What AQL Actually Is
AQL means acceptable quality limit. It is the quality level at which a lot is judged acceptable under sampling inspection. A common commercial standard for electrical components is AQL 5%, which does not mean five defects per hundred units are expected. It means a lot is rejected when the sample inspection finds a defect rate worse than 5%.
Understanding that distinction matters, because a buyer who thinks AQL 5% means five percent defective will either over-specify their requirement or assume a supplier offering it is delivering a poor product.
The Four Inspection Stages
| Stage | Point in the process | What it checks | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQC | Incoming materials | Checks purchased components and materials | Before production starts |
| IPQC | In process | Checks the line during assembly | Catches drift early, cheapest to fix |
| FQC | Final / pre-shipment | Checks the finished batch and packing | The last chance before shipping |
| OQC | Outgoing / after production | Confirms shipment readiness and documents | What travels with the batch |
Why 100% Functional Test and AQL Are Not Alternatives
They operate at different points and catch different things. A 100% functional test on our line catches any unit that does not transmit, does not pull in, or does not pair. A third-party AQL 5% inspection on the finished batch catches what our own test misses: cosmetic defects, dimension errors, wrong label, wrong part in the box.
The first is a manufacturing control. The second is a purchasing control. A supplier offering only the first is telling you they control their process but not their packing; a supplier offering only the second is telling you they inspect someone else’s work.
What to Require on a First Order
- 100% functional test stated as standard, not as an option.
- Third-party report at AQL 5% on the first batch. After the first batch, spot checks are usually sufficient.
- A pre-shipment sample of the actual production batch, not the sales sample. These are frequently different items.
- Batch date codes so a field query can be traced to a production run.
Request a Quotation — AQL and Inspection Stages
Send your target market, product line and annual quantity. We reply with a written EXW quotation, MOQ, lead time and a sample offer within one business day. MOQ 100 pcs per SKU.
Send Inquiry on WhatsAppEmail: Joanna@rfmando.com · MOQ 100 pcs per SKU · 1 free sample per SKU ($30 DHL, buyer pays) · Lead time 7-15 days · T/T 30/70 · EXW Xiamen
Catalogue references for the specification above: locksmith multi-function car key pin removal and fixing tool kit, own tooling for private label and folding car key duplicator 433MHz fixed-code cloner, 1:1 copy for EU, US and Asia vehicles. All are MOQ 100 pcs per SKU, 7-15 day lead time, one free sample per SKU, and are supplied on our own PCBA and housing tooling with AQL 5% inspection available.
Where to Order
- RF Remote Controls — garage, gate and RTS compatible handsets
- Eaton DILM Contactors — frames, aux contacts and coils
- Locksmith Tools — duplicators, shells and blanks
- RF Manda — full product range and technical guides
| Term | Means | Who pays what | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXW | Ex Works, seller’s premises | Everything is the buyer’s cost | Cheapest on paper, most work for the buyer |
| FOB | Free On Board, port of loading | Export clearance and loading on the seller; main freight on the buyer | Useful for consolidating suppliers |
| CIF | Cost, Insurance and Freight to named port | Freight and minimum insurance included; duty and VAT not included | Convenient, still not door-to-door |
| DDP | Delivered Duty Paid | Everything including import duty | Most expensive to quote, often cheapest landed |