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5. Acceptance Sampling

The basic concept of sampling lies in testing the samples for acceptance or
rejection. Some products such as electric bulbs, razor blades bolts etc. require
to be subjected to destructive tests so as to ascertain their life. A cent percent
inspection and destructive testing of such type of products can not be possible
and also sometimes the cost of cent percent inspection is extremely high.
Therefore for such problems acceptance sampling can be widely used.
Accepting sampling is the process of evaluating a portion of the
product/material in a lot for the purpose of accepting or rejecting the lot as
either conforming or not conforming to quality specifications. For the purpose
of acceptance, inspection is carried out at many stages in the process of
manufacturing. Inspection for inspection is generally carried out on a sampling
basis. The use of sampling inspection to decide whether or not to accept the
lot is known as acceptance sampling.

Purpose of Acceptance Sampling: The purpose of acceptance sampling is to

decide whether to accept or reject the lot. It does not control the quality
during the process of manufacturing.

Inspection: Inspection is the critical appraisal of materials, components or

products at various stages in manufacturing and sort out the faulty or defective
items. It is also known as post mortem operation.

Stages of Inspection:

i. Incoming( Receiving) Inspection

ii. In process Inspection

First piece inspection

Patrol/Floor/Roving Inspection
Operator Inspection
Last Inspection
Centralised (Crib) Inspection

Iii Final Inspection

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Inspection for acceptance purpose is carried out at many stages in

manufacturing. Generally, there are two ways in which inspection is carried
out:

i 100% inspection

ii Sampling inspection

100% Inspection: 100% inspection is a process which requires the inspection

of each unit or component received from a supplier to determine specification
and quality compliance.

Sampling: Sampling is a technique used to discover facts about a particular

population by considering a small part of that population. Here, the population
means the total number of items in the field under investigation.

Methods of sampling:

1. Judgement (Non random) sampling: In this, a person estimates the

characteristics of a population merely by sight. Because of inaccuracy,
this system is not commonly used. This sampling can however be used as
a trial or pilot sampling to decide as to how to take a random sample.
2. (a) Simple random sampling: In this sampling, a sample of a certain size
from a population is drawn in such a way so as to ensure that each
number of the population has an equal chance of being included in the
sample. The best way of drawing such a sample is to give a serial number
to each member of the population and then make withdrawals
according to a random number table.
(b) Systematic sampling: systematic sampling of population is made by
drawing an item at regular intervals that is measured in time, order or
space e.g. every fifth or tenth item or an item produced every fifth or
tenth minute.
(c) Stratified random sampling: In this sampling, the population is split
into groups according to some characteristics and a sample random
sample is drawn from each group, and a weight age is given to the
results according to the group’s population of total population.
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(d) Cluster sampling: In this sampling, population is divided into groups

or clusters, and then a random sample of these clusters is selected. It is
assumed that these individual clusters are representative of the
population as a whole.
(e) Two stage sampling: When the lot submitted for inspection consists
of larger number of packages each consisting of a number of items, it
may not be economical to select few packages and inspect all the items
in these packages. In such cases, the sample is selected in two stages. In
the first stage a desired number of packages (primary) are selected at
random and in the second stage, the required number of items is chosen
at random from the selected primary units.

Sampling Inspection: Sampling inspection can be defined as a statistical

technique to determine the acceptance or rejection of a lot or population on
the basis of number of defective parts found in a random sample drawn from
the lot. Sampling inspection is not a new concept. In our day to day life we use
sampling inspection in selecting certain consumable items. For example, a
grain (a sample ) of rice taken (drawn) from the boiling bowl full of rice. The
rice is inspected to decide whether or not to accept the whole bowl full of rice
on the basis of single rice taken from the bowl.

Advantages of Sampling Inspection are:

1. The items which are subjected to destructive test must be inspected by

sampling inspection only.
2. The cost and time required for sampling inspection is quite less as
compared to 100% inspection.
3. Problem of inspection fatigue which occurs in 100% inspection is
eliminated.
4. Smaller inspection staff is required.
5. Less damage to products because only few items are subjected to
handling during inspection.
6. The problem of monotony is minimised.
7. It exerts more effective pressure on quality improvement.

