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6. Process or Product Monitoring and Control

6.2. Test Product for Acceptability: Lot Acceptance Sampling
6.2.3. How do you Choose a Single Sampling Plan?

Sample
OC
curve

We start by looking at a typical OC curve. The OC curve for a (52 ,3)

sampling plan is shown below.

Number of
defectives is
approximately
binomial

It is instructive to show how the points on this curve are

obtained, once we have a sampling plan (n,c) - later we will
demonstrate how a sampling plan (n,c) is obtained.
We assume that the lot size N is very large, as compared to
the sample size n, so that removing the sample doesn't
significantly change the remainder of the lot, no matter how
many defects are in the sample. Then the distribution of the
number of defectives, d, in a random sample of n items is
approximately binomial with parameters n and p, where p is
the fraction of defectives per lot.
The probability of observing exactly d defectives is given
by

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The binomial
distribution
The probability of acceptance is the probability that d, the
number of defectives, is less than or equal to c, the accept
number. This means that

Sample table
for Pa, Pd
using the
binomial
distribution

Using this formula with n = 52 and c=3 and p = .01, .02,

...,.12 we find
Pa
Pd
.998
.980
.930
.845
.739
.620
.502
.394
.300
.223
.162
.115

.01
.02
.03
.04
.05
.06
.07
.08
.09
.10
.11
.12

Solving for (n,c)

Equations for
calculating a
sampling plan
with a given
OC curve

In order to design a sampling plan with a specified OC

curve one needs two designated points. Let us design a
sampling plan such that the probability of acceptance is 1for lots with fraction defective p1 and the probability of
acceptance is

for lots with fraction defective p2. Typical

choices for these points are: p1 is the AQL, p2 is the LTPD

and , are the Producer's Risk (Type I error) and
Consumer's Risk (Type II error), respectively.
If we are willing to assume that binomial sampling is valid,
then the sample size n, and the acceptance number c are the
solution to

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These two simultaneous equations are nonlinear so there is

no simple, direct solution. There are however a number of
iterative techniques available that give approximate
solutions so that composition of a computer program poses
few problems.

Average Outgoing Quality (AOQ)

Calculating
AOQ's

We can also calculate the AOQ for a (n,c) sampling plan,

provided rejected lots are 100% inspected and defectives are
replaced with good parts.
Assume all lots come in with exactly a p0 proportion of
defectives. After screening a rejected lot, the final fraction
defectives will be zero for that lot. However, accepted lots
have fraction defectivep0. Therefore, the outgoing lots from
the inspection stations are a mixture of lots with fractions
defective p0 and 0. Assuming the lot size is N, we have.

For example, let N = 10000, n = 52, c = 3, and p, the quality

of incoming lots, = 0.03. Now at p = 0.03, we glean from
the OC curve table that pa = 0.930 and
AOQ = (.930)(.03)(10000-52) / 10000 = 0.02775.

Sample table
of AOQ
versus p

Setting p = .01, .02, ..., .12, we can generate the following

table
AOQ
.0010
.0196
.0278
.0338
.0369

p
.01
.02
.03
.04
.05

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.0372
.0351
.0315
.0270
.0223
.0178
.0138

.06
.07
.08
.09
.10
.11
.12

Sample plot
of AOQ
versus p

A plot of the AOQ versus p is given below.

Interpretation
of AOQ plot

From examining this curve we observe that when the

incoming quality is very good (very small fraction of
defectives coming in), then the outgoing quality is also very
good (very small fraction of defectives going out). When
the incoming lot quality is very bad, most of the lots are
rejected and then inspected. The "duds" are eliminated or
replaced by good ones, so that the quality of the outgoing
lots, the AOQ, becomes very good. In between these
extremes, the AOQ rises, reaches a maximum, and then
drops.
The maximum ordinate on the AOQ curve represents the
worst possible quality that results from the rectifying
inspection program. It is called the average outgoing
quality limit, (AOQL ).
From the table we see that the AOQL = 0.0372 at p = .06 for
the above example.
One final remark: if N >> n, then the AOQ ~ pa p .

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The Average Total Inspection (ATI)

Calculating
the Average
Total
Inspection

What is the total amount of inspection when rejected lots

are screened?
If all lots contain zero defectives, no lot will be rejected.
If all items are defective, all lots will be inspected, and the
amount to be inspected is N.
Finally, if the lot quality is 0 < p < 1, the average amount of
inspection per lot will vary between the sample size n, and
the lot size N.
Let the quality of the lot be p and the probability of lot
acceptance be pa, then the ATI per lot is
ATI = n + (1 - pa) (N - n)
For example, let N = 10000, n = 52, c = 3, and p = .03 We
know from the OC table that pa = 0.930. Then ATI = 52 +
(1-.930) (10000 - 52) = 753. (Note that while 0.930 was
rounded to three decimal places, 753 was obtained using
more decimal places.)

Sample table
of ATI versus
p

Setting p= .01, .02, ....14 generates the following table

ATI
P
70
.01
253
.02
753
.03
1584 .04
2655 .05
3836 .06
5007 .07
6083 .08
7012 .09
7779 .10
8388 .11
8854 .12
9201 .13
9453 .14

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Plot of ATI
versus p

A plot of ATI versus p, the Incoming Lot Quality (ILQ) is

given below.