AMSCN/AAREAQCICDISTRIBUTIONSTATEMENTA.Approvedforpublicrelease;distributionisunlimited.DEPARTMENTOFDEFENSETESTMETHODSTANDARDDODPREFERREDMETHODSFORACCEPTANCEOFPRODUCTNOTMEASUREMENTSENSITIVEMIL-STD-19161April1996MIL-STD-1916iiFOREWORD1.ThisMilitaryStandardisapprovedforusebyallDepartmentsandAgenciesoftheDepartmentofDefense(DoD).2.Beneficialcomments(recommendations,additions,deletions)andanypertinentdatawhichmaybeofuseinimprovingthisdocumentshouldbeaddressedto:Commander,U.S.ArmyArmamentResearch,DevelopmentandEngineeringCenter,ATTN:AMSTA-AR-EDE-S,PicatinnyArsenal,NJ07806-5000,byusingtheself-addressedStandardizationDocumentImprovementProposal(DDForm1426)appearingattheendofthisdocumentorbyletter.3.DoDprocurementpracticesencourageindustryinnovationandprovideflexibilitytoachievethebenefitsofcontinuousimprovement.4.ThereisanevolvingindustrialproductqualityphilosophythatrecognizestheneedforqualitypolicychangesthatwillprovidedefensecontractorswithopportunitiesandincentivestowardimprovementofproductqualityandcooperativerelationshipsbetweenthecontractorandtheGovernment.5.Processcontrolsandstatisticalcontrolmethodsarethepreferablemeansofpreventingnonconformances,controllingquality,andgeneratinginformationforimprovement.Aneffectiveprocesscontrolsystemmayalsobeusedtoprovideinformationtoassessthequalityofdeliverablessubmittedforacceptance.SuppliersareencouragedtouseprocesscontrolandstatisticalcontrolproceduresfortheirinternalcontrolandtosubmiteffectiveprocesscontrolproceduresinlieuofprescribedsamplingrequirementstotheGovernmentforapproval.6.Samplinginspectionbyitselfisaninefficientindustrialpracticefordemonstratingconformancetotherequirementsofacontractanditstechnicaldatapackage.Theapplicationofsamplingplansforacceptanceinvolvesbothconsumerandproducerrisks;andincreasedsamplingisonewayofreducingtheserisks,butitalsoincreasescosts.Supplierscanreducerisksbyemployingefficientprocesseswithappropriateprocesscontrols.Totheextentthatsuchpracticesareemployedandareeffective,riskiscontrolledand,consequently,inspectionandtestingcanbereduced.7.Thefollowingpointsprovidethebasisforthisstandard:a.Contractorsarerequiredtosubmitdeliverablesthatconformtorequirementsandtogenerateandmaintainsufficientevidenceofconformance.b.Contractorsareresponsibleforestablishingtheirownmanufacturingandprocesscontrolstoproduceresultsinaccordancewithrequirements.c.Contractorsareexpectedtouserecognizedpreventionpracticessuchasprocesscontrolsandstatisticaltechniques.8.Thisstandardalsoprovidesasetofsamplingplansandproceduresforplanningandconductinginspectionstoassessqualityandconformancetocontractrequirements.ThisstandardcomplieswiththeDoDpolicyofeliminatingacceptablequalitylevels(AQL's)andassociatedpracticeswithinspecifications.MIL-STD-1916CONTENTSPARAGRAPHPAGEiii1.SCOPE.................................................................................................................11.1Scope..................................................................................................................11.2Applicability.......................................................................................................11.3Applications........................................................................................................11.4Productrequirements..........................................................................................11.5Limitations..........................................................................................................22.APPLICABLEDOCUMENTS..............................................................................32.1General...............................................................................................................32.2Non-Governmentpublications.............................................................................32.3Orderofprecedence............................................................................................43.DEFINITIONS......................................................................................................53.1Acronymsusedinthisstandard...........................................................................53.2Acceptance.........................................................................................................53.3Contractqualityrequirements..............................................................................53.4Criticalcharacteristic...........................................................................................53.5Criticalnonconformingunit.................................................................................53.6Governmentcontractqualityassurance................................................................63.7Inspection...........................................................................................................63.8Majorcharacteristic.............................................................................................63.9Majornonconformingunit.............................................