A method of manufacturing a rotor of an electric motor or an electric generator includes positioning a plurality of amortisseur bars and using additive manufacturing to place electrically conductive material. More specifically, positioning the amortisseur bars may include circumferentially positioning the bars around a rotor stack and using additive manufacturing to place electrically conductive material may include forming a non-solid pattern of electrically conductive material, such as a pattern of electrically conductive traces, across opposite axial ends of the rotor stack to electrically interconnect an amortisseur circuit.