The paper reviews the design and development of an automated machine with a modular, linear smoking array. The many advantages of the linear array smoking arrangement have been maintained :
w concurrent smoking of a 'monitor' product,
w cigarettes can be smoked at random on different channels, eliminating potential anomalous effects,
w cigarettes of varying sizes (multiple brands) can be smoked simultaneously,
w the results are statistically more significant as the final result for 20 cigarettes consists of 4 data sets from 5 cigarettes compared with one data set,
w implementation of options such as free burn rate and hot collapse measurements.
The ASM500 is designed with a compact, modular bench top construction to minimise laboratory space and maximise convenience of use. The bench top construction also allows the dead volume to be reduced to facilitate puff-by-puff analysis whilst maintaining parity in determining smoking yields to the current linear SM400. One ASM500 module comprises 10 smoking channels. Modules can be combined to make a 20 channel machine and the module(s) are driven from a computer running Windows™ compatible software.
The ASM500 employs a sequential smoking regime which enables a significant simplification of the ignition system and puffing engine. This enables simplification of the ignition and but detection systems ensuring high reliability. The ASM500 has a built in closed loop control system to maintain the specified air velocity over all the cigarettes under test. The smoking process is largely automatic, therefore significant attention is given to the pre and post smoking activities to increasing through-put, reduce set up time, reduce labour support requirements and increase precision in the determination of smoke constituents.