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NOVEMBER 28, 2011 BY RENAUD ANJORAN

What is the AQL, and

when it is applicable?
The AQL tables are statistical tools at the disposal of buyers (for product
inspections). They help determine two key elements:

How many samples should be picked and inspected, among a batch of

product or parts?

Where is the limit between acceptability and refusal, when it comes to

defective products?

The need for an objective

measurement of quality
In certain product categories, there will be defective products in virtually every
production batch. It is often true even after the manufacturer has checked
each individual product and has repaired the defective ones, since visual
inspection is not 100% reliable.

Therefore, in many supplier/buyer relationships (particularly when the

application does not result in life or death outcomes), the supplier
is notexpected to deliver defect-free goods. The buyer needs to control the
quality of purchased goods, since he does not want too many defects. But
what does too many mean?
How to set the limit between acceptability and refusal in a way that can be
agreed upon and measured?

Definition and application of

AQL
The limit, as described above, is called the AQL. It stands for Acceptance
Quality Limit, and is defined as the quality level that is the worst tolerable
(source: ISO 2859-1 standard).
For example: I want no more than 1.5% defective items in the whole order
quantity, on average over several production runs with that supplier means
the AQL is 1.5%.
In practice, three types of defects are distinguished. For most consumer
goods, the limits are:

0% for critical defects (totally unacceptable: a user might get harmed, or

regulations are not respected).

2.5% for major defects (these products would usually not be considered
acceptable by the end user).

4.0% for minor defects (there is some departure from specifications, but
most users would not mind it).

These proportions vary in function of the product and its market. Components
used in building an airplane are subject to much lower AQL limits.

Parametri de testare
Testarea rulmenilor se execut n conformitate cu standardul ISO 2859 i este mprit pe trei nivele:

AQL 0.01 ("key items"); cuprinde testarea duritii, a crpturilor i a caracteristicilor. n cazul
rulmenilor EMQ (electric motor quality) se vor testa suplimentar suflul i vibraiile,

AQL 1.0 ("main items"); al doilea nivel de testare cuprinde testarea dimensiunilor rulmentului,
ventilarea interioar radial, ...

> AQL 4.0 ("sub- items"); este ultima faz a testrii i cuprinde testarea magnetismului, a
aspectului exterior al rulmentului, ambalarea

Fiecare rulment este testat n ordine dup secvena AQL 0.01 - AQL 1.0 - AQL 4.0. Pentru ca rulmentul s
ncheie testarea cu succes trebuie s corespund tuturor celor trei nivele de testare. n cazul n care la un
anumit nivel nu s-a dovedit c este asigurat o calitate corespunztoare testarea se incheie.

Tabelele model dup standardul ISO 2859

n funcie de cantitatea unui anumit tip de rulment comandat de o anumit instituie se va alege un numr
aleatoriu de rulmeni care este stabilit de tabel.
S presupunem c aceast cantitate reprezint 10.000. Din acestea la laborator se aleg aleatoriu 80 de
bucai de rulmeni care vor fi testate n conformitate cu nivelele enumerate anterior. Din acest tabel se
vede c la nivelul de testare (AQL 0.01) fiecare dintre mostrele testate trebuie s satisfac toate condiiile.

La nivelul urmtor (AQL 1.0) se va modifica cantitatea cu 2 care este numrul rulmenilor testai care nu
au trecut faza testrii la primul nivel. La cel de al treilea nivel cantitatea limit admis a rulmenilor care nu
au trecut testul este de 7.

http://www.codex.si/ro/asigurarea-calitii/parametri-de-testare.aspx

Gettin
g familiar with the AQL tables
Before using the AQL tables, you should know three parameters:

The lot size. If you ordered different products, the quantity of each
product is a lot size, and it is advised to perform separate inspections for
each lot. If you ordered only one product, the lot size is the total batch
quantity.

The inspection level. Different inspection levels will command different

numbers of samples to inspect. In this article, we will stick to the socalled level II under normal severity and to single sampling plans.

The AQL level appropriate for your market. If your customers

accept very few defects, you might want to set a lower AQL for both
major and minor defects.

There are basically two tables. The first one tells you which code letter to
use. Then, the code letter will give you the sample size and the maximum
numbers of defects that can be accepted.
First table: sample size code letters

How to read this table?

If you follow my example, I assume your lot size is comprised between 3,201
pcs and 10,000 pcs, and that your inspection level is II. Consequently, the
code letter is L.
Second table: single sampling plans for level II inspection (normal
severity)

How to read this table?

Your code letter is L, so you will have to draw 200 pcs randomly from the total
lot size.
Besides, I assume you have set your AQL at 2.5% for major defects and 4.0%
for minor defects. Therefore, here are the limits: the products are accepted if
NO MORE than 10 products with major defects AND NO MORE than 14
products with minor defects are found.
For example, if you find 15 products with major defects and 12 products
with minor defects, the products are refused. If you find 3 with major defects
and 7 with minor defects, they are accepted.
Note: in quality inspections, the number of defective products is only one of
the criteria. It is sometimes called quality, or quality findings. The other
criteria are usually on the inspectors checklist, which typically includes:

Packaging conformity (barcodes, inner packing, cartons, shipping

marks).

Product conformity (aspect, workmanship). If all the products are in

red color instead of orange, there is no need to count each sample as a
defect. It makes more sense to refuse for product conformity.

Specific tests defined in the inspection checklist (they might not be

performed on all inspected samples if they are time-consuming or
destructive).

Frequently Asked Questions

about AQL
Q: So, basically I have to authorize the factory to
produce some defects?
A: In theory no. Thats why the AQL was renamed, from acceptable quality
level to acceptance quality limit. It is a limit (and a loose one at that).
Here is what the ISO2859 standard says:
Although individual lots with quality as bad as the acceptance quality limit
may be accepted with fairly high probability, the designation of an acceptance
quality limit does not suggest that this is a desirable quality level. Sampling
schemes [...] are designed to encourage suppliers to have process averages
consistently better than the AQL.
Note that, in practice, using these statistics means you assume the factory
cannot reasonably be expected to turn out 100% good quality.

Alternatively, you can choose an acceptance on zero plan. As soon as one

defect is found, the inspection is failed. But you can impose this to suppliers
only in situations where quality requirements are very high (in the auto
industry, in aerospace).

Q: Based on my AQL, I calculated the proportion

of defects authorized. Why dont they
correspond to the maximum number of defects
authorized?
A: It is true. In our example above, 2.5% of 200 samples is 5 samples, but we
accept the goods even if 10 samples are found with a major defect.
Why this difference? There are heavy statistics behind this issue. To keep it
simple, the producers risk is his risk of rejection (based on the random
element when drawing the sample) even though his products (if they were all
checked) would be accepted. That risk is about 5% in this standard. And,
along the same logic, there is a consumers risk and is is around 10%. As you
can see, this standard is favorable to the producers side.

Q: Why not just say, well check 10% of the

quantity, or whatever percentage deemed
appropriate?
A: Here again, the statisticians tell us it is not that simple. As we go up in the
total quantity, the proportion of products checked can decrease, for the same
confidence in the inspection results.

As you can see in the chart below, the number of samples to check (vertical
axis) increases at a slower pace than the total quantity (horizontal axis).

Q: How to choose an AQL limit for my products?

A: See this article. It depends on your distribution channel and your products
end use. Note that your supplier might refuse AQL limits they estimate as too
tight (i.e. too low).

Q: What are the reduced and tightened

severities?
A: They are designed to be used in very specific situations, when a producer
is particularly reliable, or on the contrary fails too often.
In practice, these severities are seldom used. Most inspections are done in
normal severity. Thats unfortunate, because the rules to switch from normal to
reduced or tightened are considered a very important part of the standard
(actually the evolutions of these rules constituted the main changes from MILSTD 105A and MIL-STD 105E).

Q: What are the limits of a quality control

approach based on random sampling and AQL
limits?
A: There are several limits:
1. An AQL limit is a target rather than a maximum. The buyer might have a
nasty surprise when receiving a batch of products that passed the
inspection. Read more in this article.
2. A statistical QC approach does nothing to reduce the defects in the first
place. Read more in this article.

