Smoking machines have been used for more than 50 years now. Their use was driven by product development and research puposes and evolved into the basis of routine smoking as a quality assurance tool. As their use spread around the world, it became obvious that standardization was essential to ensure consistant results independent of the location. In parallel to the first regulatory requirements of Tar analysis, CORESTA started developing the first methods for machine hamonization which was followed by ISO standards. This has further evolved over the years to include topics such as air flow harmonization, labyrinth seals, puff parameters and trapping systems, as well as related analytical methods. The presentation starts with a short jouney through the histoy of rotary smoking machines and the first reported methods through to the requirements of today. It will take a look at the latest analytical needs as well as new product requirements and will give a brief look into possible future challenges.