Overview
ISO 7210:2018 specifies additional test methods for routine analytical cigarette-smoking machines used to verify conformity with ISO 3308 and ISO 20778. It is a verification-focused standard - not a smoking protocol - and defines procedures and apparatus requirements to check machine performance parameters such as pressure drop, puff profile parameters, restricted smoking, and the soap film bubble flowmeter for puff-volume calibration. A certificate of conformity can be obtained from the machine manufacturer.
Key topics and technical requirements
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Pressure drop (Clause 4)
- Defined as the static pressure difference across the pneumatic circuit at a volumetric flow of 17.5 ml/s.
- Measurement uses a manometer and a controlled airflow; procedure includes zeroing the manometer, establishing 17.5 ml/s flow, taking baseline and machine-connected readings, and reporting PD per channel in pascals.
- All measurements under standard test atmosphere per ISO 3402.
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Puff profile parameters (Clause 5)
- Continuous measurement of puff flow rate through a pressure-drop device of 1 000 Pa ± 50 Pa.
- Two alternative measuring systems: System A (analog pressure transducer → integrator/recorder) and System B (digital acquisition and computer).
- Apparatus requirements include limiting added pressure drop (≤ 300 Pa), using a laminar flow element with nominal 100 Pa ± 10 Pa at 17.5 ml/s, and a pressure transducer with accuracy ±5 Pa or better and minimal response frequency 1 kHz.
- Reportable parameters: total puff volume, maximum flow rate, time to peak flow, residual volume after suction stops, and total puff duration (target values per ISO 3308 / ISO 20778).
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Verification of restricted smoking (Clause 6)
- Methods to quantify smoulder-stream smoke volume between puffs (applies to discontinuous-function machines).
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Soap film bubble flowmeter (Clause 7)
- Describes a primary device (soap film burette / bubble flowmeter) for determining puff volume used to calibrate secondary measurement systems.
Applications and users
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Who uses ISO 7210:2018
- Smoking-machine manufacturers (verification and certification)
- Analytical test laboratories and QA/QC teams
- Regulatory bodies and standards compliance auditors
- Tobacco research groups and instrument calibration services
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Practical uses
- Routine machine verification and acceptance testing
- Calibration of electronic flow-measurement systems against a primary soap-film burette
- Ensuring repeatable, accurate puff profiles for comparative analytical testing
- Demonstrating conformity with ISO 3308 and ISO 20778 for regulatory or contractual purposes
Related standards
- ISO 3308 - Routine analytical cigarette-smoking machine (definitions & standard conditions)
- ISO 20778 - Cigarettes: intense smoking regime (definitions & standard conditions)
- ISO 3402 - Atmosphere for conditioning and testing
- ISO 4387, ISO 20779 - Related particulate-matter generation/collection methods
Keywords: ISO 7210:2018, cigarette-smoking machine, machine verification, puff profile, pressure drop, soap film bubble flowmeter, smoking machine calibration, ISO 3308, ISO 20778.