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

A system for producing at least one bundle of filaments, the system comprising:

• N extruders, wherein N is an integer greater than 1, each extruder comprising a polymer having a color, hue, luster, and/or dyeability characteristic, the colors, hues, lusters, and/or dyeability characteristics of the polymers in the N extruders being different from each other
• wherein a first extruder of the N extruders is configured to extrude a first polymer selected from a group consisting of a polyamide, a polyester, and a polyolefin, and a second extruder is configured to extrude a second polymer selected from a group consisting of a polyamide, a polyester, and a polyolefin, wherein the first polymer and the second polymer are different;
• and
• at least one spin station for receiving molten polymer streams from the N extruders, the spin station comprising:
• at least one dynamic manifold, wherein the dynamic manifold comprises N inlets and at least N+1 outlets, wherein each inlet is in fluid communication with a respective one of N extruders, and at least one inlet is in communication with at least two outlets via channels that extend between the inlet and the outlets and comprises at least one valve that controls flow of the polymer stream between the at least one inlet and the at least two outlets;
• a first spinneret of a plurality of spinnerets through which a plurality of melt-spun filaments are spun from at least two of the molten polymer streams received by the spin station, wherein the first spinneret is in fluid communication with one of the at least two outlets, and wherein all of the plurality of spinnerets are downstream of the at least one dynamic manifold;
• and
• a group of N spin pumps upstream of the dynamic manifold, wherein each spin pump is in fluid communication and is paired with one of the N extruders;
• and
• a processor in electrical communication with the N spin pumps, the processor being configured to execute computer readable instructions that cause the processor to adjust a volumetric flow rate of the polymers pumped by each spin pump to achieve a ratio of the polymers to be included in a yarn comprising the filaments spun from the at least one spinneret.