CHAPTER

4 SUPPLEMENT

Acceptance Sampling
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this supplement, you should be able to:

1. Use MIL-STD-105D to determine sample size and accept or reject
numbers.

INTRODUCTION
One of the earliest uses of statistical methods in quality control was for acceptance sampling. The idea behind acceptance sampling is to take a relatively small sample from a batch
of parts or material, to inspect only the sample, and then to make inferences about the
entire batch based on results obtained from the sample. For example, an automobile manufacturer might have a policy that at least 98 percent of the headlights it purchases from a
supplier must meet certain specifications concerning brightness, beam width, and average
life. Rather than test every headlight it receives, the automobile manufacturer could take a
sample of headlights from each batch it receives, test the sample, and then determine
whether or not to accept the hypothesis that the entire batch satisfies its specifications.
The same approach can also be used within a company for monitoring and controlling production processes. For example, a company that manufactures pharmaceuticals
could take a sample from each batch it produced, test that sample, and then use the results
to determine whether the entire batch is acceptable or whether the entire batch should be
examined more closely and some adjustments made in the production process.

POSSIBLE SAMPLING ERRORS

Acceptance sampling, like any statistical hypothesis testing based on a sample, is always
open to errors. For instance, the percentage nonconforming in a sample may be either
much larger or much smaller than in the entire batch. Thus, it is always possible to end up
concluding that a batch is unacceptable when it is actually acceptable or, what may be
worse, to accept a batch that is actually unacceptable.
The possibility that either of these undesirable outcomes will occur can be reduced
through the selection of sample size. Obviously, the larger a sample, the more closely it will
resemble the batch. However, there is a trade-off between the cost of sampling and the cost
of errors. Therefore, acceptable probabilities of coming to an incorrect conclusion are usually determined first, and then the sample size and the number of defectives allowed in that
sample are calculated, based on those probability values.

PART I BUILDING CAPABILITIES TO COMPETE GLOBALLY

The probability of not accepting a lot that is actually acceptable (a type I error) is designated as (alpha). This probability is often called producers risk. The other possible
error is to accept a lot that is actually unacceptable (a type II error). The probability that
this error will occur is designated as (beta), which is often called consumers risk.
It is common practice to set the value of (producers risk) at 5 percent and (consumers risk) at 10 percent. However, other values are possible. By determining the desired
values of , , and several other parameters, it is possible to calculate the required sample
size. The other parameters needed to do this are the acceptable quality level (AQL) and
the percentage of nonconforming parts in a batch that would be definitely unacceptable,
called the Limiting Quality Level (LQL) or lot tolerance percent defective (LTPD).

OC CURVES
AQL and LQL can be related to the producers risk and the consumers risk through an
operating characteristic curve, or OC curve. The OC curve is a graph that shows probabilities, using the hypergeometric probability distribution, for a certain sample size, of
accepting a lot, given the actual percentage nonconforming (which is not known) in that
lot. For example, Exhibit S4.1 is an OC curve for samples of size ten drawn from a lot of
1,000 units where the lot is accepted if no more than one nonconforming part is found in
the sample. As can be seen, if the lot actually contains 10 percent nonconforming parts, the
OC curve indicates there is approximately a 65 percent probability of accepting the lot,
based on a sample of size ten.
It is possible, through trial and error and extensive calculations, to select a sample size
that will provide the desired values of and for given AQLs and LQLs. This is done by
varying the sample size and the number nonconforming allowed until the probability of
accepting a lot with the percentage nonconforming equal to the LQL becomes at the
same time the probability of rejecting a lot with the percentage nonconforming equal to
the AQL becomes . This relationship is shown in Exhibit S4.2 for = .05, = .10, AQL

EXHIBIT S4.1

1.00

OC Curve for Sample

Size Ten from a Lot
of 100
Probability of acceptance

.90
.80
.70
.60
.50
.40
.30
.20
.10
0
0

10

15

20

25

Actual % nonconforming in lot (unknown)

*Lot is accepted if no more than one nonconforming unit is found in the sample

CHAPTER 4 SUPPLEMENT ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING

= .03, and LQL = .20. Notice that in Exhibit S4.2 the probability of accepting a lot with the
percentage nonconforming equal to the LQL (a bad lot) is exactly , while the probability
of not accepting (1 the probability of accepting) a lot with the percentage nonconforming equal to the AQL (a good lot) is .

