Process for shaping polymeric articles

A process for manufacturing a shaped article, comprising the steps of:

• a) dry blending a plurality of different particulated ingredients in a blender to form a uniform particle blend;
• b) conveying the uniform particle blend from the blender to a part shaping machine having a discharge unit;
• c) reblending and substantially preventing segregation of the particle blend by flowing the blend through the discharge unit wherein the discharge unit has an outer structure and an insert, wherein the insert results in a flow of the uniform particle blend inside the insert and a flow of the uniform particle blend outside the insert, wherein the flow inside the insert is characterized by mass flow and the flow outside of the insert is characterized by mass flow;
• (d) introducing the reblended particle blend into a screw and barrel assembly of a part shaping machine;
• (e) melt blending the particulated ingredients in the screw and barrel assembly to form a melt blend;
• and
• (f) shaping the melt blend in the part shaping machine to form the shaped article,
• wherein the process is free of a step of melt blending the plurality of different particulated ingredients between the dry blending step and the step of introducing the reblended particle blend into the screw and barrel assembly, and the shaped article has a mess greater than about 1 g.