Q: Where can I learn more about the AQL?

If you really want to understand the concept of the AQL, you should spend
about 20 minutes watching these 3 videos on Youtube.

How to Read the AQL Tables

When Applying the AQL tables Does or Doesnt Make Sense

Why the AQL tables are not in favor of the buyerSharehare

Filed Under: Quality Control Tips

Comments
1.

Ghulam sabir says

December 15, 2011 at 5:54 pm

my question is this what is 1.5,2.5,4 etc. is this a percentage of faults. if yes than at aql 2.5
there should be 5 defectives allowed. while table says 7 allaowed. what is it ?
ChrisGreen says

June 6, 2014 at 10:54 pm

The reason is that the ISO 2859-1 definition of AQL is simply incorrect. The actual
definition of AQL is the percentage of defective parts that is routinely accepted by your
sampling plan. Thus, a particular sampling plan for an AQL of 1%, might actually only
reject a lot if there are 2% or more defectives. What the 1% means is that if the true
failure rate of your process is 1%, you will still, due to the random nature of your
sample, get defective rates over 1% sometimes, however, 95% of the time, they will be
under 2%. You can think of the actual number of defectives that a particular plan allows
as the lower confidence limit of the AQL value.
ChrisGreen says

June 6, 2014 at 10:56 pm

Correction, you can think of the actual number of defectives that a particular plan
allows as the UPPER confidence limit of the AQL value.
Renaud Anjoran says

June 7, 2014 at 3:54 am

Yes I agree, the ISO 2859-1 definition of the AQL is confusing. Thats what I
explain in the 3 videos I shot on this topic (see the links at the end of the
article).

Shahid Ali says

June 27, 2014 at 10:18 am

i would like to ask you from where you got AQL table and what is the
document reference number of AQL chart?
Renaud Anjoran says

June 27, 2014 at 10:56 am

ISO 2859-1 standard. There are other equivalent commercial standards

in different countries.
2.

Renaud Anjoran says

December 15, 2011 at 6:06 pm

Ghulam,
It is the percentage of defective products that the buyer is willing to accept in the total
population of products.
Read the paragraph that starts with Based on my AQL, I calculated above, and it will
answer your question.
3.

karthick says
December 15, 2011 at 8:21 pm

I want an Clear definition for AQL ?

4.

Renaud Anjoran says

December 15, 2011 at 8:30 pm

Karthick,
The AQL is the worst quality level that the buyer is willing to tolerate.
5.

Mithun kumar says

December 22, 2011 at 5:36 pm

how i decide the lavel of aql according to lot size

6.

Renaud Anjoran says

December 22, 2011 at 9:23 pm

Mithun,
See the explanation below the 1st table, in the article above.
7.

ALI says
December 29, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Thanks a lot .It was so useful for me.

8.

Praveen says
January 1, 2012 at 5:21 pm

please suggest the better system than AQL & why?

9.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 1, 2012 at 5:30 pm

Praveen,
First, explain what you dont like with the AQL system, and maybe I can make suggestions
10.

O.P.Singh Chauhan says

January 9, 2012 at 4:52 pm

for plastic flexiable packaging, there are n number of major and minor defect. how we can
make the list.
11.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 10, 2012 at 11:36 pm

O.P.Singh Chauhan,
I am not sure I understand What is the order quantity, and what AQL limits would you
choose?

12.

Brian F says
January 12, 2012 at 6:36 am

Ive received a request to set an AQL level (which I had set at 2.0%) to:
An AQL of 0.065 OR 0/1 reject/accept level
Im not particularly certain what this means. I assume the 0.065 is just a much much
tighter % than the 2% I had set (which is rather tight), but the OR 0/1 reject/accept level
confuses me. Any idea on what was intended? Does it literally mean 0 rejects for every 1
accept which would be an AQL of 0.0?
13.

Brian F says
January 12, 2012 at 6:38 am

And by the way, good article. Many thanks.

14.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 12, 2012 at 4:11 pm

Brian,
0.065% is much stricter than 2.5%. By the way, 2.0% is not in the tables, so you should not
use this value.
0/1 reject/accept level means that the lot is passed if there is 0 defect, and rejected if there
at least 1 defect. In practice it is similar to an AQL of 0.065%, except if your order quantity is
above 150,000 pcs (I am assuming level II).
15.

Daniel Fok says

January 14, 2012 at 4:47 am

Very good practise in explaining the AQL and quality level concept.
In theory, if the sample size is 125 pcs in an order of 3000 pcs for level II.
Is it possible to inspect just 50 pcs or 80 pcs for some non critical portions of the product;
like cosmetic of the product?

16.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 14, 2012 at 11:02 am

Daniel,
Thanks. To respond to your question: yes it is possible. See the special levels,
on http://www.qualityinspection.org/inspection-level/.
17.

Aznal says
January 19, 2012 at 2:53 pm

What is the different between Special Inspection Level (S-1, S-2, S-3, S-4) and GenEral
Inspection Level ( I, II, III )?. Do we need to choose either on or both must be choose?..
18.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 19, 2012 at 9:47 pm

Aznal,
See http://www.qualityinspection.org/inspection-level/. Special levels are usually chosen for
tests that destroy the product, or that take a lot of time (i.e. when you need a really small
sample size).
In over 90% of cases, importers use general level II.
19.

AdamH says
February 10, 2012 at 7:18 am

Hi,
what is the probability that i will accept a lot more than 1,5% defective if i use AQL 1,5 to
inspect?
20.

Renaud Anjoran says

February 15, 2012 at 12:18 am

AdamH,
The standard does not indicate this probability It is supposed to be adapted to a normal
buyer/supplier relationship.
21.

Ravi.Shirol says
March 1, 2012 at 8:26 pm

IF LOT QUANTITY IS 20 WHAT IS THE AQL

22.

Renaud Anjoran says

March 1, 2012 at 8:37 pm

Ravi,
You can see on http://www.sofeast.com/aql-tables. Il level II, you should check 5 pcs.
23.

Observer says
March 3, 2012 at 10:00 pm

I love how the majority of the comments are from Asians and South Asian named people.
You would Google and searched for the meaning and definition of AQL is fantastic. Most
people I work with who are Caucasoid couldnt care less and dont want to know frankly. The
devil is in the detail as always you impress me.
24.

Renaud Anjoran says

March 3, 2012 at 10:20 pm

Observer,
Yes, its funny. Lots of suppliers who wonder what their buyer is talking about, too.
25.

S.Qaiser says
March 15, 2012 at 2:21 pm

Please also describe the method how did you calculate the 200 pcs of shipment samples for
inspection if the shipment volume up to 3000-10,000 pcs ?
I appreciate your quality inspection tips.

26.

Renaud Anjoran says

March 15, 2012 at 3:32 pm

S.Qaiser,
It is not a calculation. For the letter L, the inspector should pick 200pcs.
Look at the 1st and the 2nd tables in the above article.
27.

abdelaziz says
March 28, 2012 at 5:14 am

thanks very much but i need more explain plz

28.

Renaud Anjoran says

March 28, 2012 at 10:51 am

Abdelaziz,
Not sure how I can help Please be more specific.
29.

sanjay says
March 29, 2012 at 3:00 pm

Is there any AQL level 2.54 ?

30.

Renaud Anjoran says

March 29, 2012 at 3:24 pm

Sanjay,
No. Nothing between 2.5 and 4.0.
31.

sanjay says
March 31, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Thanks for the information. Please advise which AQL we should apply to inspect handicraft
articles (Metal Handicraft Items).

32.

Praveen Srivastava says

March 31, 2012 at 7:42 pm

suggest critical,major and minor defects in floor covring goods (carpet,Bath

mats,pitloom/fraloom rugs,Breided rug etc.
33.

rajeev kumar srivastav says

April 2, 2012 at 5:56 pm

dear sir:i want to know according to A. Q. L.2.5 & 4.0 ORDER QUANTITY IS 1000 PCS
HOW MUCH CHECKED PCS IN 1000PCS
34.

