Raw materials form the foundation of every manufactured product. Batch inconsistencies in paper reels, fabric rolls, resin pellets, or metal coils propagate through the entire production chain. Incoming material inspection prevents defects at the most cost-effective point.
Raw materials use AQL 1.0 to 6.5, the widest range of any category. Critical material properties (tensile strength, purity, grammage) are tested at tighter levels, while visual defects on bulk materials use more relaxed acceptance criteria.
| Defect Type | AQL | Inspection Level | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical (contamination, off-spec) | 1.0 | General II | Certificate of Analysis required |
| Major (grammage, caliper, colour) | 2.5 | General I | Batch-to-batch consistency |
| Minor (surface, visual) | 6.5 | Reduced | Acceptable for bulk materials |
Incoming AQL 2.5 inspection found that a paper reel batch averaged 78gsm instead of the specified 80gsm. Rejection prevented downstream printing issues and packaging strength failures.
AQL 1.0 inspection confirmed that resin pellets matched the Certificate of Analysis for MFI and density, ensuring consistent injection moulding output.
A fabric roll batch contained oil stains from the loom. Without incoming inspection, 5,000 garments were cut before the defect was noticed, causing $75,000 in material waste.
