With the proposed new standard, WK11023, Practice for Life and Reliability Testing Based on the Exponential Distribution, ASTM International Committee E11 on Quality and Statistics is continuing its program of preserving U.S. government military standards on acceptance sampling. WK11023 is an adaptation of the DoD quality control and reliability handbook document H-108, Sampling Procedures and Tables for Life and Reliability Testing (Based on Exponential Distribution).

While the DoD no longer publishes acceptance sampling standards, several of these documents have been used as the basis for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards, with some technical content being changed in the process. However, because many users felt that the documents were still useful in their original form, Subcommittee E11.30 on Statistical Quality Control is working to preserve them as ASTM standards.

According to Dean Neubauer, senior engineering associate, Corning Inc., and an E11 member, ASTM WK11023 presents standard sampling procedures and tables for life and reliability testing in procurement, supply and maintenance quality control operations as well as research and development activities. “It describes general procedures and definitions of terms used in life test sampling and describes specific procedures and applications of the life test sampling plans for determining conformance to established reliability requirements,” says Neubauer.

Following the approval of WK11023, ASTM Committee E11 will continue its conversion program with Military Standard 414, Sampling Procedure and Tables for Inspection by Variables for Percent Defective. This is the last standard planned for conversion, but others will be considered if there is sufficient interest.

For technical Information, contact Dean Neubauer, Corning Inc., Corning, N.Y. (phone: 607-974-6777; neubauerdv@corning.com). ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards. ASTM’s open consensus process, using advanced Internet-based standards development tools, ensures worldwide access for all interested individuals. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, please contact Christine Sierk, ASTM International (phone: 610-832-9728; csierk@astm.org).

Release #8163/Jan09