The objective of the work was to change quality control in cigarette making from being retrospective to immediate, and thus establish the first pragmatic step to Statistical Product Control. To achieve this, the precision of current on-line measurements must be linked to the accuracy of off-line instrumentation. This has necessitated bringing the physical test laboratory, in the form of a test station, on to the cigarette making floor. Cigarettes are sampled automatically at a rate of one per thousand approximately, from the mass flow inspection section of the maker and then transported to the test station without affecting the physical properties of the cigarettes. Sampling and operation of the test station are under a separate computer control. Methods of performing these tasks and results are discussed. Data obtained from the test station has been fed back to the on-line devices for set point adjustments of weight, circumference and ventilation controls. The data thus generated gives a continuous quality audit and allows for the printing of pre-emptive quality violation reports. The system has so far been applied to a single cigarette maker. Proposed future developments are discussed to show how multiple making machine control can be achieved by the use of one test station.