Renaud Anjoran says

April 2, 2012 at 6:17 pm

80 pieces out of 1,000 pieces, in level II (as explained in the above article).
35.

sanjay says
April 3, 2012 at 4:26 pm

Dear Renaud, please advise which AQL we can apply to inspect Metal Handicrafts items, as
due to handicrafts no 1 piece is simillar to another, so how can we inspect as per AQL.
36.

Renaud Anjoran says

April 3, 2012 at 4:28 pm

Sanjay,
You can certainly do like in the example of this article. Level II, 0/2.5/4.0.
37.

John says
April 5, 2012 at 11:55 pm

Thanks for the illuminating article.

Is there any systematization behind the random drawing of the samples?

For exemple, I have a lot of 5,004 units divided into 139 master packages with 36 units
each. Each of the masters contains 6 inner packages with 6 units in each inner. How will the
inspector choose his samples? Since according to the table (based on level 2) he will need
to inspect 200 units, does it necessarily means that there will be at least one sample from
each of the master packages? Will the samples always be from the top inners or from the
bottoms as well?
Thanks for you help.
38.

Renaud Anjoran says

April 6, 2012 at 12:08 am

John,
Interesting question. There are no indications about this in the standard.
Usually, here is the way it is done:
- The sq.root of 139 is between 11 and 12, so the inspector will pick at least 12 master
cartons.
- He will take 16 to 17 pcs per master carton, and will make sure the total is 200 pcs.
- He will probably try to pick pcs in 2 or 3 of the inner cartons, inside each master carton.
There is no rule for that, except that he should take some inner cartons from different parts
(top, center, bottom, front, back) of the master carton, and same thing for the pieces
inside the inner cartons..
39.

John says
April 6, 2012 at 12:44 am

Hi Renaud,
Thank you for your prompt reply.
Is this somthing I should specify in advance to the company who preform the inspection?
i.e. you need to inspect at least X master cartons and at Y inner carotons from different
parts in order to avoid a situation where all the samples will be picked up from the same
places?
Is it common to determine this with the service provider when ordering the inspection?

Once again, thank you for your assistance.

40.

Renaud Anjoran says

April 6, 2012 at 1:31 am

John,
If you are working with professionals, no need to specify it.
41.

sapna says
May 2, 2012 at 3:18 am

i want to print out this page

42.

Migod says
May 8, 2012 at 10:39 pm

if there is more than one defect on a garment, how is this counted

Renaud Anjoran says

May 8, 2012 at 10:42 pm

As the most severe defect found on that garment.

But make sure the description of the defect shows that there were several defects.
43.

Hesinc says
May 10, 2012 at 12:10 am

ANSI Z4, In the table, there are AQL of 100, 150, 250, etc. but the table reads that this
number represents Percent non-conforming and Nonconformaties per 100 items. How can
they be greater than 100 with that definition? Is it allowing for multiple non-conformances
per unit?
44.

Joseluis Villarreal says

May 15, 2012 at 8:36 pm

I have a doubt about Mil-Std-105d Table for Single sampling plan for Normal inspection
(Master table). If I have a lot of 100 units my sampling size code letter is D for S-4 Level,
so sample size is 8 pcs, and if I apply 0.65 AQL there is an arrow down that goes for the
acceptance criteria; 0 accept, 1 reject the lot, my doubt is; do I have to go down as the
arrow shows and interpolate with sample size so then my sample size has to be 20 pcs, is
that correct? can somebody help me!
Renaud Anjoran says

May 15, 2012 at 11:52 pm

The best is to inspect 20 samples and apply the [0,1] AQL.

But it is not an obligation, just a suggestion for the most purist among us.
It is fine to inspect 8 samples and also reject the lot if you find at least 1 defect.
45.

Joseluis Villarreal says

May 15, 2012 at 11:32 pm

Mr. Renaud Anjoran, please help!

46.

Joseluis Villarreal says

May 16, 2012 at 7:55 am

Thank you very much for you opinion and help.

Another case; If I have a lot of 1500 units my sampling size code letter is G for S-4 Level,
so sample size is 32 pcs, and if I apply 0.65 AQL there is an arrow up that goes for the
acceptance criteria; 0 accept, 1 reject the lot, my doubt is; do I have to go up as the arrow
shows and interpolate with sample size so then my sample size has to be 20 pcs, is that
correct?
o

Renaud Anjoran says

May 16, 2012 at 9:48 am

Same logic here. No need to check 32 samples just check 20 samples and reject if
you find at least 1 defect.

Hengsun590 says

June 7, 2012 at 2:27 pm

thanks behalf, If i have lot size 35,001 to 150,000 my samling size code is N for
S-4 , so sample is 500 or 1250?
Hengsun590 says

June 7, 2012 at 3:33 pm

thanks behalf, If i have lot size 35,001 to 150,000 my samling size code is N
for S-4 , if I apply 0.04 what is the sample 315 or 500 or 1250? some one
help please
Renaud Anjoran says

June 7, 2012 at 3:44 pm

No, your letter is J for S-4 level, and you should check a sample of 80
pcs.
47.

Sakhaout says
June 17, 2012 at 8:07 pm

Adjust new AQL chart .For help us any student .Thanks.

o

Renaud Anjoran says

June 18, 2012 at 4:33 pm

There is no way to adjust it without corrupting it

48.

Ranajawad83 says
June 27, 2012 at 6:23 pm

thanx i realy got my point understand

49.

Majoegong says

August 1, 2012 at 2:35 am

Ma Joe Gong
Thank you very much for your opinion
I want to know qty special inspection level s-1; s-2: s-3 and s-4, its same with 1Pcs, 2Pcs,
3Pcs and 4pcs?
Renaud Anjoran says

August 1, 2012 at 8:20 am

No, it is not the same. The sample size depends on the lot size.
50.

Peter says
August 3, 2012 at 2:01 am

Does a Major defect also count towards the Minor defect count?
Using your above example (3,201-10,000, level II, 2,5&4), what if the result of the inspection
was 9 Major and 13 Minor. Do the Majors also count towards the Minor total, for a total of
22 defects that are at least Minor? Or, are they always kept separate?
Renaud Anjoran says

August 6, 2012 at 9:18 pm

No. Better always keep them separate.

Tycho Grouwstra says

January 30, 2013 at 12:20 pm

Better? Actually keeping them separate has funny consequences. If the minor
defective allowance is exceeded a bit while the major/critical defect allowances still
left some spare room, the AQL system would effectively recommend suppliers to
smash a few products so that all allowances would be met again.

Renaud Anjoran says

January 30, 2013 at 12:25 pm

Thats right. Dont ask me to defend that methods logic I am just explaining
how it is supposed to be applied.
JohnGuo says

March 12, 2013 at 2:49 am

Although it seems like it, this is actually not right thinking. That`s because
there might be totally different manufacturing mistakes that can lead to major
and minor mistakes. So if you have found only 1 major defect and then more
minor defects you cannot group them together since you might end up with a
whole bunch of products having the same minor mistake. Then, although
there would be only a few pcs of major ones the whole lot would become
unacceptable by the end client. AQL has its flaws anyway, like any system i
guess, and can be very unfair for the supplier or the buyer, (usually the buyer
though).
Asep Surya Purnama says

November 27, 2013 at 8:17 am

In the last time company, we keeping 2 point minor defects = 1 point

major defect.
xuan says

October 25, 2013 at 1:38 pm

dear Mr Renaud,
Separate and not separate? is there any document write about this? pls share to
me. If I choose not separate, Total is larger 14, I will reject it. is it right?

Renaud Anjoran says

October 28, 2013 at 1:27 pm

Sorry but your questions are not clear

xuan says

November 8, 2013 at 2:48 pm

Follow your example, the second table , If I choose the lot size 200, AQL
2.5 and 4.0. I found 8 defects( AQL=2.5) and 8 defects (AQL=4.0). It
mean total defect is 16.
Can I approve for this lot?
Renaud Anjoran says

November 8, 2013 at 2:52 pm

Yes.
51.

