Need a part that looks odd? Trying to recreate something that no longer exists? Or bring a design to life that’s only in your head? Welcome to the world of “weird” parts. In Season 3, Episode 3 of the IMTS+ Original Series “Smart(er) Shop,” follow Jim Belosic, an entrepreneur who built a shop that can handle the jobs others turn away – delivering custom parts for everyone from aerospace engineers to hobbyists. Brought to you by Toolpath (IMTS booth #338248), “Smart(er) Shop” explores the real-world technologies and strategies helping small and midsize manufacturers compete and win in today’s fast-paced industry. Cutting a Niche In 2018, Belosic founded SendCutSend to make custom manufacturing fast, accessible, and affordable through an online platform. Instead of focusing on repeat production and high-volume runs, the company embraced complexity by taking on the unusual, the unconventional, and the hard-to-make parts that many shops avoid. That approach is working. Today, SendCutSend offers laser cutting, waterjet cutting, and CNC routing, producing more than 8 million parts each year. Belosic’s journey began like many other manufacturing startup stories: in his garage. “I’m a car guy, and I needed parts,” he says. “I tried to get custom parts made locally, but I kept getting turned down. So I built the software, bought a machine, and did it myself.” A Smarter Way To Manufacture At the core of SendCutSend’s model is its proprietary software platform, developed in-house by Belosic. Customers upload their design, select materials, and receive an instant quote – compressing what can take days at traditional shops into seconds. From there, they can adjust designs in real time to optimize cost and manufacturability. Behind the scenes, the system simultaneously determines material requirements, selects the optimal facility, and schedules production in real time. Moving Quickly That level of integration enables remarkable turnaround times. “Our process takes a job from order to machine in as little as 20 minutes, and rarely more than a couple of hours,” says Belosic. “We optimize how jobs are grouped to maximize machine and material efficiency.” Just as important is how the company approaches its customers. “We create a consistent, high-quality experience while adapting to each customer’s unique needs, whether it’s an aerospace program or a one-person shop.” As SendCutSend continues to scale, one priority remains constant: speed. “We need to move fast. We don’t know what’s coming in tomorrow, so we have to be ready for anything.” Building the Right Team Keeping pace with demand requires a fleet of reliable machines and well-trained operators. SendCutSend invests heavily in building a strong culture and attracting the next generation of operators, supported by an active social media presence and a focus on making manufacturing approachable. Belosic is equally committed to compensation. “A lot of companies try to save money in the wrong places,” he says. “We believe in paying good people well, which leads to producing better parts.” Anything but Average With the right combination of technology, speed, and talent, SendCutSend is creating parts that are anything but average. Watch Episode 3 of “Smart(er) Shop,” and explore the full lineup of IMTS+ Original Series to see how manufacturers are turning challenges into competitive advantage.
Weird parts are hard to make. See how one shop delivers complex, custom designs at speed, serving everyone from aerospace engineers to hobbyists in Season 2, Episode 3 of the IMTS+ Original Series “Smart(er) Shop.”
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