Additive manufacturing of tubular joints

A method of fabricating a tubular joint, comprising the steps of:

• providing a tubular substrate extending along an axis, wherein the tubular substrate has a first inner diameter;
• providing a robot having an electric arc torch;
• additively manufacturing, by the robot, a first tubular brace member on the tubular substrate, wherein the first tubular brace member is attached to the tubular substrate at a proximal end of the first tubular brace member, and wherein at a distal end of the first tubular brace member, the first tubular brace member has a second inner diameter that is smaller than the first inner diameter;
• additively manufacturing, by the robot, a second tubular brace member on the tubular substrate simultaneously with additively manufacturing the first tubular brace member, wherein the second tubular brace member is attached to the tubular substrate at a proximal end of the second tubular brace member;
• adjusting a stress concentration of the additively manufactured first tubular brace member by machining an outer surface of the additively manufactured first tubular brace member and thereby changing a geometry of a first portion of the tubular joint;
• and
• adjusting a further stress concentration of the additively manufactured second tubular brace member by machining an outer surface of the additively manufactured second tubular brace member and thereby changing a geometry of a second portion of the tubular joint.