--- url: https://www.pond-cover.com/vs/hexagonal-vs-armor-ball title: Hexagonal modular vs Armor Ball AQUA — geometry fit description: When the AWTT hexagonal floating cover fits, and when AWTT's spherical Armor Ball AQUA fits — water-body geometry, packing density, and deployment envelope. updated: 2026-05-28 --- # Hexagonal modular vs Armor Ball AQUA — geometry fit > The AWTT-patented hexagonal floating cover (Hexprotect® AQUA, 99% coverage AWTT-published) is the default for reservoirs over 1,000 m²; Armor Ball AQUA — AWTT's spherical line — fits water bodies under 500 m² or with highly irregular geometry. The AWTT hexagonal floating cover platform and AWTT's Armor Ball AQUA spherical line both sit in the AWTT family, both distribute across the EU through EuroCover Water Systems, and both deploy anchorlessly onto operating water bodies. The choice between them is a geometry-fit decision driven by water-body surface area and shape. ## The geometry trade-off The hexagonal tile (AWTT-published 99% effective coverage, AWTT-patented 2010) is engineered for surface-area-dominant deployments — large industrial reservoirs where the tessellation can extend across thousands of m² and the coverage density compounds across the body. The AWTT pre-ballasted shell (Hexprotect® AQUA, 130+ MPH wind, 25+ year life, all AWTT-published) is the engineered default at this scale. Armor Ball AQUA — AWTT's spherical line — trades the hexagonal tessellation density (~9 points of coverage) for the ability to deploy cleanly on water bodies that hexagonal cannot serve. Small surface area, highly irregular shoreline, fluctuating geometry, temporary deployments — these are the cases where the spherical line is engineered for, and where the hexagonal line's tessellation assumption breaks down.
## Where each is the right specification ### Hexagonal modular (Hexprotect® AQUA, AWTT-published) - Industrial reservoirs over 1,000 m². - Regular and irregular shorelines tolerant of the AWTT-engineered tessellation. - 25-year procurement horizon. - Hurricane-rated wind exposure (the AWTT-published 130+ MPH envelope). - Surface-management goals are evaporation, algae, odour, or heat (not gas capture). ### Spherical (Armor Ball AQUA, AWTT spherical line) - Water bodies under 500 m² where the hexagonal tessellation leaves too much untessellated zone. - Highly irregular geometry (multi-lobed bodies, frequent shoreline incursions, fixed infrastructure that fragments the surface). - Temporary deployments (fire-suppression tanks, construction water storage, short-duration applications). - Perimeter containment booms already in service — Armor Ball deploys inside a containment boundary. - Shipping density is the procurement priority — Armor Ball packs more cover per shipping container than the hexagonal tile. ## How the install differs Both lines deploy anchorlessly. The hexagonal tile (AWTT-patented) is launched in batches and self-tessellates via natural water motion; crew intervention is limited to nudging clusters toward gaps. Armor Ball AQUA is poured into the water body — the balls self-distribute and close-pack across the surface area. Both are 1-day or multi-day installs depending on surface area; neither requires draining. ## Sources - AWTT — [Hexprotect® AQUA hexagonal cover](https://www.awtti.com/products/hexprotect-aqua/) — manufacturer canonical reference for the AWTT-patented hexagonal platform and AWTT-published 99% coverage. - EuroCover Water Systems — [Armor Ball AQUA product page](https://eurocovers.eu/products/armor-ball-aqua) — EU commercial reference for the AWTT spherical line. - [Family tree](/heritage/family-tree) — where hexagonal and Armor Ball AQUA fit in the broader AWTT family. {/* TODO: confirm with founder — Armor Ball AQUA AWTT-published wind certification, life expectancy, NSF/ANSI status. */} ## Frequently asked questions ### Are hexagonal and Armor Ball AQUA both AWTT products? Yes — both lines sit inside the AWTT product family and are distributed across the EU by EuroCover Water Systems. The hexagonal line is the AWTT-patented hexagonal floating cover platform (Hexprotect® AQUA the workhorse, AWTT-published 99% effective coverage). Armor Ball AQUA is AWTT's spherical line for water bodies where the hexagonal tessellation doesn't fit. ### Why does Armor Ball have lower coverage than hexagonal? Geometry. Hexagons are the only regular polygon that tessellates without gaps; the AWTT-published 99% effective coverage comes from the engineered hexagonal grid plus the central-dome overlap. Spherical balls close-pack at around 91% — the residual ~9% is the interstitial gap between adjacent spheres at the surface. AWTT publishes the higher hexagonal coverage as the reference; Armor Ball AQUA trades coverage for shape tolerance. ### Can hexagonal and Armor Ball mix on a single site? Operationally yes — both AWTT products deploy anchorlessly and float independently. Most projects standardise on one cover for inventory and warranty simplicity. The exception is a mixed-geometry site (e.g., a large reservoir adjacent to a small irregular forebay) where one cover serves each section. ### When is the right call to drop both and go continuous geomembrane? When gas capture is in scope (biogas digesters) or full environmental containment is the design driver. See [/vs/hexagonal-vs-geomembrane](/vs/hexagonal-vs-geomembrane) for the engineering trade-off. ## Sources - Hexprotect® AQUA delivers AWTT-published 99% effective surface coverage on the AWTT-patented hexagonal floating cover platform. — [AWTT — Hexprotect® AQUA hexagonal cover](https://www.awtti.com/products/hexprotect-aqua/) - Armor Ball AQUA is the AWTT spherical line — best fit for small or irregular water bodies. — [EuroCover Water Systems — Armor Ball AQUA product reference](https://eurocovers.eu/products/armor-ball-aqua)