Systems and methods of reducing curl and wrap in additive manufacturing

A method comprising:

• obtaining a three dimensional (3D) model of an object to be additively manufactured using a thermoplastic material delivery apparatus;
• generating a variable width brim for at least a first layer of the 3D model, wherein a width of the brim varies from a maximum value to a minimum value at different locations adjacent at least the first layer of the 3D model, and the generating comprises varying the width of the brim in accordance with an amount of convexity of the 3D model in regions corresponding to the different locations, wherein varying the width of the brim comprises setting the width based on a weighted average of convexity determined for respective layers, including the first layer, of the 3D model;
• and
• outputting the variable width brim for use in preventing warping during the additive manufacturing of the object from the 3D model using the thermoplastic material delivery apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

• obtaining a three dimensional (3D) model of an object to be additively manufactured using a thermoplastic material delivery apparatus;
• generating a variable width brim for at least a first layer of the 3D model, wherein a width of the brim varies from a maximum value to a minimum value at different locations adjacent at least the first layer of the 3D model, and the generating comprises
• discretizing a perimeter of the first layer of the 3D model to identify discrete points along the perimeter of the first layer of the 3D model,
• determining a convexity for a region of the 3D model by calculating at least one angle between at least two lines formed between at least three of the discrete points associated with the region, and
• varying the width of the brim in accordance with an amount of convexity of the 3D model in regions corresponding to the different locations;
• and
• outputting the variable width brim for use in preventing warping during the additive manufacturing of the object from the 3D model using the thermoplastic material delivery apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

• obtaining a three dimensional (3D) model of an object to be additively manufactured using a thermoplastic material delivery apparatus;
• generating a variable width brim for at least a first layer of the 3D model, wherein a width of the brim varies from a maximum value to a minimum value at different locations adjacent at least the first layer of the 3D model, and the generating comprises varying the width of the brim in accordance with an amount of convexity of the 3D model in regions corresponding to the different locations, wherein varying the width of the brim comprises setting the width based on a weighted average of convexity determined for respective layers, including the first layer, of the 3D model;
• and
• outputting the variable width brim for use in preventing warping during the additive manufacturing of the object from the 3D model using the thermoplastic material delivery apparatus.