Method and apparatus for producing polymer fibers and fabrics including multiple polymer components in a closed system

In a system for manufacturing fibers including a spin beam assembly, and a quenching chamber in communication with a drawing chamber, wherein the system maintains an enclosed environment between the spin beam assembly, the quenching chamber and the drawing chamber to prevent uncontrolled gas currents from entering the enclosed environment, a method of forming a non-woven web of fibers comprising:

• (a) delivering a plurality of polymer streams from the spin beam assembly to spinneret orifices, wherein at least two of the polymer streams include differing polymer components, and the differing polymer components are segregated and are independently maintained at different temperatures within the spin beam assembly by providing a plurality of manifold sections within the spin beam assembly, each manifold section including a distribution pipe configured to transfer a respective polymer component to a plurality of piping sections extending within the manifold section and a heat transfer medium that flows within the manifold section and around the piping sections extending into the manifold section so as to maintain the respective polymer component at a selected temperature;
• (b) extruding the plurality of polymer streams through the spinneret orifices to form a plurality of filaments;
• (c) quenching the extruded filaments by contacting the filaments with a gas stream in the quenching chamber;
• (d) drawing the quenched filaments in the drawing chamber;
• and
• (e) depositing the drawn filaments onto a forming surface to form a non-woven fibrous web on the forming surface.