Folding device, packaging facility for articles, and method for folding side flaps of external cardboard packagings

A packaging facility for articles, comprising:

• a grouping module for assembling a plurality of articles to an article group to be packaged;
• and
• an outer packaging module for producing an outer package, wherein the outer packaging module comprises a folding device (10) for transporting and folding at least one side flap (21) of the outer cardboard package (20) having folding lines, the folding device (10) comprising:
• at least one conveyor system with a guiding unit (11) and with at least two transporting and folding shuttles (30) disposed on the guiding unit (11) for the transport of an outer cardboard package (20) in a transport direction (TR);
• wherein the at least two shuttles (30) are disposed in a row in the transport direction (TR) in the conveyor system and are transportable in the transport direction (TR) by the conveyor system;
• wherein each shuttle (30) has at least one folding unit (35) for folding over at least one side flap (21) of the outer cardboard package (20), wherein the at least one folding unit (35) extends away from a receiving area (34) for the outer cardboard package (20) and toward an adjacent one of the at least two shuttles (30) and wherein the at least one folding unit (35) is a stop for the outer cardboard package (20) disposed on the adjacent shuttle (30).