What do we inspect during an inspection in China?
1) The quantity produced (semi finished, finished and packed).
2) The product specifications (size, dimensions ,colors).
3) The visual appearance (cosmetic check of the mass production).
4) The labeling and marking.
5) The packing and packaging.
6) Other possible functions.
About the AQL(Acceptance Quality Limit)
The "AQL tables" are important tools for the importers and inspectors, they can help determine two key elements as following:
1) How many samples should be inspected?
2) Where is the limit between acceptability and refusal, when it comes to defective products?
Before using the AQL tables, you should decide on three parameters:
1) The 'lot size': If you ordered different products, the quantity of each product is a lot size, and separate inspections should be carried out for each lot. If you ordered only one product, the lot size is your total order quantity.
2) The inspection level: Different inspection levels will command different number of samples to inspect. In this article, we will stick to the so-called "level II", under "normal severity".
3) 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.
The AQL standard will help to determine the sampling size our inspectors will need to inspect according to your order with quantity and the level of severity (I, II or III). AQL-II is the standard and is most often used (98% clients).
Indeed, for a standard order, the standard level II from the AQL gives the minimum sampling size we should check per reference if we do not want to take additional risks. If we inspect a general level II sampling size on a multiple references orders, then the sampling size is diluted and divided by the number of references, increasing the risks as the sampling size must be representative enough.
FREEIVA Inspection service uses the Acceptance Quality Limit standard during product inspections, unless an other standard is requested by our customers. The standard definition of Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL) is "the maximum defective percent (or the maximum number of defects per hundred units) that, for purpose of sampling inspection, can be considered satisfactory as a process average".
How to Understand AQL Table?
If you follow our example, it is very clear for you to understand how to read AQL table. For example, if you are producing 6000 items,and that your inspection level is 'II'. Consequently, the code letter is "L" according to left table.
Your code letter is "L", so you will have to draw 200pcs randomly from the total lot size(see right table).
Besides, we 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 major defects AND NO MORE than 14 minor defects are found.
For example, if you find 15 major defects and 12 minor defects, the products are refused. If you find 3 major defects and 7 minor defects, they are accepted. Most importers will wish to discuss all inspection findings with their vendor/manufacturer in order to improve whatever possible. In case the inspection results are very close to AQL limits, it is important that you double check if the level of found defects is acceptable to you or not.