Additive manufacturing yield improvement

An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

• a container for holding a radiation-curable liquid;
• a build platform having a build surface for holding a product being manufactured during a manufacturing process, the build platform being movable relative to the container in a predetermined direction;
• and
• a radiation source for providing hardening radiation to selectively solidify radiation-curable liquid in the container by exposure to form the product,
• wherein:
• the container comprises an interior floor having a flexible floor part maintainable in a planar configuration in which the flexible floor part is planar;
• radiation-curable liquid in contact with the interior floor is confined by a container wall comprising at least one flexible wall section arranged to move intactly with the flexible floor part;
• and
• the manufacturing apparatus comprises a deformation system configured to cause a displacement of at least a part of the flexible floor part in a direction having a component normal to and pointing away from the build surface of the build platform thereby releasing at least a part of the product at the displaced part of the flexible floor part, wherein the deformation system is further configured to cause a gradual displacement consisting of a localized bend that spans a width of the flexible floor part and is caused to travel along the length of said floor by the deformation system.