Lifting capacity for confectionery supplier

Founded in 1985, Kingsway Confectionery is a supplier of wholesale and retail confectionery products and a co-packing partner for branded and private label products in the confectionery and snack food industries.

The company was acquired in 2004 by Phil Wicks and his son Ray Wicks, who relocated to its current premises in Melbourne’s bayside suburb of Seaford in 2016. This move facilitated the immediate expansion of the operation and provided the necessary scope for further growth opportunities. In 2020, the need for additional capacity became apparent and the installation of its third production line was commissioned.

Kingsway Confectionery’s association with Enmin commenced 15 years ago when a top cross feeder was installed to an existing production line. This was rapidly followed by an order for a hopper feeder to further modernise the line.

“We reached out to Enmin in January 2021 to support us with the development of the supplementary equipment specifications required in what was going to be a joint build with tna, our manufacturer of choice for our form fill and seal packing machines,” said General Manager Ray Wicks.

“In machinery and equipment, quality and reliability are paramount and Enmin brought this to the table in spades. We do strive to support Australian manufacturing and with them being a Melbourne-based manufacturer this was just an incredible bonus for us,” Ray said.

“In the new retail landscape, ‘just in time planning’ usually means it is late, so we must have confidence that our machinery will keep us ahead of the curve. With Enmin it’s a considerable advantage knowing that if something does not go to plan then the expertise to fix it is close at hand.”

All Enmin equipment is fully constructed using the highest quality 304 stainless steel, providing good durability and reliability. The new line consists of an accumulation conveyer, a modular incline conveyor (Mi-CON), a hopper feeder and cross feeder feeding into a multihead weigher. Due to the nature of the business the lines are run with numerous changeovers, necessitating frequent cleaning protocols. The Mi-CON is suitable for the application given it’s a hygienically designed, full washdown modular conveyor.

The other key benefit of the Mi-CON is that its multiple standardised components eliminate equipment redundancy. It can be added to, extended and modified in the years ahead as a company’s production needs evolve.

“Enmin really impressed us with their project management expertise, outstanding service level and a can-do attitude that was evident throughout the entire build and installation process. Even the fine tuning that is always required with any new installation was done with minimum disruption.

“This installation was crucial and extremely time-sensitive to our business and any delay would have created significant issues. For them to have got our new line up and running on time and on budget in the middle of the COVID lockdown last year is testament to their abilities,” Ray concluded.