ATTRIBUTE AND VARIABLE SAMPLING

Irina Kharina Guseva

1º GSFPFByA
Paterna (Valencia)

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 ATTRIBUTE SAMPLING.(APPLICATION OF THE UNE 66-020
STANDARD) AND VARIABLE SAMPLING. (APPLICATION OF THE MIL-STD 414
STANDARD) TO A PRODUCT

1.AIM

Determine whether or not a batch of a product is acceptable under the AQL

(acceptamce
quality level) stipulating a contract, based on our outcome.

2. THEORETICAL BASIS

Acceptance sampling is a statistical procedure measuring quality of a batch or

population of a product. Quality is defined as producing to a pre-determined standard. For
example, toilet paper used in a chain store is not the same quality as toilet paper
purchased for home use. The toilet paper in chain stores may be narrower, have less
paper per sheet, may not contain lotion, etc.
Samples are tested to determine the number of defectives in a batch or population.
Items with no defectives are conforming, and those with defectives are nonconforming.
A decision is made to accept or reject the whole batch based on the number of
allowable defectives. This is called an inference, which is made from a sample to a
population.
The number of acceptable defectives vary from product to product and industry to
industry and is represented on an operating characteristics curve. Usually, this
determination is made when the product leaves the producer or when the consumer
receives the product.
Each industry has published operating characteristics charts to aid decision makers to
accept or reject a batch or population of products.

The process of acceptance sampling starts with taking a sample from the
population.
Samples of an item are randomly (each has an equal chance of being chosen)
selected from the population so that all items do not have to be inspected as this is very
costly and time consuming. Randomly selecting items reduce bias and allow inferences
to be drawn from the sample to the population when deciding to reject or accept the
batch.
Depending on the sampling plan used, the batch is accepted or rejected based on the
number of defectives.
Samples from a population can be attributes or variables.

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 Attributes and Variables

The Inspection by Attributes consists of examining an item, or characteristics of an

item, and classifying the item as ‘conforming’ or ‘non-conforming’. The action to be taken
is decided by counting the number of non-conforming items found in a random sample.
Procedure: According to the lot number (N) and knowing the inspection level, the
number of samples (n) is determined. Then, according to the AQL, acceptance (A) or
rejection (R) is determined.
An example would be producing light bulbs, and the test would be if they produced
light when turned on. After being sure the electrical source working, the number of
defective light bulbs as well as those that work is recorded.
The Inspection by Variables starts with selecting a sample of a number of items and
measuring dimensions or characteristics so that information is available not only on
whether a dimension, for example, is within certain limits, but on the actual value of the
dimension. The decision whether or not to accept a lot is made on the basis of
calculations of the average and the variability of the measurements.
Examples include age, crop yield, drug response, gas mileage, course grades, money
invested, impact of governmental policies on public services, weight, etc. Variables may
take on different values. Frequently two variables are measured based on the value of
one variables response to another variable.
Procedure in variable sampling is the next:
• • From the size of the lot N and the inspection level (usually Level II) the code letter
of the plan is determined in table 46.19 MIL-STD-414 of the standard.
• • With the code letter and the AQL, the sample size "n" and the acceptability
constant "k" are determined in the MIL-STD-414 table for all inspections.
• •If USL, and LSL have been set, calculate the "Z" quality statistic.
_ _
USL- X X - LSL
ZUSL = ZLSL
s s
where USL and LSL are maximum and minimum limit values, and “s” is standard
deviation
• Compare the values of Z with k and decide whether the sample is accepted or
rejected.
Z ≥K accepted, Z < k rejected

Definitions
The Acceptance Quality Limit (AQL) (previously called Acceptable Quality Level) is
the level of proportion of non-conforming items at which lots are accepted most of the
time, usually taken as 95%.

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 The Limiting Quality (LQ or LQL) is the proportion of non-conforming items
associated with the consumer’s risk, or the level of non-conforming items of lots accepted
after control, in 10% of the cases.
A Sampling Plan is a plan according to which one or more samples are taken from a
lot in order to obtain information about or possibly reach a decision about that lot.
An Acceptance Sampling Plan is one intended for determining the acceptance or the
rejection of a lot.
Diameter is a straight line passing from side to side through the centre of a body or
figure, especially a circle or sphere.
The weight of a body is the quantity of matter contained in it. The SI unit of mass is
kilogram (kg)

3. TEST SAMPLE AND EQUIPMENT

Sample information

Pills of different lots

Table 1. Sample information

Name Active ingredient Brand Batch

Airtal Aceclofecnaco, Almirall S.L 4M

100 mg

Equipment

Table 2. Equipment
Name Brand photo Model Sensibility

Caliper SESA Tools x201515 0,05 mm

Analitical scales Shangping FA1104 0,0001 g

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 4. PROCEDURE

4.1. DATA PREVIOUS

Table 3.Data previous

Attribute sampling Variable sampling
Level inspection Normal Normal
Batch (N) (units) 50 50
AQL (%) 1,5 6,5
Diameter (mm) USL 8,1
LSL 8,0
Weight (mg) USL 210
LSL 200

4.2. Attribute sampling

breaks uniform color

YES NO
conforming
accepted rejected

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4.3. Variable sampling

Calculate ZUSL
and ZLSL

Z≥k Z<k
accepted result rejected

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 5. RESULTS

5.1. Attribute sampling

Table 4. Results of attribute sampling

n 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Breaks (C1) - - 1 1 - - - -
Colour (C2) - - - - - - - -

Table 5. Resume of attribute sampling

C
Lot N n AQL (%) C1 C2 A R
4M 50 8 1,5 2 - 0 1

5.2. Variable sampling

Table 6. Results of measurements

n Diameter(mm) Weigh(g) Weigh (mg)

1 8,15 0,2122 212,2
2 8,10 0,2088 208,8
3 8,05 0,2124 212,4
3 8,05 0,2022 202,2
5 8,05 0,2133 213,3
mean 8,08 0,20978 209,78
Desviation 0,045 0,005 4,570

Table 7. Resume of Variable sampling

Lot N n AGL (%) USL LSL Variable
50 5 6,5 8,1 8,0 Diameter
210 200 Weight

k = 0,874

Table 8. Final calculation results

Parameter calculated Weight Diameter
ZUSL 0,0481 0,0047
ZLSL 2,1402 0,0179

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 6. CONCLUSIONS

1. With attribute sampling we have two defective units of defects “break”, so the batch
is rejected.
2. With variable sampling comparing the calculated values ith the k value from the table:
Weight:
ZUSL value is upper than k value, but ZLSL value is less than the k value that’s why the
batch is rejected (0,04814 < 0,874)
Diameter:
The upper and lower Z values are less than k value. For this reason the batch is still
rejected.

7. SECURITY PREVENTIVE MEASURES

In this practice it is advisable wear latex gloves. Aftetr the practice, deposit the pills in a
special container for pharmaceutical waste

8. REFERENCES

https://study.com/academy/lesson/acceptance-sampling-plans-by-attributes-
variables.html

https://www.massey.ac.nz/~kgovinda/nzcodexdoc/designing-sampling-
plans.html#administration-of-a-sampling-plan

https://www.massey.ac.nz/~kgovinda/nzcodexdoc/routine-attributes-and-variables-
sampling-plans.html#single-sampling-plan--attributes

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 9. ANEX

Table 9..Choose the letter code (une 66020)

Table 10. choose the sample size

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Table 3 MIL-STD-414

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