SQUARE HOLES are used for grills and machine guards offering a maximum of open area for good visibility and through-put while providing the necessary protection or decorative cover. Available in both straight line and staggered patterns, the straight pattern is standard for square holes. Both variations are weaker than the round patterns. The sharp corners on the square hole tooling makes it more subject to wear and vulnerable to the stresses of the punching process, increasing tooling costs and reducing production rates. Square hole patterns are generally more expensive than the equivalent round hole pattern.