Patent ID: 8337191

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a source of extrudate flow; a stranding die configured to receive extrudate from the source of extrudate flow, including: a sloping, front perforated surface; a rear perforated surface; and a plurality of non-uniform channels extending from the front perforated surface to the rear perforated surface, wherein the source of extrudate flow is configured with respect to the stranding die to feed extrudate against the front perforated surface and through the plurality of non-uniform channels of the stranding die; and a transition die configured and dimensioned to connect to the stranding die, the transition die including: a front orifice; a rear orifice; and a channel connecting the front orifice to the rear orifice and having an inner surface, wherein the channel includes a tapered zone that decreases in cross-sectional area from that of the front orifice to that of the rear orifice, the channel further includes a space between the inner surface of the tapered zone and the front perforated surface of the stranding die that defines a manifold, and the manifold is coordinately configured and dimensioned with a length and/or cross-sectional area of the channels in the plurality of non-uniform channels in the stranding die to increase uniformity of extrudate flow relative to a stranding die having channels of equal length and cross-sectional area.