Notes on the Evolution of Acceptance Sampling Plans: Part I

Summary: Among the various statistical tools of quality control are the organized sets of sampling inspection plans and tables used in the acceptance sampling activities of producers and consumers. Prominent among these are the LTPD, the AOQL, the AQL and the CSP systems of plans employed in inspections by attributes. This paper outlines how these and some other plans come into being over the past four decades, reviews the growth of concepts during this period, and discusses a number of factors that influenced the development of the sampling inspection plans and tables that are in common use today.