While development for Excellence Titan was underway, Mr. Hiroshi Nakamura oversaw the research of processing technologies—ultimately accomplishing laser micro welding.
“In order to maximise the material’s properties, it was necessary to create a manufacturing process that allowed Excellence Titan to retain its pliancy. Unfortunately, in traditional brazing the wide-spread heating of joints diminishes the spring properties,” explains Mr. Nakamura.
When it came to designing the frames with the soon-to-be-completed ideal, new material, the processing technology could not hold it back. Here, Mr. Nakamura focused his attention on minimising the heated area through laser micro welding. A five-year joint development project with the Joining & Welding Research Institute of Osaka University produced CHARMANT’s proprietary laser micro welding technology.
“We were grateful to receive support from both the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as well as Fukui Prefecture, which regarded the development of eyeglass frames as a worthwhile new initiative for Japanese manufacturing.”
Mr. Nakamura concentrated on achieving beauty as well as retaining the spring properties when working on laser welding. He explains further:
“In automobiles and many other industrial products, welds are widely used in numerous places that cannot be seen by consumers. However, in the case of eyeglass frames, the size and construction is such that the welds are located in a visible area. Therefore, we needed to devise a weld that was not only strong and precise, but also produced a beautiful finish.”
The first Line Art CHARMANT styles were a result of such efforts with thin wires welded together, providing the ultimate wearing comfort with beauty.
“I was delighted to see the completion of models based on designs that utilised our laser micro welding and that’s why I have been wearing Line Art CHARMANT frames ever since.”

We have perfected methods
for maximising the benefits
of the materials.Hiroshi Nakamura