Limitations of Sampling Inspection are:

1. Risk of making wrong decisions

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2. The sample usually provides less information about the product than
100% inspection.
3. Some extra planning and documentation is necessary

Types of sampling plans are:

1. Single Sampling Plan: When a decision on acceptance or rejection of the

lot is made on the basis of only one sample, the acceptance plan is
known as a single sampling plan.
In a single sampling plan three numbers are specified
N= lot size, from which sample is drawn
N = sample size
C = acceptance number
Inspect a sample of n pieces

If number of defectives

Does not exceeds ‘c’ Exceeds ‘c‘

Accept the lot Reject the lot

Single Sampling Plan

2. Double Sampling Plan: In double sampling plan, the decision on

acceptance or rejection of the lot is based on two samples. A lot is
accepted at once if the first sample is good enough or rejected at once if
the first sample is bad enough. If the first sample is neither good nor bad
enough, the decision is based on the evidence of first and second sample
combined.

n1= number of pieces in the first sample

c1 = acceptance number for the first sample
n2 = number of pieces in the second sample
n1 + n2 = number of pieces in the two samples combined
c2 = acceptance number for the two samples combined
Inspect n1 piece
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If the no. of defectives

Does not exceeds c1 c1 < def.≤ c2 Exceeds c2

Accept the lot Take second sample of Reject the lot

n2 pieces

No. of defectives in the first and

second samples combined i.e. in (n1 + n2)

Does not exceeds c2 Exceeds c2

Accept the lot Reject the lot

Double Sampling Plan

3. Multiple Sampling Plan: The phrase multiple sampling is generally used

when three or more samples of stated size are permitted and when the
decision on acceptance or rejection must be reached after a stated
number of samples.
The phrase sequential sampling is generally used when a decision is
possible after each item has been inspected and when there is no
specified limit on the total number of units to be inspected. However
some use two phrases interchangeably.
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Operating Characteristic Curve ( O.C. Curve):

An operating characteristic (O C ) curve is a graph of percentage defective in a

lot versus the probability that the sampling plan will accept a lot. O. C. Curve
quantifies producer’s (manufacturer’s) risk and consumer’s (Purchaser’s) risk.

An OC Curve can be divided in three regions as:

1. Acceptance Quality Region

2. Indifferent Quality Region
3. Objectionable Quality Region

OC Curve

Importance and significance

The OC Curve of an acceptance sampling plan shows how well the sampling
plan discriminates between good and bad lots. In order to examine the
suitability of an acceptance sampling plan, it is necessary to compare their
performance over a range of possible quality levels of the product.
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1. The operating characteristic curve of an acceptance sampling plan shows

the ability of the plan to distinguish between good and bad lots.
2. Sampling acceptance plans with same per cent samples gives very
different quality protection.

3. Fixed sample size tends towards constant quality protection. It is the

absolute size of the sample rather than its relative size that determines
the quality protection given by an acceptance sampling plan.
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4. The OC Curves of plans with acceptance numbers greater than zero are
superior to those of comparable plans with acceptance number of zero.
With fixed value of N, and c ∞ n, larger the value of n, the better is the
ability of the plan to discriminate between good and bad lot.
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5. Larger the sample size and acceptance number, the steeper the slope of
the curve. The larger sample size which protects the consumer against
the acceptance of relatively bad lots also gives better protection to the
producer against rejection of relatively good lots.

Concept of Produce’s r risk and Consumer’s risk

There are two parties to an acceptance procedure the party submitting the
product for acceptance and the party for whom the decision is made regarding
acceptance or rejection i.e. producer and consumer.

Neither sampling plan nor 100% inspection can guarantee that every defective
item in a lot will be found. A risk in the sampling that the sample will not
adequately reflect the conditions in the lot. Even 100% inspection has risk that
monotony and other factors that some of the defective may be missed.

The sampling risks are of following two types:

1. Producer’s risk: Producer’s risk is the probability of rejecting a good lot

which otherwise would have been accepted.
2. Consumer’s risk: Consumer’s risk is the probability of defective lots
accepted which otherwise would have been rejected.

Quality indices for acceptance sampling plan

1. Acceptance Quality Level (AQL): It represents the maximum proportion

of defectives which the consumer finds definitely acceptable.
Acceptance quality level can be defined as the maximum percent
defectives that for the purpose of sampling g inspection can be
considered satisfactory as a process average. It is the fraction defective
that can be tolerated without any serious effect upon further processing
or a customer reaction. AQL can also be termed as maximum number of
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defective pieces in a good lot. As an AQL is an acceptable quality level,

the probability of acceptance for an AQL lot should be high. In fact the
producer’s risk is termed as AQL.

2. Rejectable Quality Level ( RQL) : It represents the percentage defectives

in a lot that can be tolerated in only a specified proportion of lots . It is
also known as Lot Tolerance Percent Defective (LTPD). As AQL is an
unacceptable quality level, the probability of acceptance for an RQL lot
should be low. The probability of accepting a lot at RQL level represents
consumer’s risk. RQL helps in real protection against unsatisfactory
material, reaching the customer.

3. Indifference Quality Level (IQL): This is quality level somewhere

between the AQL and RQL.

4. Average Outgoing Quality Level (AOQL) : It represents the average %

defective in the outgoing products after inspection, including all
accepted and all rejected lots which have been 100% inspected and
defectives replaced by non- defectives.