Quality Control During the Run and Before Shipment
Four kinds of visit, bought one at a time or as part of order control. The in-line visits are where the money is: a defect found at 20 percent is a correction on the line, found at 100 percent it is a rejected lot. Report within 24 business hours of the visit.
What we check at each point
| Visit | When | What we check | What you receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| First article check | First pieces off the line | First pieces measured against the drawing, compared with the approved sample, process parameters recorded | Go or no-go for the run, same day |
| In-line visit | 20 to 80 percent complete | Process stable or drifting, in-process defects and rework rate, work instructions in use, earlier actions closed | Visit report, defect log, photos, actions for the factory |
| Pre-shipment inspection | Made and at least 80 percent packed | AQL sampling to ISO 2859-1: dimensions, visual, function, packing and marks | Pass, fail or hold, with photos |
| Loading supervision | Container loading | Carton count, marks, condition, loading plan, seal number | Loading report with seal photo |
How many pieces we open, and how many defects are allowed
The lot size gives a code letter, the code letter gives the sample size, and the AQL you choose sets how many defective pieces the sample may contain before the lot fails. The default is zero critical, 2.5 major, 4.0 minor at General Level II. For a lot of 3,000 pieces that means 125 pieces checked; the lot passes on majors with 7 or fewer and fails at 8.
For machined parts we add a check of every critical dimension on the sample, because a bore 0.05 mm out is a major defect you cannot see.
| Lot size | Code | Sample | AQL 2.5 Ac/Re | AQL 4.0 Ac/Re |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 501 to 1,200 | J | 80 | 5 / 6 | 7 / 8 |
| 1,201 to 3,200 | K | 125 | 7 / 8 | 10 / 11 |
| 3,201 to 10,000 | L | 200 | 10 / 11 | 14 / 15 |
| 10,001 to 35,000 | M | 315 | 14 / 15 | 21 / 22 |
ISO 2859-1, single sampling, normal inspection, General Level II. Ac = accept at or below, Re = reject at or above.
What every report contains
Where the run is against plan, what was found, what the factory agreed to do and what the next visit will check. Photos are attached, but the actions line is the part that matters. A report with forty photos and no agreed actions is a diary, not control.
In-line visit reportExample format
- PO and product
- PO 24-0xx, aluminium housing, 6 part numbers
- Visit
- In-line visit 2 of 3, day 23 of 42
- Progress
- 58 percent machined, 31 percent finished; plan was 65 and 40
- Findings
- Burr on bore edge, part 3 (12 of 40 checked); anodising batch 2 lighter than the sample
- Actions agreed
- Deburr station added before anodising; batch 2 re-run; new sample sent to you
- Schedule risk
- Two days behind, recoverable with the second shift from day 25
- Next visit
- Day 30: deburr station, anodising batch 3, finished count
- Photos
- 42 attached
Illustration of the format. Not a report on any real order.
A single visit, or inside order control
A spot inspection is one visit with its report, under a short contract. Inside the order control package the visits are part of one contract for the PO.
Questions about inspections
Which AQL do you use?
By default ISO 2859-1 General Level II, AQL 2.5 for major and 4.0 for minor defects, zero critical. Tell us your own levels and we use those. For machined parts we usually add a 100 percent check of the critical dimensions on the sample.
What happens when a lot fails?
You get the report the same day with photos and the defect log. We propose rework, re-sort or hold, raise it with the factory in Vietnamese and come back for the re-inspection when they say it is done. You decide; we carry it out.
Do you inspect with the factory’s gauges?
We bring our own calliper, tape, moisture meter and coating gauge. Product-specific gauges and test rigs come from you or the factory, and we record which ones were used.