ACCESSORY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
First Prototype. A workshop problem can become a new accessory.
Missing a guide, mount or attachment for a power tool? Show us the task and explain why the available options fall short. CLMS selects ideas to develop with their users, with a view to helping other customers who face the same problem.
Submit your ideaSelect “First Prototype” in the form. A submission is neither an order nor confirmation of participation.
Start with a real workshop need
You do not need a technical drawing or even a name for the part. Describe the operation: what needs holding, positioning, guiding or repeating. Ideas may involve saws, drills, rotary hammers, grinders, routers or workstation equipment. We begin with the function, mounting arrangement and conditions of use.
- Guiding a tool relative to a workpiece or rail.
- A mount or support for an unusually shaped component.
- A template, stop or attachment for a recurring operation.
Your request describes the task. Design and fit are developed once a project has been accepted.
How are projects selected?
We consider whether other users share the need, whether existing solutions are inadequate and whether the information needed for the design is available. Feasibility, safe use, an agreed way to test the result and the development effort all matter. An application does not automatically qualify a project for funding.
From a request to the next development decision
Show us the task
Give the exact tool make and model, explain the problem and describe the result you need. Add photos or a sketch, available dimensions and your current workaround.
Agree the scope
After assessment, we confirm whether the project is selected. We agree the prototype’s function, material, fit checks, timing, trials and revisions, including whether we need access to your tool.
Assess the prototype together
CLMS prepares the design and the agreed trial piece. You provide fit feedback and the results of agreed trials. These findings inform the decision to revise or develop the accessory further.
What does the programme cover?
Design and manufacture of the approved prototype are free of charge. Shipping a part or power tool, and the cost of transport in both directions, must be agreed beforehand. Extra copies and changes outside the accepted scope are quoted separately. Please arrange any shipment with the workshop first.
Your contribution and project information
We need your knowledge of the task, measurements and feedback. Publishing your personal details or image is not a condition of participation. Confidentiality, the use of design files and any public presentation are agreed separately. Sending an idea does not give permission to publish its details.
Need a part made to your own requirements?
You can request a quote for paid design and manufacture directly. There is no need to demonstrate demand from other users. We propose the scope and price for your particular job, and you decide whether to proceed. A project not selected for the programme can also be considered as a paid commission.
Request a custom project quoteBefore you submit
Is every first prototype free?
No. Funding applies only to a project approved by CLMS for the programme and the agreed scope of one trial piece. Standard design commissions are quoted individually.
Do I need a CAD file?
No. A clear description, photographs and basic dimensions are enough to start. We identify any further information or measurements needed before design work begins.
Is a prototype ready to use as a finished product?
A prototype is made for agreed trials. Before manufacture, we establish what will be checked and under which conditions. Further use or batch production requires a separate agreement.
Select “First Prototype” in the form. A submission is neither an order nor confirmation of participation.