ASTM E2910-12

5.1 Procurement practices encourage industry innovation and provide flexibility to achieve the benefits of continuous improvement.

5.2 There is an evolving industrial product quality philosophy that recognizes the need for quality policy changes that will provide producers with opportunities and incentives toward improvement of product quality and cooperative relationships between the producer and the consumer.

5.3 Process controls and statistical control methods are the preferable means of preventing nonconformances, controlling quality, and generating information for improvement. An effective process control system may also be used to provide information to assess the quality of deliverables submitted for acceptance. Producers are encouraged to use process control and statistical control procedures for their internal control and to submit effective process control procedures in lieu of prescribed sampling requirements to the consumer for approval.

5.4 Sampling inspection by itself is an inefficient industrial practice for demonstrating conformance to the requirements of a contract and its technical data package. The application of sampling plans for acceptance involves both consumer and producer risks; and increased sampling is one way of reducing these risks, but it also increases costs. Producers can reduce risks by employing efficient processes with appropriate process controls. To the extent that such practices are employed and are effective, risk is controlled and, consequently, inspection and testing can be reduced.

5.5 The following points provide the basis for this standard:

5.6 This standard also provides a set of sampling plans and procedures for planning and conducting inspections to assess quality and conformance to contract requirements. This standard eliminates acceptable quality levels (AQL's) and associated practices within specifications.

5.7 Applicability—This standard, when referenced in the contract, specification, or purchase order, is applicable to the prime producer, and should be extended to subcontractors or vendor facilities. The quality plans are to be applied as specified in the contract documents, and deliverables may be submitted for acceptance if the requirements of this standard have been met.

5.8 Applications—Quality plans and procedures in this standard may be used when appropriate to assess conformance to requirements of the following:

1.1 This guide establishes lot or batch and continuous sampling plans using MIL-STD-1916 as a basis. It represents an alternative sampling approach to attributes sampling (MIL-STD-105E, same as E2234), variables sampling (MIL-STD-414, E2762), and continuous sampling (MIL-STD-1235B, E2819).

1.2 This guide provides the sampling plans of MIL-STD-1916 in ASTM format for use by ASTM committees and others. It recognizes the continuing usage of MIL-STD-1916 in industries supported by ASTM. Most of the original text in MIL-STD-1916 is preserved in Sections 4-6 of this guide. The original wording of “Government” in MIL-STD-1916 has been changed to “consumer”, and “contractor” has been changed to “producer” to make this standard more generic.

1.3 Purpose—To encourage producers supplying goods and services to its consumers to submit efficient and effective process control (prevention) procedures in place of prescribed sampling requirements. The goal is to support the movement away from an AQL-based inspection (detection) strategy to implementation of an effective prevention-based strategy including a comprehensive quality system, continuous improvement and a partnership with the consumer. The underlying theme is a partnership between consumer and the producer, with the requisite competence of both parties, and a clear mutual benefit from processes capable of consistently high quality products and services. The objective is to create an atmosphere where every noncompliance is an opportunity for corrective action and improvement rather than one where acceptable quality levels are the contractually sufficient goals.

1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.