A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing first and second, different molten polymers to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The method includes using the fluid to draw the first and second molten polymers, in a direction toward the porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands onto the porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and intermittently varying, in at least two different zones, a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate web downstream of the first location and without the addition of more continuous fibers and without any heat applied.

In particular embodiments, a process for producing bulked continuous carpet filament from recycled polymer utilizes two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B) in combination with a single extruder (100). In various embodiments, the dual vacuum arrangement (e.g., at least two vacuum pumps (140A, 140B)) operably coupled to the single extruder (e.g., MRS extruder (100)) may be configured to remove one or more impurities from recycled polymer as the recycled polymer passes through the extruder.

A method of creating a soft and lofty continuous fiber nonwoven web is provided. The method includes providing a first molten polymer and a second, different molten polymer to a spinneret defining a plurality of orifices and flowing a fluid intermediate the spinneret and a moving porous member. The method includes using the fluid to draw the first and second molten polymer components, in a direction toward the moving porous member, through at least some of the plurality of orifices to form a plurality of individual continuous fiber strands. The method includes depositing the continuous fiber strands onto the moving porous member at a first location to produce an intermediate continuous fiber nonwoven web, and intermittently varying a vacuum force applied to the moving porous member and to the intermediate web downstream of the first location and without the addition of more continuous fibers and without any heat applied.

A honeycomb extrusion die (100), a method of making the same, and an apparatus for forming the same. The die (100) includes: a feed hole plate (202) comprising an input surface (202A), an opposing output surface (202B), and feed holes (108) configured to guide a batch material from the input surface (202A) to the output surface (202B); and a pin assembly (204) comprising pins (300) disposed on the feed hole plate (202). At least one of the pins includes: a tail (304); a head (302) connected to the tail (304) and comprising alignment surfaces (314) configured to align the pins (300), flow surfaces (316) disposed between the alignment surfaces (314), and a tapered portion (310) comprising a contact surface (308) adhered to the output surface (202B) of the feed hole plate (202); and a first groove (306) disposed between the head (302) and the tail (304). In the pin assembly (204), the alignment surfaces (314) contact adjacent pins (300) to align the pins (300), such that discharge slots are at least partially defined by the tails (304) of the pins (300).

A thermoplastic filament comprising multiple polymers of differing flow temperatures in a regular geometric arrangement, and a method for producing such a filament, are described. Because of the difference in flow temperatures, there exists a temperature range at which one polymer is mechanically stable while the other is flowable. This property is extremely useful for creating thermoplastic monofilament feedstock for three-dimensionally printed parts, wherein the mechanically stable polymer enables geometric stability while the flowable polymer can fill gaps and provide strong bonding and homogenization between deposited material lines and layers. These multimaterial filaments can be produced via thermal drawing from a thermoplastic preform, which itself can be three-dimensionally printed. Furthermore, the preform can be printed with precisely controlled and complex geometries, enabling the creation of monofilament and fiber with unique decorative or functional properties.

Techniques are directed to melt spinning, drawing, crimping and winding multiple threads. The threads are spun from a plurality of spinnerets of a spinning device and are drawn as a thread group by a drawing device and are subsequently fed for crimping next to one another to a plurality of texturing units. In order to obtain identical treatment of all threads within the thread group, the threads are guided individually with a plurality of wraps next to one another on a godet unit and, after running off from the godet unit, are guided in a straight thread run parallel next to one another into the texturing units. To this end, adjacent texturing units of the crimping device form a treatment spacing between themselves which is such that, in the case of being guided individually with a plurality of wraps on the godet unit, the threads can be guided in parallel in a straight thread run.

An embodiment of the present invention provides (i) a method for producing a thermoplastic adhesive product which can be continuously and automatically supplied and (ii) an apparatus for producing the thermoplastic adhesive product. The method includes the steps of: a) extruding a long object through a discharge hole of an extruder, the long object being made of a thermoplastic adhesive and having a string shape or a sheet shape; b) cooling the long object having been thus extruded; and c) collecting the long object having been thus cooled. The production apparatus (100) includes an extruder (101), cooling equipment (102), and a winder (107).

A method for producing a continuous filament from electrospun fibers includes providing a conducting collection surface that is an elongate three-dimensional surface. An attractive electric field gradient is formed between the collection surface and a source of electrically charged fibers. The collection surface is moved in a longitudinal direction relative to the source of electrically charged fibers. The fibers are collected on the collection surface so as to form a continuous filament.

A thermoplastic filament comprising multiple polymers of differing flow temperatures in a geometric arrangement and an interior channel containing a structural or functional thread therein is described. A method for producing such a filament is also described. Because of the difference in flow temperatures, there exists a temperature range at which one polymer is mechanically stable while the other is flowable. This property is extremely useful for creating thermoplastic monofilament feedstock for three-dimensionally printed parts, wherein the mechanically stable polymer enables geometric stability while the flowable polymer can fill gaps and provide strong bonding and homogenization between deposited material lines and layers. These multimaterial filaments can be produced via thermal drawing from a thermoplastic preform, which itself can be three-dimensionally printed. Furthermore, the preform can be printed with precisely controlled and complex geometries, enabling the creation of a filament or fiber with an interior thread contained within the outer, printed filament or fiber. This thread adds structural reinforcement or functional properties, such as electrical conductivity or optical waveguiding, to the filament.

The method for manufacturing an individually sheathed strand comprises: conveying a group of metal wires through a die; upstream of the die, applying a first filler product to at least a first portion of the strand; upstream of the die, applying a second filler product to at least a second portion of the strand distinct from the first portion; and extruding a plastic around the group of metal wires passing through the die, so as to envelop the group of metal wires covered with the first and second filler products in a continuous sheath formed of the extruded plastic. The second filler product has greater adhesion to the group of metal wires than the first filler product.