scope:

Purpose. This standard establishes sampling plans and procedures for inspection by variables for use in procurement, supply and storage, and maintenance inspection operations. When applicable this standard shall be referenced in the specification, contract, or inspection instructions, and the provisions set forth herein shall govern.

These acceptance sampling plans for variables are given in terms of the percent or proportion of product in a lot or batch that depart from some requirement. The general terminology used within the document will be given in terms of percent of nonconforming units or number of nonconformities, since these terms are likely to constitute the most widely used criteria for acceptance sampling.