MIL-STD-105D
It is possible to manually calculate the sample size necessary to produce a desired OC curve.
However, tables are available to do the tedious job for you. Probably the most widely used
set of tables has been developed by the U.S. government and is known as MIL-STD-105D.
The MIL-STD-105D tables are based on predetermined OC curves. Thus, the user needs to
know only the batch size, the AQL, and the desired level of inspection (usually level II) to
easily determine the required sample size and the number of defectives specified for accepting or rejecting the lot. The various levels of inspection correspond to different sample sizes
relative to the batch size. Portions of the MIL-STD-105D tables are shown in Exhibits S4.3
and S4.4. The first step in using them is to look up the lot size and then follow across that
row to the desired inspection level in Exhibit S4.3. The letter in that row and column is then
used in Exhibit S4.4 to determine sample size. One then follows across to the desired acceptable quality level (AQL) column. The number in the Ac column (the acceptance number)
indicates the maximum number nonconforming allowed in the sample for acceptance of
the lot. The number in the Re column (the rejection number) is the minimum number
nonconforming in the sample that are required for rejection of the lot.

PROBLEM

The Yates Software Company purchases blank computer diskettes from a supplier.
Yates has determined that it wants an acceptable quality level of 1 percent and that
it will use general inspection level II. Diskettes come in lots of 2,000. In Exhibit S4.3,
the code letter for a lot size of 2,000 and general inspection level II is K. In Exhibit
S4.4, code letter K indicates a sample size of 125. The column in that row that corresponds to an acceptable quality level of 1.0 shows that the acceptance number (Ac)

EXHIBIT S4.2

1.00

OC Curve for Specified

AQL and LQL

= .05

Producers risk
for AQL

Probability of acceptance

.90
.80
.70
.60
.50
.40
.30
.20
.10
= .10

Good
0

AQL 5

Indifferent
10

Bad
15

LQL
20

Percentage nonconforming in lot

25

PART I BUILDING CAPABILITIES TO COMPETE GLOBALLY

is 3 and the rejection number (Re) is 4. Thus, Yates would take samples of 125
diskettes from each lot of 2,000. If three or fewer diskettes in each sample are nonconforming, the lot will be accepted. If four or more are nonconforming, the lot will
be rejected.

Thus far, we have talked of either accepting or rejecting a lot. However, rejecting a lot
does not always mean throwing it out or sending it back to the supplier; there are several

EXHIBIT S4.3
Sample-Size Code
Letters for
MIL-STD-105D

EXHIBIT S4.4
Sample
size
code
letter

Lot or
Batch Size

S-1

S-2

S-3

S-4

II

III

2-8
9-15
16-25
26-50
51-90
91-150
151-280
281-500
501-1,200
1,201-3,200
3,201-10,000
10,001-35,000
35,001-150,000
150,001-500,000
500,001 and over

A
A
A
A
B
B
B
B
C
C
C
C
D
D
D

A
A
A
B
B
B
C
C
C
D
D
D
E
E
E

A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
F
F
G
G
H

A
A
B
C
C
D
E
E
F
G
G
H
J
J
K

A
A
B
C
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
Q

B
C
D
E
F
G
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
Q
R

Master Table for Single-Sampling Plans (Normal Inspection), MIL-STD-105D

Acceptable quality levels (normal inspection)

