A static mixer is disclosed. The static mixer comprises a housing (22) defining an internal mixing cavity (36) that longitudinally extends along a central axis between an inlet (38) and an outlet (40) and is adapted for axial flow of a fluid therethrough. The static mixer also comprises a mixing element (42) disposed within the mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) is configured to be free from an impingement surface oriented substantially perpendicular to a main direction of fluid flow through the internal mixing cavity (36). The mixing element (42) comprises an elongated mixing blade that is oriented longitudinally within the mixing cavity (36) and comprises a nose axially oriented toward the inlet (38). The static mixer may comprise a heat-exchanging jacket integrally formed with the housing (22). An additive manufacturing system comprising the static mixer, and methods of making and using the same, are also disclosed.

An additive manufacturing system for an additive manufacturing material and embedded short-chopped fibers includes an extruder comprising a nozzle having a nozzle flow channel. The nozzle includes a plurality of spaced apart elongated aligning structures distributed inside the nozzle flow channel and parallel to the longitudinal center axis defining alignment flow channels within the nozzle flow channel. A nozzle for additive manufacturing, a method of additive manufacturing, and a method of making a nozzle for an additive manufacturing system for and additive manufacturing material and embedded short-chopped fibers are also disclosed.

In a method for continuously supplying a metering device with different batches of one and the same liquid medium, a progressive addition of the medium of a new batch takes place during a batch change.

In a method for continuously supplying a metering device with different batches of one and the same liquid medium, a progressive addition of the medium of a new batch takes place during a batch change.

A method of manufacturing bulked continuous carpet filament from a plurality of polymer flakes comprises: (1) providing an extruder; (2) melting and purifying the plurality of polymer flakes into a polymer stream using the extruder; (3) providing a static mixing assembly downstream of the extruder; (4) adding a first liquid colorant to a center of the polymer stream at a first location before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly; (5) adding a second liquid colorant to the polymer stream at a second location before the static mixing assembly or along a length of the static mixing assembly; (6) using the static mixing assembly to mix the polymer stream with the first and second liquid colorant to create a colored polymer stream; and (7) forming the colored polymer stream into bulked continuous carpet filament.