AbstractConsideration of the motions involved in erecting a range of carton types shows that the individual motions are essentially simple. It is the combination of them that gives the complexity that is often required. This suggests that it is possible to design mechanisms to generate the individual motions and then combine these, thus creating an approach that allows reconfiguration for different carton sizes and styles. The design of a novel reconfigurable folder mechanism is discussed and it is shown how several folders can be combined to erect carton trays of varying sizes in times comparable with those for corresponding dedicated machines. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.