0.010 0.015 0.025 0.040 0.065

0.10

0.15

0.25

0.40

0.65

1.0

1.5

2.5

4.0

6.5

10

15

25

40

65

100

150

250

400

650

1000

Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re

13

20

32

50

80

125

200

315

500

800

1250 0

2000

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22 30 31 44 45

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22 30 31 44 45

0 1
0 1
1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22 30 31 44 45

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22 30 31 44 45

0 1
0 1
1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

0 1
0 1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

1
1

2 3

3 4

5 6

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

1 2

2 3

3 4

5 6

2 3

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

2 2

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

3 4

5 6

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22

1 2
1 2

2 3

Use first sampling plan below arrow. If sample size equals

or exceeds lot or batch size, do 100 percent inspections.
Use first sampling plan above arrow.
Ac

Acceptance number

Re

Rejection number

7 8 10 11 14 15 21 22 30 31

CHAPTER 4 SUPPLEMENT ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING

other alternatives. For one, if it is possible to test each individual item in the batch (100
percent inspection) without destroying these items, we may wish to do so and thus separate the acceptable units from the ones that are unacceptable. This is especially common if
the items are needed in production and there is not sufficient time to return them to the
supplier for corrective action. Likewise, a batch of portland cement that was rejected
because it did not contain enough sand would not be thrown outinstead, we would just
add more sand. The purpose of acceptance sampling is not to identify lots that should be
thrown out, but to avoid unnecessarily incurring the costs associated with 100 percent
inspection or of taking actions to salvage unacceptable materials. The following section
discusses one other possible way of gaining as much information as possible while keeping inspection costs down.

MULTIPLE SAMPLING PLANS

The preceding discussion treated acceptance sampling as an approach in which the
accept/reject decision is made based on a single sample from each batch. Another
approach to acceptance sampling relies on multiple samples. In this case, the initial sample is smaller than under a single-sample plan. The results from that first small sample
may indicate acceptance or rejection of the lot, or they may also indicate the need for an
additional sample. Several successive samples may be taken until the lot is finally either
accepted or rejected.
The advantage of multiple sampling is that fewer items may need to be tested. This is
especially true if the lot is either obviously good or bad. When destructive testing is used,
this can be a great advantage and a good justification for the possible additional time and
effort involved in multiple sampling.
Exhibit S4.5 shows a multiple sampling table for sample size code letter K. The table
may be used for a single sample, for two samples (double sampling), or for a series of samples (multiple sampling). Notice that the size of each sample for the double and multiple
plans is considerably less than for the single-sampling plan. There is also a range of values
that fall between the acceptance and rejection numbers for all but the final sample.
Heres how the multiple sampling plans work. After the first sample is taken, if the
number nonconforming in the sample is equal to or less than the acceptance number, the

EXHIBIT S4.5

Sampling Plan for Sample-Size Code Letter: K

Acceptable quality levels (normal inspection)

Type of Cumusampling lative Less than
Higher
0.25 0.40 0.65
0.10 0.15
1.0
1.5
2.5
4.0
6.5
10
plan
sample
0.10
than 10
size
Ac Re
Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re Ac Re

Single

125

Double

80
160

Multiple

32
64
96
128
160
192
224

0 1
*

Use Use
Use
letter letter letter
J
M
L

Less than
0.15

0.15

0.25

0.40

Cumulative
sample
size

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 18 19 21 22

125

0
1

2
2

0
3

3
4

1
4

4
5

2
6

5
7

3
8

7 3 7 5 9 6 10 7 11 9 14 11 16
9 11 12 12 13 15 16 18 19 23 24 26 27

80
160

#
#
0
0
1
1
2

2
2
2
3
3
3
3

#
0
0
1
2
3
4

2
3
3
4
4
5
5

#
0
1
2
3
4
6

3
3
4
5
6
6
7

#
1
2
3
5
7
9

0.65

1.0

1.5

4 0 4 0 4 0 5 0
5 1 6 2 7 3 8 3
6 3 8 4 9 6 10 7
7 5 10 6 11 8 13 10
8 7 11 9 12 11 15 14
9 10 12 12 14 14 17 18
10 13 14 14 15 18 19 21

