The 6 Design Differences in 4B Buckets

At 4B, we design our buckets for optimum efficiency and max reliability. The difference is in the design. How do we know? We’ll give you THREE reasons here – and our brand-new video will show you THREE MORE!

1 - INTERIOR FRONT FACE SHAPE

Our buckets have none of the typical material residue collection points or wear points. Their interior front face shape is SMOOTH, for uninterrupted fill and discharge.

2 - ENHANCED FRONT LIP INTEGRITY

Built with our revolutionary ICEBERG EDGE plus max strength rigidity, our buckets deliver consistent fill and discharge plus better impact and abrasion resistance.

3 - SIDE WALL FORM AND FUNCTION

No unnecessary wing unlike traditional sidewalls—those just interfere with flow—our buckets are FLUIDLY SHAPED for maximum continuous material distribution.

Now you’ve heard the first three design differences—check out our new video for the remaining three!

Click to Watch

Touchswitch and Rub Block with installed Touchswitch images

Are you taking care of your belt monitoring technology?

The 4B's Touchswitch™ and brass rub block watch your belts and pulleys when you can’t. Like everything in your mill or elevator, maintenance keeps them at peak running level.

Brass rub blocks detect heat generated by friction from misaligned belts rubbing against the brass. A sensor in the block monitors temperature, generating an alarm and a shutdown when it reaches a trip point.

The Touchswitch contains built-in solid-state electronic circuitry that detects the belt’s or pulley’s lateral force and activates a voltage-free relay contact to trigger an alarm and shutdown.

Here are four best practices for keeping your Touchswitch and rub blocks on point:

Check your Touchswitch and rub blocks regularly for wear.
When installing alignment sensors, make sure they’re in line with both the belt and the pulley so both a belt and/or a pulley misalignment can be detected. (Be careful at the tail; as the pulley will move up or down during adjustment.)
If your Touchswitch is getting stuck engaged, take it out of the casing and test it.
If the issue continues, remount the sensor, and realign with the center of the hole to ensure that it does not bind against the casing.

DID YOU KNOW 4B CAN PROVIDE DESIGN ASSISTANCE AT NO COST?

Did you know that as a 4B Components Limited customer, you have access to our talented in-house Design Team? It’s a huge reason Josh Spear has used 4B for more than 20 projects and counting. He’s been working on grain storage construction projects since he was 16, and since he took over Coastal Ag Construction from his grandfather, that experience took him straight to 4B.

In addition to product applications, Josh appreciates having access to the 4B Components Limited Design Team’s expertise. “I provide them my bushel per hour target, and they provide the rest.”

Of course, that’s a simplified view, as Josh knows what he wants and what his customer needs.

From that, the Design Team specifies the right mechanical drive components, belting, buckets, bolts, splice components and other products for his individual grain storage sites, so Josh can continue to deliver the excellence he’s known for.

Josh says 4B offers the products, engineering know-how and experience he is looking for: “They do really good work and provide a good product.”

4B SPOTLIGHTS

Facility Spotlights

See how 4B products are being used in the market. Click the facility name to view a use case.

Employee Spotlight

Mike Nation

Electronics Technician

For Electronics Technician Mike Nation, “tinkering,” as he calls it, comes naturally. 4B Components Limited customers can attest to his expertise and incredible knowledge base when it comes to supporting the complex componentry installed at their sites.

What may surprise them is that excellence is all self-taught. “I’ve learned by doing,” he says.

Perhaps that’s because electronics are part of everything he does. When he’s not spending time with his family, he’s tinkering on electronics. “I like to refurbish old arcade equipment like Skee-ball Machines and pinball machines,” Mike shares.

That passion for solving challenges and finding solutions that get to the root of the issue translates right into his role at 4B – and that pride in excellence does too. “We have a reputation for our customer service and support,” he says. “Because of that, it’s the only customer service job I’ve had where we are respected, and our information is appreciated.”

Pride and respect in work are great drivers toward success. “We’re constantly looking at our products to make changes that will make them work even better than before,” he says. “We’re never just relying on our current success and we always want to go to the next level.”