations.
The CertHub app guides you through the applicability questions and records the reasons behind your conclusion.
What if the toy breaks?
A break during testing is not automatically an overall failure.
The important question is: what has the break created?
A detached or damaged part may create:
- A small-part choking hazard
- A sharp point
- A sharp edge
- Access to an internal component
- A trapping or pinching hazard
- A weakness requiring a design change
The result may show that:
- The design needs changing.
- More walls or a different print orientation are needed.
- A joint or attachment needs strengthening.
- The toy needs to be tested again.
- The intended age grading needs reviewing.
- The product cannot safely be sold in its current form.
For example, a detached part that fits within the small-parts cylinder may mean the product is unsuitable for children under three, provided that a 3+ age grading is appropriate for the toy and no other hazard has been created.
Record the damage, your assessment and the reason for the final decision.
Design changes and retesting
Testing is part of product development. Finding a weakness gives you the opportunity to correct it before the product reaches a customer.
Review the test evidence if you change:
- The digital model
- Product size
- Wall thickness
- Infill
- Print orientation
- Layer height
- Filament material or range
- Joint dimensions
- Glue or assembly method
- Added components
- Intended age group
- Warnings or instructions
A minor change may only require a documented review. A change that could affect safety should trigger the relevant tests again.
Keep the original result, details of the change and the new result in the Technical File.
Products with variants
Different colours of the same product may be treated as variants where the design, size, construction, filament brand, range and material remain the same.
A different material, size or construction may behave differently and could require separate testing.
Differences that may affect mechanical safety include:
- Scaling the model
- Using a different filament material or range
- Changing print orientation
- Altering wall thickness or infill
- Adding or removing accessories
- Changing a joint
- Using a different assembly method
- Adding heavier components
Record why the tested product represents any variants it is intended to cover.
Record the evidence
A good testing record should show:
- The product and sample tested
- The intended age group
- The applicable check
- The method and equipment used
- The test conditions
- The result
- Any damage or detached parts
- The assessment of any damage
- Photographs or video
- Corrective action
- Retesting after changes
- The final conclusion
Photographs and video support the written result, but do not replace it.
The CertHub app brings these records together with the product details, risk assessment, materials, EN71-3 evidence, labelling and Declaration of Conformity.
How the CertHub app helps
The app guides you through the compliance process one section at a time.
For product testing, it helps you:
- Identify the applicable EN71-1 checks
- Record tests that do not apply and explain why
- Follow the testing guidance
- Add results and observations
- Store supporting photographs
- Record damage and detached parts
- Review sharp edges, points and small parts
- Complete the EN71-2 assessment
- Record corrective action and retesting
- Link the results to the Technical File
The app organises and documents your work. You remain responsible for carrying out the tests correctly, assessing the results and ensuring that the product is safe.
Before completing the testing section
Confirm that:
- The tested sample matches the product being sold.
- The intended age group has been recorded.
- Every relevant check has been considered.
- Not-applicable decisions include reasons.
- The equipment and test conditions have been recorded.
- Damage and detached parts have been assessed.
- Sharp points and edges have been checked after testing.
- Photographs support the written records.
- Any weaknesses have been corrected.
- Affected checks have been repeated after changes.
- The risk assessment has been updated.
Ready to test your toy?
Start a free Technical File and use the CertHub app to work through the applicable checks and keep your testing evidence organised.
Next step: material evidence
Mechanical and flammability assessments are only part of the process. You also need suitable EN71-3 evidence for the accessible materials and components used in the toy.
This information is intended to help 3D-printing businesses understand the testing process for ordinary toys in Great Britain. The exact requirements depend on the product, intended age group and applicable standards. It does not replace the Toys (Safety) Regulations, the full standards or product-specific professional advice.
Official source:
Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011: Great Britain