Systems and methods for producing a bundle of filaments and/or a yarn

A system for producing a bundle of filaments, the system comprising:

• N extruders, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, each extruder comprising a thermoplastic polymer having a color, hue, and/or dyability characteristic, the colors, hues, and/or dyability characteristics of the thermoplastic polymers in the N extruders being different from each other;
• and
• M spin stations for receiving molten polymer streams from the N extruders, wherein M is an integer of 1 or more, each spin station spinning N bundles of filaments that are combined into a yarn, and each spin station comprising:
• N spinnerets through which a plurality of melt-spun filaments are spun from each of the N molten polymer streams received by the spin station;
• and
• N spin pumps upstream of the N spinnerets, wherein each spin pump is in fluid communication and is paired with one of the N extruders, and wherein each spin pump is in fluid communication and is paired with only one spinneret;
• and
• a processor in electrical communication with the N*M spin pumps, the processor being configured to execute computer readable instructions that cause the processor to adjust a volumetric flow rate of the thermoplastic polymers pumped by each spin pump in each spin station to achieve a ratio of the thermoplastic polymers to be included in the yarn that comprises the N bundles of filaments spun from the respective spin station;
• and
• wherein the volumetric flow rate extruded by each of the spin pumps in a respective one of the M spin stations is greater than zero and is variable such that flow of the polymer streams through the spinnerets of the respective spin station is continuous and supports continuous filament formation and wherein the volumetric flow rate of at least one pump in each spin station is variable by greater than ±40% of a baseline volumetric flow rate, the baseline volumetric flow rate being equal to a total volumetric flow rate through the spin station divided by N;
• and wherein a number of yarns produced by the system is N.