Forming unit and forming method to manufacture a group of articles

A forming method to manufacture a group of articles, wherein the articles (14) are arranged at a given distance from one another;

• the forming method comprises the steps of:
• moving, by means of a forming conveyor (26), a plurality of forming boxes (27) each designed to support a group of smoking articles (14) along a forming path (P2);
• feeding a mass of articles (14) to a hopper (24), which is arranged in an input station (S1) along the forming path (P2) and is provided with at least one output mouth (25) comprising a plurality of dividing walls (31) defining channels (32), each configured to contain a vertical stack of articles (14);
• extracting the group of articles (14) from the channels (32) of the output mouth (25) and inserting, in the input station (S1), the group into a corresponding forming box (27) of the forming conveyor (26) causing an extractor (29) to cover a work stroke, which is perpendicular to the forming path (P2);
• moving, by means of a wrapping conveyor (21), along a straight and horizontal wrapping path (P1) a plurality of wrapping boxes (22) each designed to support a group of smoking articles (14);
• and
• transferring, in a transfer station (S2), the groups of smoking articles (14) from the corresponding forming boxes (27) of the forming conveyor (26) to corresponding wrapping boxes (22) of the wrapping conveyor (21);
• wherein each forming box (27) of the forming conveyor (26) comprises a plurality of through holes (28) with a cylindrical shape, each being separate from and independent of the other through holes (28) and being designed to house a corresponding single article (14) of the group.