Importance of AQL in Disposable Dental Glove Manufacturing

WHAT IS AQL, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? 

AQL stands for Acceptance Quality Limit. In terms of gloves, it is the quality assurance measure set by ASTM, EN and ISO to ensure the gloves are free from pinholes. On a standard manufacturing line that produces thousands of disposable gloves each day, it is inevitable that some gloves have tiny pinhole defects. 

WHY ARE PINHOLES A PROBLEM? 

As pinholes often go unnoticed, individuals wearing gloves with pinhole defects may be at risk because: 

HOW IS AQL MEASURED?

AQL measures quality by determining the highest number of pinhole defects deemed acceptable in a manufacturing run. A sample size, dependent on the manufacturing batch, determines the number of gloves to be randomly selected for testing. The selected gloves then undergo a water leak test to check the pinhole defects. 

TYPICAL AQL VALUES & WHAT THEY MEAN

The typical AQL values on the glove market are 4.0, 1.5 and 0.65.

If a manufacturer chooses to release a glove with AQL 4.0, this means no more than 4% of gloves may contain pinhole defects. Put simply, the lower the AQL, the higher your assurance of protection from pinholes. 

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