What does AQL mean in acceptance sampling?
AQL is an acronym for Acceptable Quality Level. It is the percent nonconforming that, for purposes of sampling inspection, can be considered satisfactory as a process average. The AQL alone does not describe the protection to the consumer for individual lots. Rather, it describes the expectation from a series of lots. For more information on Acceptable Quality Levels please see ANSI/ASQC Z1.4-1993, Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspection by Attributes.
