Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)

Acceptable Quality Level (AQL)

Definition:

  A statistical measurement of the maximum number of defective goods considered acceptable in a particular sample size.

 Types of defects considered in AQL 

 Critical Defects: are those that render the product unsafe or hazardous for the end user or that contravene mandatory regulations.

 Major defects: can result in the product’s failure, reducing marketability, usability.

Minor Defects: do not affect products marketability or usability but represents workmanship defects that make the product fall short of defined quality standard. 

AQL CHART

  

                           Checking areas in Inspection

• Material Conformity
• Style Conformity
• Quantity Conformity
• Workmanship (AQL)*
• Measurement
• Shade Conformity
• Packing and Packaging Conformity

Selection of garment and carton 

1.Buyers instruct about the required AQL

• Usually Major – 2.5
• Usually Minor – 4.0
• Usually Critical – zero tolerance

2.Cartons should be randomly selected
3.Numbers of carton to be selected = √n
4.All color and size should have the proportionate representation on the garments to be inspected
5.Measurement should cover all color and size that are to be inspected

Fabric Inspection System 

1.Fabric need to inspect before bulk cutting
2.Usually 10% fabric is inspected
3.If 10% fabric is failed on inspection, 100% fabric is inspected
4.In case of defective fabric, fabric supplier replaces the defective fabric on their own cost
5.Usually fabric inspection is done by four point system.

Four Point System

Fabric defects are assigned points based on the followings:

Size of defect	Penalty
3 inches or less	1 points
Over 3 but not over 6	2 points
Over 6 but nor over 9	3 points
Over 9 inches	4 points

    

     Total defect points per 100 square yards of fabric are calculated and the acceptance criteria is generally not more than 40 penalty points. Fabric rolls containing more than 40 points are considered "seconds“ or ‘’failed’’.

The formula to calculate penalty points per 100 square yards is given by:

   (Total points scored in the roll * 3600)

= ------------------------------------------------------

          Fabric width in inches * Total yards inspected

Four Point System 
 (cont.) 

The followings are noteworthy points for this system:

• Not more than 4 penalty points can be assigned for any single defect and single yard.
• The fabric is graded regardless of the end-product.
• 4 point system is most widely used system in apparel industry.