Peter says
August 3, 2012 at 2:04 am

Is there any benefit to performing the same inspection on the same lot?
Lets say that my factory does a 2.5 AQL Level III inspection. Is there any benefit to having
a 3rd party inspect the same lot at 2.5 AQL Level III after the factory completes its
inspection?
Renaud Anjoran says

August 6, 2012 at 9:18 pm

Usually yes. The third party inspectors might be better trained, and will probably tell
you the truth (they have no interest in lying to you, while the seller may have such an
interest).
52.

Devnath Pillai says

August 24, 2012 at 1:14 pm

is the lot size refereed here is actual packing by supplier or is been refereed to P.O quantity.
for ex : if p.O quantity is 1200 pcs & actual packing by supplier is 1210 pcs so how many
samples i need to choose 125 or 80 samples

Renaud Anjoran says

August 24, 2012 at 5:25 pm

The lot quantity is the actual quantity to ship.

Special case: if the supplier is late in packing and some pieces to be shipped are still
unpacked, they are part of the lot.
53.

Sital k kshetri says

August 25, 2012 at 2:04 pm

If i am buying 100000 pairs of loge and coated on the pack aql1.5 so what does it men?
It means 1500 pairs defected?
Plz help me to solve the problem.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

January 24, 2013 at 9:54 pm

No, its a bit more complicated than that Youd have to read the article above.
54.

Sital k kshetri says

August 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm

If i am buying 100000pairs of gloves and on the pack coated aql1.5 so what does it mean?
Does it mean 1500 pairs defected?
Plz solve my problem any one/
o

Renaud Anjoran says

August 28, 2012 at 5:00 pm

I dont understand the question, sorry

55.

Gail Birks says

August 26, 2012 at 1:41 am

excellent explanation of what can be a complex concept. thanks

Renaud Anjoran says

September 26, 2012 at 11:30 am

Thanks Gail!
56.

Erik says
August 28, 2012 at 5:04 pm

Hi Renaud,
thanks, your explanation is very simply.
I have a question: are there values AQL internationally recognized for several items?. I
would like to determine a AQL for the control assembly of the components of fittings nylon
and aluminum. Thank you.
Renaud Anjoran says

August 28, 2012 at 5:17 pm

Yes, this standard can be applied on any products (finished or unfinished), instances of
a process, etc.
But you should adapt the values of the AQL to your product and your market. Clck on
the last link, at the bottom of the article, if you are wondering how to do that.
57.

Manjunath e Bhute says

September 21, 2012 at 6:25 pm

The quality plan submitted to our customer has been commented for Quantum of inspection
as per ISO 2859 & they have not mentioned Lot size, Inspection level, & AQL level, Pl clrify
What does it mean?
o

Renaud Anjoran says

September 21, 2012 at 9:01 pm

You can click on QC basic concepts in the menu of this site, and you will have some
responses.
Lot size is the batch size.
58.

Timbo says
September 25, 2012 at 12:05 am

What about a product that contains items, eg: I sell boxes of nails in packs of 100. For a lot
size of 2000 boxes insp level 2 gives K, sample size 125 boxes defects allowed 10 and 14,
now what happens if he opens the boxes and looks at the nails, are the defects still 10/14 or
is our sample size to be changed to 2000200 = 200,000 pcs? He would now have to
inspect P/ 800pcs, 21/21?
Also the upper limit is 21, so 10 million pcs cannot have more defects than 500K pcs, does
not seem fair?
Renaud Anjoran says

September 25, 2012 at 10:56 am

Timbo,
I strongly advise you to consider that the lot is 200,000 nails, rather than 2,000 boxes.
Count it all in pieces.
See http://www.qualityinspection.org/iso-2859-sets/ for more details.
59.

Roy Martinez says

October 15, 2012 at 9:31 pm

Is there an exception to critical defects having an inspection that passes ? Or is it always 0/1
o

Renaud Anjoran says

October 15, 2012 at 9:36 pm

You mean, does it happen that buyers accept a certain proportion of critical defects? I
cant tell for sure, but it probably happens. Its all up to the buyer (what is a critical
defect, and what the limit for this category of defects is).

60.

Adrian says
October 31, 2012 at 11:47 am

A very nice explanation, i would like to ask some question about AQL:
1. If I found 1 major and 1 minor defect on one unit, which type of defect is used, major
(cause its greater than the minor) or count separately 1 major defect and 1 minor defect?
2. example lot size 281-500 with sample size 50, Major 1,0 (<=1) and minor 1,5 (<=2),
during the sampling i found :
scenario sampling result : 1st unit found both 1 major criteria, and 3 minor criteria which
means all type of the defect happens in one unit (accept or reject)?
Renaud Anjoran says

October 31, 2012 at 12:29 pm

1. Only count the major defect. Dont count the minor defect.
2. Count 1 major defect only on that unit.
Note: what you call a unit should be the smallest selling/usable unit.
61.

Adrian says
October 31, 2012 at 12:55 pm

many thanks for your explanation, really helpful

62.

Adrian says
November 2, 2012 at 5:49 pm

Hi Renaud,
Are there any method that we can faster the Sampling process by reducing the sample size,
and how is it performed?
When we can reduce to lower sample size, let say use G1? or when we also need to do
higher sample size which is G2?
I also found some article that the sampling plan table, that the table have 3 types which are
normal inspection, tightened inspection, and reduce inspection, how does it performed?

Renaud Anjoran says

November 2, 2012 at 7:25 pm

Sure, there are ways to do this. You can read this

article:http://www.qualityinspection.org/reduce-man-days/.
Regarding normal/reduced/tightened: these are the different severities, not the different
levels. More info onhttp://www.qualityinspection.org/statistical-inspection-levels/.
And a good summary of all these concepts is
onhttp://www.qualityinspection.org/inspecting-less-samples/.
63.

Smarties49 says
November 23, 2012 at 9:09 pm

If we test 100% of our products, does this still applies? Im guessing not unless I missed
something.
Renaud Anjoran says

November 24, 2012 at 1:55 am

No, this is only applicable if you do random sampling.

64.

MatthewKamenstein says
December 14, 2012 at 11:16 am

Hi, I am totally confused about dphu. Say I have a lot of 4000, sample size 200. I find 5
defectives and 20 defects. My understanding is I take (5*100)/200=2.5. What do I do with
this #?
Thanks.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

December 14, 2012 at 4:19 pm

Good point. I answered it in the 3rd Q&A on this page, actually.

MatthewKamenstein says

December 15, 2012 at 4:41 am

Sorry, but I do not see the answer below.

Renaud Anjoran says

December 15, 2012 at 9:47 am

I mean, it is toward the end of the article. But I am also pasting it here:
Q: Based on my AQL, I calculated the proportion of defects authorized. Why
dont they correspond to the maximum number of defects authorized?
A: It is true. In our example above, 2.5% of 200 samples is 5 samples, but we
accept the goods even if 10 samples are found with a major defect.
Why this difference? There are heavy statistics behind this issue. To make it
simple, the producer runs a risk of rejection (based on the random element
when drawing the sample) even though his products (if they were all checked)
would be accepted. And, in the same logic, the consumer runs a risk of
accepting bad products. The statisticians had to account for these risks, thats
why the numbers were adjusted and seem not to make sense.
VIKAS says

September 19, 2013 at 11:36 am

what is the meaning of 0.25 ,0.65,1.0,2.5 AQL

Renaud Anjoran says

September 19, 2013 at 2:26 pm

Have you read the article above? It is basically the response to your question.

Renaud Anjoran says

September 30, 2013 at 9:58 pm

You need to give me more context

65.

