Hex Vs Round Vs Slotted

[Skyshark]

I know this is a much heated debate - but what are your guys thoughts/experience on scoop slots - any preferences or situations you'd definitely want one versus another? And are the newer styles better or just hype?

- Round (the oldest tech)

- Hexagon (the most widely used new type now)

- Slotted (just starting to see these added to scoops usually in the rear)

[PimentoUK]

Bearing in mind these holes / slots are CNC laser cut , I believe the hexagonal hole is slightly quicker to cut than a circle. Hexagons also have a slight technical advantage, they can be packed closer together, without getting the problem of the metal getting too 'thin' from hole to adjacent hole.

[Skyshark]

10 hours ago, PimentoUK said:

Bearing in mind these holes / slots are CNC laser cut , I believe the hexagonal hole is slightly quicker to cut than a circle. Hexagons also have a slight technical advantage, they can be packed closer together, without getting the problem of the metal getting too 'thin' from hole to adjacent hole.

I guess what throws me off on the hexagon usage is that wouldn't square ⬛ cuts also have the same benefit - spacing apart, etc.

[Sandheron]

I would think you are more likely to get a crack starting from a hex hole? A brand in the UK had this issue. The round hole variation were better.

[PimentoUK]

"Wouldn't square cuts also have the same benefit?"
Yes, but .... even if you laid the square holes in rows, and offset each alternate row by half a square, you would still end up with a pattern that was not 'uniform'. There would be a weakness in one direction, a strength in another. Compare this to the 'hexagonal close packed' arrangement, that round holes and hexagons give.
Furthermore, the internal corners of a square hole are an engineering weak point. They would need to be radiused in the corners. And the same applies to hexagons, to a lesser extent. Laser-cut holes have a rough finish on the cut surface, which is a weak point for crack formation - all cracks start as micro-cracks, and grow. So a smooth cut, polished surface would be the ideal one.
Also, consider the fact that square holes have a diagonal dimension 41% greater than the face-to-face distance, so they may let objects through that you would like to trap. A hexagonal hole has a corner-to-corner dimension only 15% larger than the face-to-face distance.

[geof_junk]

The area of the holes compared to the area of the exposure surface for the holes would give the best thruput of sand. The maximum dimension of the holes related to the target you are chasing should be selected. However do we need to be so concerned on type as most work.