Overview
ISO 20193:2019 specifies a laboratory method to determine the width of strands of cut tobacco (cut width) for products that have a uniform cut width. The standard defines sample preparation, measurement procedure, result expression and precision expectations. Alternative measurement systems (microscope with fitted ruler or camera/image processing) may be used if they deliver equivalent accuracy and meet the sampling/measurement resolution required by the standard.
Keywords: ISO 20193:2019, cut width, strands of cut tobacco, tobacco testing, measurement accuracy
Key topics and requirements
- Scope: Applies only to homogeneous cut-tobacco samples with visually uniform strand width.
- Sampling & conditioning:
- Sampling per ISO 15592-1 or ISO 8243.
- Packaged samples: condition according to ISO 15592-2 (fine-cut tobacco) or ISO 3402 (cigarettes).
- Test portion: typically 50 g for packed products; spread on A3 area.
- Strand selection & preparation:
- Randomly take 20 strands, each at least 10 mm long, cut in parallel.
- Affix strands flat and perpendicular to a line on a sample holder; cover with a transparent strip to prevent movement; avoid stretching or damage.
- Annex A: example holder 20 × 110 mm with five parallel lines (spacing 3.5 ± 0.5 mm); single-line holders are acceptable.
- Measurement:
- Use a measuring device with accuracy of at least ±0.1 mm.
- Record each single measurement to the nearest 0.05 mm.
- Compute arithmetic mean reported to 0.1 mm and standard deviation to 0.01 mm.
- Precision:
- Repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R) are provided from collaborative studies for representative strand widths (e.g., for mean widths 0.42, 1.05, 1.68, 3.27 mm values of r and R are tabulated in the standard).
- Test report: Must include sample ID, reference to ISO 20193:2019, sampling/conditioning details, room temperature, results and observations.
Applications and who uses it
- Tobacco manufacturers - production control and quality assurance of cut width for smoking and fine-cut products.
- Analytical and QC laboratories - standardized testing for product specifications, R&D validation and supplier checks.
- Regulatory and standards bodies - compliance verification and interlaboratory comparisons.
- Equipment developers - validation of microscopes or image-processing systems as alternative measurement methods.
Keywords: tobacco quality control, cut width measurement, sample holder, ISO tobacco standards
Related standards
This concise summary helps labs and manufacturers apply ISO 20193:2019 for reliable, repeatable measurement of tobacco strand width.