Andrew says
December 18, 2012 at 5:17 am

Hello Renaud,
Lets say an assembly line is producing 2000 products a day therefore sample volume would
be 125, with 7 and 10 major and minor defects. However sampling all 125 at once is not
practical and hourly tests want to be done. Lets say 10 an hour for a 16 hour day to cover
all options. Now does the 7 and 10 major and minor defects have to be totaled up for the
whole day or can it be split up into the hourly tests in order to not slow down the assembly
line. Also can figures be modified to fit the company, it is not a food product and safety is not
of concern, just sending out a quality product however the defect limits provided on the AQL
charts seem a little intense. Thanks
Andrew says

December 18, 2012 at 5:44 am

On a side note, products get shipped out randomly however they are packed 15 to a
crate, would it be wiser to test each crate individually (lots size) at the 3 (sampling
size), and 0 defects in order to have a greater control on the product quality.its still a
2000 production day but having the lot size as per crate, because tracking the products
is of concern. (thoughts?)
Renaud Anjoran says

December 18, 2012 at 10:07 am

A single-stage sampling plan is probably not the most appropriate in your

situation. Here is what I would advise:
Continuous sampling is the best plan when products are made individually in a
continuous flow. It makes no sense to pick samples inside each batch. It consists
of several phases:
- At the beginning, each piece is checked (thats the screening).
- After a certain number of pieces were found satisfactory, only certain pieces are

checked randomly (thats the sampling).

- If a piece is defective: back to screening.
Andrew says

December 19, 2012 at 1:20 am

Perfect thank you,

Is there separate AQL tables for this method or do you just choose numbers
that fit your process, say screen 50 then randomly check 10 every hour. Also
the company wants a paper trail would you advise to just record any failures
during screening then record the random sampling ? thanks
Renaud Anjoran says

December 19, 2012 at 2:05 pm

Dont worry about tables. This calculator will give you all the settings you
need:
http://www.sqconline.com/mil-std-1916-calculator-acceptance-zero-beta?
AVC=C
66.

MatthewKamenstein says
January 9, 2013 at 2:56 pm

Hello,
If we have 1 item that is a 10 pc set, if we purchase as 1 pc, and we order 5000 10 pc sets,
is the aql sample size based on 5000 sets or 50000 pcs (10pcs/set X 5000). Should we
sample 200 sets or 500 pcs(which equates to 50 sets)?
Thanks,
Matt
o

Renaud Anjoran says

January 10, 2013 at 11:23 am

Both are fine. Both have have pros and cons. For example, when there are too many
pieces in 1 set (and 10 is already on the high side), it loses its meaning.
I wrote an article about this onhttp://www.qualityinspection.org/iso-2859-sets/.
67.

Nguyen Anh Toan says

January 24, 2013 at 2:36 pm

In the example you gave, they were not clearly. For ex: If I find out there are 18 minor
defects and 5 major defects , so how can I judge this Po will be passed or rejected? In my
experience, If the total defects are not over 24 defects and over 10 major defects this Po will
be accepted to release. Is it right or not? Please kindly advice.
Renaud Anjoran says

January 24, 2013 at 9:44 pm

If the number of minor defects is above the tolerance, the overall result is FAILED.
Even if the major defects are below the tolerance.
Nguyen Anh Toan says

January 25, 2013 at 11:32 am

Hello Mr Anjoran,
Depend on your idea , which is the higher quality between the two cases I will give
you
During the inspection with the same quantity as your example , 1st case: 18 minor
defects, 6 major defects. 2nd case: 14 minor defects, 10 major defects.
Please advice and help me to judge which will pass the inspection.
Thank you!

Renaud Anjoran says

January 25, 2013 at 7:33 pm

If you decide to follow this standard and to set AQL tolerances, it can be very
dumb. There is no need to look for logic in all the special caes. In some

special cases it is just dumb. I am not defending this standard at all. I am just
explaining how it works in practice.
Nguyen Anh Toan says

January 26, 2013 at 10:13 am

Hi!
infact, During the inspection we will meet these situations and you must
make the decision this Po will pass or not. The suppliers want to know
this so that they will ship this Po or not. So you should list all the cases
including the special cases, the examples which I showed to you are not
special alot. the impotant things are that how could you convince the
suppliers this or that order pass or fail the inspection. Sometimes, the
minor defects are over the AQL but It will be passed the inspection. If the
inspector can not make his or her decision on the orders he or she
conducted . what will the suppliers thinking about the inspectors? the two
examples I gave you , all passed the AQL , and the fisrt case the quality
is better than the second. The total defects should not be over 24 defects
( the fisrt condition) and the major defects should not be over 10 defects
( the second condition). Anyway thanks for your document because there
are alot of document are very usefull for the inspectors, I would like to
remind you that when doing the inspection in practice the logic is very
important.
68.

Nguyen Anh Toan says

January 24, 2013 at 2:51 pm

Hello Mr Renaud Anjoran,

I read your documents I saw that they are very useful, however the examples you gave
above are not clear alot. For ex: with the same quantity of this Po but If I find out there are
20 minor defects and 4 major defects How can I judge this Po will passed or not? In my
experience working as an inspector , In my opinion If the total defects in this Po are not over

24 defects and the major defects are not over 10 defects . We will accept to release this Po .
For ex: If you find out 11 major defects and 0 minor defects the inspection will be failed . If
you find out 23 minor defcts and 1 major defect. the inspection will be passed. Is it right ?
Please advice . Thanks so much.
69.

An Nguyen says
January 26, 2013 at 10:18 am

Dear Renaud,
Ive read this inspection information:
Sample size: G1-20 for 1 item And Sample size: Major:50, Minor:32 for 2 items
Is this method of choosing sample different from AQL?
Would you mind explaining for me this method?
Thank you!
An Nguyen
Renaud Anjoran says

January 26, 2013 at 12:57 pm

There not enough information for me to understand this sampling plan G1 might
refer to general level I. Thats all I can guess.
An Nguyen says

January 26, 2013 at 1:11 pm

Thanks for your response.

This is the document Ive read:

Renaud Anjoran says

January 27, 2013 at 11:45 am

For the 1st inspection, I guess you should follow level I.

For the 2nd inspection, it is not clear.

70.

Marc Pedneault says

March 22, 2013 at 11:29 pm

Hi Renaud,
I bought a robot recently (which is not delivery yet) and the company is writing the
Performance qualification (PQ) document. This robot has 40 channels that dispense liquid
in 40 devices at the time. The company has proposed to test the precision of the dispense
on only 1 channel out of the 40 which I think is not sufficient.
I would like to know if this method can be applied to determine the minimum number of
channel that have to be tested for precision in the PQ.
So, if I apply the process above, 40 channel with an inspection level II, the number of
channel to test would be 8.
Let me know your thought.
Marc Pedneault
o

Renaud Anjoran says

March 22, 2013 at 11:45 pm

Marc, yes I think using the standard I describe in this article would be better than
setting a number (such as 1) arbitrarily.
71.

budi says
May 16, 2013 at 9:09 am

Dear Renaud, AQL 0.65.1.50 does it means: 65 major defect and 50 minor defect? what is
figure 0 and 1 really means ? txs
o

Renaud Anjoran says

May 16, 2013 at 1:38 pm

Where did you find 0.65.1.50??

72.

ghouse says

May 31, 2013 at 2:59 pm

can u tell me the formula to how to determine sample size, acceptance number and
rejection number from the given population. (condition is without seeing the table, whether it
is ansiz1.4 or different) tell me soon
Renaud Anjoran says

May 31, 2013 at 5:05 pm

It is not a formula. You should read the above article, especially paragraph Getting
familiar with the AQL tables.
73.

Hang Huynh Trung says

July 6, 2013 at 1:29 pm

Hi. We have lot size is 115pcs. We need to inspect base on level II. 1.5 major and 4.0
minor.so. how many sample size ??? 32 or 20pcs????. Bureau veritas QC got 32pcs to
inspect.?? Why not 20???????please help to clear..thanks.
Renaud Anjoran says

July 6, 2013 at 8:17 pm

In normal severity and level II, the sample size is 20 pieces.