2.5

4.0

Acceptable quality levels (tightened inspection)

6
9
12
15
17
20
22

6.5

1
4
8
12
17
21
25

7
10
13
17
20
23
26

1
6
11
16
22
27
32

8
12
17
22
25
29
33

10

2
7
13
19
25
31
37

9
14
19
25
29
33
38

32
64
96
128
160
192
224
Higher
than 10

PART I BUILDING CAPABILITIES TO COMPETE GLOBALLY

lot may be accepted without further sampling. Likewise, if the number nonconforming is
greater than or equal to the rejection number, the lot may be rejected. However, if a samples number nonconforming is between accept and reject, then successive samples are
taken until a definite accept/reject decision is made.

PROBLEM

Yates Software has decided to use a double sampling plan, but to keep all other factors the same as in the previous example. Exhibit S4.5 shows that the first sample
size for double sampling is 80. In the column for an acceptable quality level of 1.0,
the acceptance number is 1, and rejection number is 4. Thus, if one or fewer nonconforming diskettes are found in the sample, the lot is accepted. On the other hand, if
four or more nonconforming disks are found, then the lot is rejected. However, any
number of nonconforming disks between these two values will require a second
sample of size 80 (for a cumulative sample size of 160). If the cumulative number of
defectives from both samples is four or less, the lot is accepted. If the cumulative
number of nonconforming disks is five or more, the lot is rejected.

SUMMARY

For a given sample size and AQL, MIL-STD-105D tables indicate the number of nonconforming units in a sample for which the entire batch will be accepted or rejected.

KEY TERMS
(alpha)
acceptable quality level
(AQL)
acceptance number
acceptance sampling
(beta)
consumers risk

double sampling
lot tolerance percent
defective (LTPD)
multiple sampling
operating characteristic
curve (OC curve)
producers risk

rejection number
single-sample plan
type I error
type II error

QUESTIONS
1. Explain the difference between acceptance sampling and process control.
2. Define the following terms:
a. AQL
b. LQL
c. risk
d. risk
3. What are some of the differences between single and multiple sampling plans?
4. Explain the purpose of an OC curve.

PROBLEMS
1. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis uses acceptance sampling procedures to assess
the quality of paper currency that it puts into circulation. The bank uses an AQL of

CHAPTER 4 SUPPLEMENT ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING

.25 percent. If paper currency is packed in batches of 20,000 bills, what should the
sample size and accept/reject numbers be, using MIL-STD-105D at general inspection
level II?
2. The Charge-o-Ray Battery Company performs lot sampling of its finished batteries
before shipping them to customers. One of those customers, the federal government,
requires the use of MIL-STD-105D at general inspection level II. If batteries are
shipped in batches of 75, indicate the inspection plan that should be used for an AQL
of .15 percent.
3. A company has decided to use double sampling for batches of sheet steel that are
received from a supplier. The company has decided to use MIL-STD-105D at general
inspection level II. If incoming batches contain 1,500 sheets of steel, what should be
the sample sizes and accept/reject numbers for an AQL of 2.5 percent?
4. The PeeWee Cuisine Company manufactures gourmet food for babies. They receive
turnips in batches of 600 and use MIL-STD-105D at general inspection level III.
Recently, the company used double sampling. In its first sample, there were three
unacceptable turnips. In the second sample from that same batch, there were three
more unacceptable ones. If PeeWee Cuisine uses an AQL of 1 percent, what decision
would it make regarding that batch of turnips?

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Besterfield, Dale. Quality Control 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2001.
Dodge, Harold F. and Romig, Harry G. Sampling Inspection Tables Single and Double Sampling. New York: Wiley,
1959.
Evans, James R. and Lindsay, William M. The Management and Control of Quality 5th ed. Cincinnati: SouthWestern, 2002.
Juran, Joseph M. Jurans Quality Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1999.
Military Standard Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes (MIL-STD-105D). Washington, DC:
U.S. Government Printing Office, 1983.