In the absence of written acceptance criteria, how should parts be evaluated?

Evaluating parts according to the design of the part and its intended application is essential when written acceptance criteria are not available. This approach ensures that the assessment focuses on whether the part fulfills its functional requirements and performs effectively in its designated role. Understanding the design intent allows inspectors to consider the critical features, tolerances, and operational environments that the component will face. By linking the evaluation back to its intended application, the inspection process remains relevant and aligns with the overall engineering objectives.

Other methods, such as comparing with industry standards, while useful, might not directly relate to the unique specifications of the part in question. Evaluating based on the inspector's intuition could lead to subjective decisions that may not reflect objective quality standards. Measuring defects against averages could overlook specific design requirements, leading to potentially inadequate evaluations of performance. Thus, aligning evaluations with the design and application ensures a more precise and meaningful assessment of quality.