What does AQL (Acceptable Quality Limit) mean?
A statistical sampling standard (ISO 2859) used in pre-shipment inspections. It defines how many defective units are acceptable in a sample lot — commonly AQL 2.5 for general quality and AQL 1.0 for critical defects. Inspection reports state the AQL level used.
Example: An inspection of 315 units at AQL 2.5 allows up to 7 major defects before the lot fails.