No. Unfortunately, choosing between high-speed and large capacity is the first choice to make when purchasing a tube laser.
Chuck requirements for high-speed processing and high-weight capacity are fundamentally at odds. You can learn more about tube laser chuck design here, but high-speed tube cutting essentially comes down to the weight of the chucks. Lightweight chucks allow for lightning-quick rotational acceleration and short cycle times – but low weight capacity.
The chucks on large tube lasers are built to handle structural tube and profile. While tube lasers like Fairmont’s RevolutionTL can have weight capacities up to 6,600 lbs, cut speeds slow dramatically – regardless of laser power.
High-speed tube lasers are designed to minimize cycle times on thin wall tube. Two lightweight chucks maneuver material quickly but have a limited weight capacity and workpiece diameter capacity.
They are typically low-power and best optimized at 6kW. While 12kW can be beneficial in some applications, its use-case is limited by burn-through risk and the modified head design can slow cycle times on thin wall material. Bevel cutting is similarly uncommon, as the larger bevel head slows machine dynamics significantly.
Every manufacturer is different, but at Fairmont our high-speed tube lasers go up to a maximum diameter of just 10″ and a weight capacity of 330 lbs. But the results are lightning-fast cycle times when used in the right application.
Large profile tube lasers use three or four heavy-duty chucks, optimized to manipulate and stabilize massive weight over long lengths. While much slower during operation, the extra chuck(s) do also enable zero-scrap cutting.
Higher power levels are often beneficial in large profile applications. Thicker walls benefit from higher power, and can prevent a move to oxygen cutting – which further slows the cutting process. Burn-through is also less of a concern, as larger part diameters mean a greater distance between the laser and opposite wall. Bevel cutting is common in these applications and has little impact on cycle time, as head movement is rarely limiting cut speed.
At Fairmont, our large profile tube lasers go up to a maximum diameter of 25.9″ and a handling capacity of 6,600 lbs. Here you can understand the scale of these machines and the speed at which they operate.
Author: Alex Burnham, Senior Product Manager, Fairmont Machinery
Technical Review: Chip Burnham, Owner & CEO, Fairmont Machinery
Last updated: October 2026
