Apparatus and process for simultaneous crimping and commingling of yarns

Apparatus and process for simultaneous crimping and commingling of continuous filament yarns are provided. The yarn is introduced as feed into a contact chamber in which the yarn is contacted with a heated fluid, such as steam, at an angle of not greater than about 85 DEG with respect to the yarn passage axis, and at a fluid velocity sufficient to vibrate the yarn and cause it to impact upon an impacting surface. The impacted yarn, together with the heated fluid, is then directed into an energy tube wherein the impacted yarn absorbs heat from the heated fluid. The heated yarn then passes into a stuffer tube wherein the flow of yarn is impeded, thereby establishing a yarn plug from which crimped and commingled yarn is subsequently removed.