TS ISO 2859-1

TS ISO 2859-1 defines an acceptance sampling system for inspection by attributes and covers single, double, and multiple sampling plans indexed by acceptance quality limit (AQL) for lot-by-lot inspection. In practical terms, it provides a statistical decision framework for deciding whether to accept or reject a lot based on sample results; its aim is to encourage the producer to keep the process average at least as good as the specified AQL while also limiting the consumer’s risk of occasionally accepting a poor lot.

How AQL-based acceptance sampling works

AQL is an indexing concept used in attribute inspection to relate a sampling plan to an acceptable quality level rather than to demand zero defects in every lot. Single, double, and multiple plans offer different operating paths for the same decision problem: a single plan reaches a decision from one sample, while double and multiple plans may use additional sampling steps depending on the early results. In general technical use, this approach is widely employed to balance inspection effort against the risks of acceptance and rejection errors.

Where the schemes can be applied

• Complete products, sub-assemblies, or individual components
• Operations and stages in process
• Materials in process and supplies in storage
• Maintenance operations and administrative procedures
• Data, records, and similar information objects

This document establishes how sampling schemes for inspection by attributes are organised and identifies the kinds of applications to which they can be applied; it does not, by itself, guarantee suitability for any particular product family. In practice, plan selection is considered together with lot size, desired inspection severity, and the quality objective. As part of the ISO 2859 series, this section provides a common framework for organisations that need a standardised approach to acceptance inspection.