In normal severity and level III, the sample size is 32 pieces.
74.

simofilth says
July 10, 2013 at 9:04 pm

Hi,
Please i want to know how to have the value of acceptance and rejection of aql : 2%, 3%,
5% ?
and what is the method used to have this,and why these values of AQL doesnt appear on
standard tables?
thanks in advance

Renaud Anjoran says

July 10, 2013 at 10:03 pm

These values are not in the tables youll see everywhere. The statisticians arbitrarily
chose some values. Remember that, in the 1940s, they couldnt count on computers for
easy calculations.
If you need to calculate values based on exact parameters of your choice, you can use
the tools available on sqconline.com and use the calculator under MIL-STD 105E.
75.

Christine says
July 15, 2013 at 2:45 pm

i have a lot of total 5500pcs, consisting of 5 different products of different qty. (item a =
2000PCS, item b = 860, item c = 1200, item d = 1440pcs)
Should the sample size based on the total qty of 5500pcs, or should it based on each
products qty and count all the sample sizes separately for each item? The two ways make
big difference in the volume of sample size. what is the correct way to do? pls advise
Christine says

July 15, 2013 at 2:50 pm

Though the QC will use AQL 2.5% / 4%, Level II, we have problems in defining how
many function tests should be done, which requires more time and effort. like handle
loading test, hardness test and performance cutting test. its impossible to test every
sample of the sample size. which special level should we use (S-1 till S-4) if we use the
special levels for certain function and performance test, can we still claim that our QC
is in accordance with the AQL 2.5% / 4%, Level II? Pls kindly advise

Renaud Anjoran says

July 15, 2013 at 6:57 pm

The tests that are time-consuming or that destroy samples can be done on a
smaller sampling size, right. And, in this case, you will still be able to say we

follow level II, with AQL of 2.5M and 4.0m because these settings refer to the
visual inspection.
Renaud Anjoran says

July 15, 2013 at 6:55 pm

I would say, go for 1 sampling (based on 5,500pcs) if you estimate that the defects that
might appear are of the same nature on all 4 items. If not, got for 4 samplings.
For more info, see http://www.qualityinspection.org/sampling-plan-calculations/.
76.

Stelios K. says
July 17, 2013 at 7:55 pm

Can you please give some more information regarding the heavy statistics behind the
disagreement between the number of accepted defective items and the actual percentages?
My question is how the values on the inspection tables are eventually calculated. Thank you
very much in advance for your help!
Renaud Anjoran says

July 17, 2013 at 8:02 pm

Unfortunately I am not a statistician. I suggest you ask a statistician if you want a clear
explanation. It would take me hours of work to re-read the standard, try to grasp this,
and put it in words and it would probably not be 100% accurate.
77.

Eric says
July 22, 2013 at 10:21 pm

Hello,
1 question about AQL levels on which Ive never had a clear answer : I guess the level of
AQL matches with a reiliability of probability. ex : AQL level 1 corresponds with 95% from
the top of my head and it makes sense to have a higher reliability on higher level. Is there
any corresponding table existing on leve 3, 2, 1, S4, S3, S3 ?
Eric

Renaud Anjoran says

July 22, 2013 at 10:42 pm

Thats a very good question. That information is not told inside standard ISO 2859.
And, from what I read, hunches and intuition played a big role in the definition of the
standard.
78.

Ryan says
August 2, 2013 at 12:39 am

Am I correct in saying that by choosing an AQL you arent

actually setting an amount as the maximum deficient? The operating curves for both
sampling by
attributes and variables indicate that an AQL of 0.4% for example, will
actually accept a 9% deficient lot 5% of the time.
Renaud Anjoran says

August 2, 2013 at 9:36 am

Correct. By setting an AQL you are setting a loose limit (kind of like a target not to
surpass). That target is not the absolute maximum (you are right to look at the
operating curves to have an idea about that).

Ryan says
August 3, 2013 at 7:49 am

From what I have gathered, I am going to explain my understanding Id be

interested to see what you think about my conclusion.
I think there is far too much focus on the AQL in the discussion of sampling plans.
AOQL (Average Outgoing Quality Level) and LTPD (Lot Tolerance Percent
Defective) seem to be much better indicators of the accuracy of the inspection of a
process. This picture, modified from MIL-STD-1916 attributes inspections, shows
where these levels fall on the operating characteristic curves. The AQL, AOQL,

and LTPD just represent different probabilities of acceptance, as I have noted on

the chart.
Take the example sample size E from the chart:
While an AQL of 0.5% might lead you to believe you will only be letting about 1 in
200 defects move through, in reality, the AOQL shows that you will be letting 2 in
200 through on average, with some lots having the potential of being as bad as 10
defects in 200.
Ryan says

August 3, 2013 at 7:51 am

Chart should be here now:

Renaud Anjoran says

August 3, 2013 at 11:23 am

I dont have that chart, but what you write seems to make sense.
If you send me that chart, I will put it up. My email address: ra (at)
sofeast.com
Ryan says

August 3, 2013 at 7:57 am

Im sure my impeccable picture posting skills really are boosting my credibility,

but I cant seem to get it to cooperate. There should be a standard OC chart
with the several labels along the Probability of Acceptance axis:
95% AQL
~75% AOQL
10% LTPD
The 95% and 10% are set by the definitions of AQL and LTPD.
The 75% is about where the average tends to fall with curves of this type.
79.

stuart says

October 16, 2013 at 1:01 am

is there a template on creating zones on a garment

Renaud Anjoran says

October 16, 2013 at 5:09 pm

Usually the buyer takes a drawing of the garment in question, and makes the different
areas clearly visible. Then he numbers them, and applies a visual standard to each.
80.

Ricardo says
October 28, 2013 at 2:14 am

What is the apl of AQL in a dinning room ( Restaurant )

Renaud Anjoran says

October 28, 2013 at 10:19 am

Not sure I can help

81.

Rico says
December 4, 2013 at 5:26 am

Answer needed if the Customer determines that all lots are to be inspected, what would be
the Five areas of determining an AQL?
Renaud Anjoran says

December 4, 2013 at 12:56 pm

Sorry but your question is not clear What do you mean by the Five areas of
determining an AQL?
shaik pasha says

December 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm

Hi,
How to adopt the AQL into Oracle applications (ERP) Quality module, is there any

way?
shaik
82.

Fred says
December 6, 2013 at 5:52 pm

During a inspection based on APL should the inspector then check if the components are
according to the Bill of Material (BOM)?
Renaud Anjoran says

December 6, 2013 at 6:49 pm

If you give the BOM to the inspector and ask him to check it on a few pieces, the
inspector should do it. If you dont give any such instruction, it is up to the inspector.
I always advise to clarify the inspection plan in advance
83.

Jim Peters says

January 3, 2014 at 2:35 am

I watched your video regarding Consumers Risk.

I have a question regarding Producers Risk.
In the Consumers Risk table it shows the percentage of defects you might find in 10% of
lots which passed AQL. What do the numbers represent in the Producers Risk table?
Renaud Anjoran says

January 6, 2014 at 7:36 pm

Good question!
As you have probably guessed, the numbers are lower for the producer, since the
buyers risk is higher than than the producers risk.
You can see them in the below image.
84.

Philipp Toth says

January 16, 2014 at 2:45 pm

Dear Renaud,
thanks so much for running this blog it is a very, very helpful read! I have one question in
regard to defining the correct LOT (# of
homogeneous units) within the IQC environment:
According to my understanding, a LOT should be quantified by
A defined quantity of starting material, packaging material or product
processed in one process or series of processes so that it could be expected to
be homogeneous. The number of items in such a production lot forms the
correct base to size an AQL inspection sample.
Controversially, I see the practice that Chinese
manufacturers define the LOT size based on individual micro order quantities,
which are not linked at all to the above manufactured batch homogeneity, in
particular when the order sizes are small and only define the pull quantity for
a vendor managed inventory (VMI), the later stocked by an a.) independent and
b.) very different tact & batch definition.
Applying on such VMI pull lot size the AQL based sample
seizing approach must be wrong for the following reason:
The VMI pull lot does not reflect necessarily the unconformity patterns of the
production batch, thus making any statistical derivations or statistical
statements in regard to sample robustness useless.
If above is correct, it would imply, that the right lot size
for AQL sampling should be either the production batch (optimal) or something
which is mirroring this production batch, such as a container shipment
reflecting somehow a sub-sum of homogenous production batch. Wrong would be a pull
quantity, which is not
linked to the production process of one homogeneous batch of supplies, but more
to a stocking methodology, which can be rather unspecified.
I would be very interested in your statement to the
above! Thanks a lot, Philipp

Renaud Anjoran says

January 16, 2014 at 10:49 pm

Philipp,
According to the ISO 2859-1 standard, clause 3.1.13, a lot is a definite amount of
some product, material or service, collected together. And they add this precision:
NOTE An inspection lot may consist of several batches or parts of batches.
So I think you are a bit too restrictive in your approach.
But your general reasoning does make sense.
udhaya says

May 9, 2014 at 2:01 pm

Dear sir,
which defects are 2.5 ? & which defects are 4.0 ? please give some advise.
85.

