AQL Glossary : Terms regarding AQL Inspections for clothing industry

Here is a few definitions that may assist you:

AQL Acceptable Quality Level (or Assured Quality Level)

The AQL is the quality level which is the limit of a satisfactory process average (in other words, a standard is set, if you do not meet the standard you fail the inspection). A sampling plan and an AQL are selected in accordance with the risk assumed. The inspection will be approved only if the defects in the batch or lot be no greater then the designated value of the AQL sampling plan.

AQL Sample : a sample consists of one or more units of product drawn from a lot or batch. The unit of the sample being selected at random without regard to the quality. The number of units of product in the sample is the AQL sample size.

Sampling Plan : a sampling plan indicates the number of units of product from each lot or bach which are to be inspected and the criteria for determining the acceptability of the lot or batch.

Unit of Product : the unit of product is the item inspected in order to determine its classification as defective or non-defective. In other words the item used to count the number of defects. It may be a single item such as a shirt or a set such as two piece pajama. Or the unit can be a length of fabric etc. The unit of product is any item that you wish to inspect.

The process average is the average percent defective or average number of defects per hundred units of product committed by the supplier for original inspection. The original inspection is the first inspection of a particular quantity of product as distinguished from the inspection of product which has been resubmitted after prior rejection.