Overview
ASTM E456-13a(2022)e1 – Standard Terminology Relating to Quality and Statistics establishes a comprehensive set of terms and definitions used in ASTM Committee E11 standards on quality and statistics. This terminology standard serves as a foundational reference, enabling consistent communication and understanding of key concepts in quality assurance, statistics, and related testing procedures. The document is editorially updated as new terms or revised definitions are introduced in associated E11 standards and notes similarities with ISO 3534 Statistical Vocabulary but does not consider ISO 3534 normative for E11.
By aligning with internationally recognized principles-such as those recommended by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee-ASTM E456 ensures clarity and harmonization in global trade and scientific practice.
Key Topics
- Terminology Harmonization: Provides authoritative definitions for terms commonly used in quality and statistics, ensuring consistency across ASTM E11 standards.
- Attribution to Normative Standards: Notes when a term is defined normatively in another E11 standard, allowing for traceability and editorial updates.
- Comparison to ISO 3534: Identifies where definitions are similar to international terminology, aiding cross-reference while maintaining ASTM-specific guidance.
- Broad Coverage: Addresses statistical concepts like accuracy, precision, bias, sampling, measurement systems, control charts, acceptance sampling, and more.
- Application Flexibility: Terms are applicable to a variety of quality control, testing, and statistical analysis contexts across industries.
Applications
ASTM E456 is valuable for a wide variety of professionals and organizations, including:
- Quality Control and Assurance Personnel: Use the standard for consistent vocabulary in process capability analysis, acceptance sampling plans, and measurement system analysis.
- Laboratory Managers and Analysts: Apply standardized terminology for proficiency testing, interlaboratory studies, and uncertainty assessment.
- Test Method Developers: Reference clear, consistent definitions during method validation, ruggedness testing, and statistical interpretation.
- Auditors and Regulators: Align reporting and assessment with globally recognized terms, facilitating regulatory compliance and audit transparency.
- Trainers and Educators: Standardize training materials and curriculum for quality engineering, statistics, and laboratory science.
Examples of practical use include:
- Establishing clear acceptance criteria using terms like "acceptance quality limit (AQL)" and "average outgoing quality limit (AOQL)."
- Communicating about statistical process control with terms such as "control chart," "confidence interval," and "outlier."
- Clarifying uncertainty reporting and analysis with definitions for "expanded uncertainty," "repeatability," and "reproducibility."
Related Standards
ASTM E456 references and supports terminology across numerous related standards, including:
- ASTM E177 – Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in ASTM Test Methods
- ASTM E178 – Practice for Dealing With Outlying Observations
- ASTM E691 – Practice for Conducting Interlaboratory Studies to Determine the Precision of a Test Method
- ASTM E2587 – Practice for Use of Control Charts in Statistical Process Control
- ASTM E105 – Guide for Probability Sampling of Materials
- ASTM E2281 – Practice for Process Capability and Performance Measurement
- ASTM E2655 – Guide for Reporting Uncertainty of Test Results and Use of the Term Measurement Uncertainty in ASTM Test Methods
These referenced documents offer expanded guidance for implementing statistical quality control, designing experiments, proficiency testing, and measurement system analysis, complementing the foundational terminology provided in ASTM E456.
Keywords: ASTM E456, standard terminology, quality control, statistics, acceptance sampling, measurement systems analysis, control charts, precision, accuracy, reproducibility, international standards, ISO 3534, laboratory testing.