Alex Z. says
January 26, 2014 at 2:51 am

Lets say we have Critical, Major and Minor defects. Within Minor defects list we have flash,
burn mark, sink mark, bubble, etc. If we set different AQLs for each of these defects (flash
0.25; burn mark 0.4; sink mark 1.0, etc.) how do we establish if the lot is accepable or
not? Do we need to meet AQL requirements per defect? or do we need to count all Minor
defects together and make sure that the number meets lowest AQL from the entire list of
Minor defects?
Thank you!
Renaud Anjoran says

January 26, 2014 at 12:56 pm

You should set limits for each category (Critical, Major and Minor defects). Then decide
what defects go in what category. And finally you add up the defects you have found in
each category.

86.

anwar quadri says

February 12, 2014 at 10:28 pm

can we do inspection for major and minor on same level as 2.5 % i.e. 10 defect each
Renaud Anjoran says

February 12, 2014 at 10:47 pm

Sure.
o

anwar quadri says

February 14, 2014 at 6:52 pm

my field is bed linen production in huge bulk quantity . can u give tips on self quality
management system to control required quality during production i.e cutting , stitching,
checking , packing and shipment
Renaud Anjoran
Wow, thats a pretty wide subject. A rough overview is
onhttp://www.qualityinspection.org/increase-quality-china/ but not all elements
are applicable for producing linen.
Where is your factory based?
87.
February 13, 2014 at 6:32 am

AQL IS NOT the quality level that is the worst tolerable. It is the best case failure rate,
assuming you barely pass your inspection. Based on the table, for an AQL of 2.5%, the plan
would allow 5% (10 out of 200) failures for inspection level II. Clearly, 2.5% is not the worst
case when the plan allows 10 out of 200 to fail. The lower confidence limit of the failure rate
(in the worst case) is the AQL. In the case of the two circled columns in the second table,
the lower confidence limit of the allowable failure rates given are 2.5% (for 10 out of 200)
and approximately 4% (for 14 out of 200). The conventional definition of AQL is completely
misleading and totally bunk. I almost think it was deliberately designed to favor the producer
(and mislead the customer) so that the originators of the tables could actually sell them to

companies. Companies would then think, Hey I can achieve and AQL of 2.5% with a failure
rate of 5%. That great, lets buy those tables. In reality, RQL is worst case, assuming you
barely pass your inspection. RQL is the 95% upper limit of the failure rate (using exact CI)
given that you just barely pass your inspection criteria. In any industry where the customer
could be harmed by bad product, RQL is the only measure that should be used most of the
time.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

February 13, 2014 at 10:33 am

No, you are mistaken. There is a reason why an AQL of 2.5% actually results in
accepting up to 10%.
If you want to learn more about this topic, watch the 3 videos I posted on Youtube (link
at the end of the above article).
88.

Loader2000 says
February 15, 2014 at 5:12 am

Regarding my previous question (or comment) you can email me atstatbio.cg@gmail.com if

you have an answer. I still think using RQL (or LTPD) is the best way to go. Im sure you
address that on one of your other pages. You can remove this comment.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

February 15, 2014 at 11:38 am

I suggest you watch the 3 videos I posted on Youtube (link at the end of the above
article). It should clarify the subject.
89.

ayubu mbuka says

March 4, 2014 at 6:27 pm

is any site i can visit and learn more about AQL?

90.

subrta pal says

March 30, 2014 at 12:45 pm

Thanks
91.

Selva Rajan says

April 4, 2014 at 10:48 am

Hello, would like to know when we perform sampling checking, should the samples acquired
be in 1 bag or few bags? Eg. Lot size is 1200 pcs which comes in 4 bags. Should I take the
32 pcs from the same 1 bag or from the 4 bags to make up 32 pcs? Pls advice. Tq.
Renaud Anjoran says

April 4, 2014 at 9:14 pm

The ISO 2859 standard says nothing about this, but there are general conventions in
the inspection industry. Take the samples from at least 2 bags (square root of 4).
Selva Rajan says

April 4, 2014 at 10:23 pm

Tq Mr Renaud.
92.

Someone says
April 8, 2014 at 11:54 pm

hello, lets say that my supplier had a failure and i had to reject a lot of his items. after we
looked for a solution it was decided that he will perform a 100% visual inspection on the
items and only then will send them to me. now, i want to see that the corrective action was
effective and want to perform an extensive visual inspection once i receive the product. what
would you recommend? if the lot size is 500,000 will it be enough to inspect 25,000 pieces?
o

Renaud Anjoran says

April 9, 2014 at 9:02 pm

Id advise to follow the standard I introduced in this article. Id say you want to follow
level II or level III (certainly not level I). And, if that supplier has already failed at least

twice over the past 5 shipments, you want to follow a tightened severity rather a normal
severity.
93.

Rommel says
April 29, 2014 at 1:16 pm

If I have Aql 1.0 what will be my confidence and reliability level on a single sampling plan
where n=15, c=0? What is my LTPD?
Renaud Anjoran says

April 30, 2014 at 9:51 pm

You are mixing up two very different approaches (AQL vs. LTPD). They are not
compatible.
94.

Julien says
May 26, 2014 at 8:43 am

Thanks for your articles, pretty much straight forward. However is the AQL approach being
used for kilograms or liters. I think Ive seen that liquids where not concerned. What about
food? Could we inspect kilograms of powder or kg of apple dices for instance using the
AQL? dont know, something like Ive 100kg of apple dices, Im investigating 20kg of
products and accept up to 1kg of major defects?!? Does not seem to fit. It does not apply to
this, right? Is there an equivalent? Or shall I know the number of dices in my lot of 100kg for
instance?
According to the previous post youre answering very fast and since years, impressive!
Merci.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

May 26, 2014 at 12:22 pm

Hi Julien, I would estimate the average weight of a slice and then base calculations on
slices. But there are no clear-cut rules about this. In theory, basing the calculations in
kilograms or liters is OK, too.

95.

muslim rum says

June 3, 2014 at 2:09 am

i want asking about AQL table, why in the AQL table we did not found the i and o ? where is
it?
thanks for your answer.
Renaud Anjoran says

June 3, 2014 at 1:41 pm

The i and the o? I dont understand.

Maybe you mean 1 and 0?
96.

Silvana says
June 3, 2014 at 12:11 pm

Please, help me to clarify difference between AQL and AOQL ?

I m working in one production company. Our supplier put AOQL % for critical, major and
minor defects in in Quality Agreement. Material of that suplier is our incoming, raw material
and I wish understand this AOQL term clearly. Please, clarify me
Renaud Anjoran says

June 3, 2014 at 1:40 pm

I am sorry but I am not familiar enough with the concept of AOQL.

97.

Emily says
June 10, 2014 at 3:37 pm

Hi Renaud,
I have gone through your video but I still not able to answer my customer how AQL is
defined and why there is a gap between AQL% and actual defect rate. e.g customer told me
that he doesnt want to accept a lot with >0.35% failure, but with AQL=0.25%, my customer
is receiving failure rate at 0.5%.. Please help!!

Thanks.
Renaud Anjoran says

June 11, 2014 at 2:27 am

Please remember what I wrote:

I want no more than 1.5% defective items in the whole order quantity, on average over
several production runs with that supplier means the AQL is 1.5%.
> 1.5% does not mean that, for each lot, the result is failed as soon as there are more
than 1.5% of defects. It allows for variation from lot to lot, and tries to avoid rejection of
a lot as long as the average of the lots might be under the limit.
98.

Ahai says
June 25, 2014 at 9:11 am

Hi Renaud,
I have received a QA inspection report from our supplier based on AQL Level II and
sampling Qty is 200. the inspection checklist contains 18 different measurments on each
part and 5 test recorders for any of these 18 measurements. shouldnt it contain 200 test
recorders of any of these 18? Thanks
Renaud Anjoran says

June 25, 2014 at 12:40 pm

Not necessarily. 200 samples means the visual inspection is on 200 samples. But the
tests that take a little longer are usually done on a smaller sampling size.

Ahai says
June 25, 2014 at 1:03 pm

we are talking about measurements deviations around 0,2 mm and visual

inspection does not work. so supplier can actually pick 5 samples out of 4000
Batch Qty and still hoping to capture some faulty units?

Renaud Anjoran says

June 25, 2014 at 1:15 pm

I cant make a judgement because I dont know what type of product it, made
with what process, etc.
But, in some cases, checking just 5 pieces is sufficient to establish conformity
(or lack thereof) without going more in depth, with a reasonable degree of
certainty.
Note that, if you represent the customer, you are the party responsible for
estimating whether this sampling plan makes sense. If you dont specify this
before the inspection, it means you delegated this judgement to another
party, and protesting afterwards does not really make sense.
99.

Frank says
August 12, 2014 at 8:51 pm

Hello, I am trying to implement an sampling plan where we have a batch size of 480, and a
AQL of 0.25. For a batch size of 480 the general inspection level II code is H. This results in
a sample size of 50 where everything must pass the inspection. When asked to explain
what an AQL of 0.25 means, I said that an AQL of 0.25 means that if we pass our sampling
inspection of 50 parts, then we can assume that the percentage of nonconforming parts in
the lot is 0.25% (1 out of 400 parts will be nonconforming). Is that an accurate explanation?
On a slightly different note, one of my associates noticed that the AQL values go above 100,
and actually go all the way to 1000 on my table. Does that mean at 100 you have 100%
nonconforming parts, and what would 1000% mean? This led to confusion, and some
apprehension of what the AQL of 0.25 truly meant.
o

Renaud Anjoran says

August 13, 2014 at 1:24 am

No, I would not use this definition. You should say you want no more than 0.25%
defective items in the whole order quantity, on average over several production runs
with the same supplier.
Yes it goes over 100, for cases where several defects are counted on the same
product.
100.

Kent L says

August 14, 2014 at 7:16 pm

Hi Renaud
Nicely done article and replies.
I have a question on zero acceptance sampling plans. They do not actually use AQL but
rather the term Associated AQL. In the sampling plans above it is my understanding that an
AQL of 1% would indicate there is a 95% chance of a lot containing 1% or fewer defects
would be accepted (or a 5% chance of the same lot being rejected producer risk). Using
the OC curve you can determine the likelihood of rejecting other lots with higher or lower
defect levels.
How do I make similar determinations on C=O plans?
I have Nicholas Squeglias book, but I am still struggling with an explanation. My suppliers
are pushing for me to use the ANSI/ASQ plan but I prefer the C=0.
Thanks
101.

Renaud says

August 15, 2014 at 2:57 pm

Hi Kent, Id recommend you watch this video where I explain these

concepts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bUe8nQpI0s.
102.

MINHTRIET says

September 3, 2014 at 7:29 pm

Hi Renaud,
I would like to share with you my case. I have an order of 1200 pieces.

My AQL define 2 check lists

1. Visual check / level S-4 ==> I have to control 32 pieces in visual
2. Functional check/ level S-2 ==> I have to control 8 pieces in functional
Question1:
I have to pick from the carton boxes 40 pieces right? (32+8 = 40)
Or
Can I select just 32 pieces and then inside 32 pieces, I will take 8 pieces to control the
functional? What is the right way?
Case2: Visual check / level S-4 ==> 32 pieces in visual with Maximum 3 minor defects and
1 major defect
Question2
If I control 1 piece (the first piece), I found down in this piece, there are 4 minor defects and
2 major defects in visual. (in ONLY 1 piece)
==> It is out of our tolerance of defects==> Not ok. No need to control more. Order failed! Is
it right?
OR ==> I count it is 1 defective with 1 major defect
I continue the 2nd piece and my level of acceptance is reduced to 3 minor defects and 0
major defects
So we count the defects Or defective?
Thank you for your advice
Renaud says

September 4, 2014 at 3:23 am

Here are my responses:

Question 1: you can pick just 32 pcs.
Question 2: you just count 1 major defect. Count the defectives.

MINHTRIET says
September 4, 2014 at 6:22 am

Thank you so much. Nice day!!!

103.

Suk says

September 13, 2014 at 4:02 am

I wrote many things and it got me error 405well Ill do it again.

First of all, thanks for the article it was a really good explanation but as my english is not so
good there are things that I couldnt understand quite well.
Well, in early 2015 I am going to open a chinese company branch in Brazil and I have to do
inspections of the pcs based on the AQL, right?
Well they told me that the AQL is 0.4 but in the table that you posted on the article there is
no AQL 0.4 so or they wrote it wrong for me and they meant 4.0 or is there an AQL 0.4 ?
Is there any document or article that defines what are the major and minor defects of a
product or is it up to the company to decide it?? Ill be producing equipments for health
quality and stuff like that, as they are health/medicinal equipments if there any document or
article that defines the defects?
Another one that I couldnt understat quite well, In the exemple that you gave in the article
above, you show AQL 2.5 and 4.0 and you set 2.5 for major defects and 4.0 for minor
defects, do I have to choose 2 AQLs or can I just set AQL 4.0 for both ? If I can set it with 1
AQL for both in 4.0 (for example in Level II / Code L) I would have to inspect 200 pcs and in
there I could have 14 or less pcs with defect, right ? But as I set both (minor and major)
defects on AQL 4.0 I could have 14 or less pcs with major defects AND 14 or less for minor
defects? Or is it 14 or less of ALL?
If you could send me an article or a document with a simplyfied explanation, I think it would
help me.
PS : Sorry for my bad english, as I am a korean and I lived in Brazil since 1998 my english
is not so good.
Best Regards,
Suk
o

Renaud Anjoran says

September 14, 2014 at 4:03 am

0.4 is not among the preferred AQLs, so it is probably a typo.

It is up to the buyer to decide what constitutes the different classes of nonconformities
(major or minor) and the AQL for each. The AQL for each can be the same, if deemed
appropriate.
Suk says

September 15, 2014 at 12:18 am

Sooo what youre saying is that if the AQL is the same for both minor and major
defects, I dont need just < or = 14 (in case of 200 pcs ) for both of them ?? it
would be a total of 28 pcs??
Renaud says

September 15, 2014 at 1:26 am

If the AQL is the same for both minor and major defects, the inspection is
failed is 15 or more defects are found either in the minor or in the major
category (or in both).

Guille says
October 9, 2014 at 7:51 pm

If you can be more clear, if we inspect 200 pc and find 11 major and 6
minor is that a pass or fail?
in other words are they allowed 10 major and 14 minor on same 200 pc?
if more than 10 major alone is it a fail ?
if more than 14 minor alone is it a fail?
what about 7 major and 10 minor is that a fail?
In that case (you find 11 major and 6 minor), it is a fail.
Yes they are allowed 10 major and 14 minor on same 200 pc.
7 major and 10 minor is passed.

ABOUT ME

Hello, my name is Renaud Anjoran and I have worked in the Chinese

manufacturing world since 2005.
My company performs factory audits, quality inspections, project
management, and factory process improvements.
Contact me!
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