Authority service · Lighting QC
Asia Sourcing runs independent lighting quality control and inspection across every major Indian lighting cluster — Moradabad brass, Firozabad glass, Aligarh hardware, Khurja ceramic and Delhi NCR final-assembly. Our QC engagements cover factory inspection, pre-production, during-production, final and pre-shipment inspection to AQL 2.5, with electrical-safety verification, functional testing, dimensional and finish inspection, and container-loading supervision.
Four-stage lighting inspection framework
Pre-production inspection. Raw material verification (brass alloy composition, glass type and clarity, wire gauge and insulation rating, lamp-holder brand and rating), pre-production sample sign-off, first-piece confirmation before mass production. Catches material substitution and hardware down-specification before it becomes a container-level problem.
During-production inspection (DPI). Typically at 30-50% completion. Component-level verification at each cluster (brass casting, glass blowing, hardware assembly), sub-assembly verification (wiring integrity, solder-joint quality, grounding continuity, lamp-holder torque), interim dimensional checks against tech-pack, finish quality checkpoint.
Final inspection / pre-shipment inspection (PSI). AQL 2.5 sampling standard, electrical-safety verification (continuity test, insulation-resistance test, dielectric-withstand test on random-sampled units), 100% functional testing (bulb-on test on every unit with appropriate lamp), full dimensional verification against tech-pack, finish inspection (colour-match, coverage, defect count), packaging integrity check with drop-test on selected cartons, labelling verification (CE / UKCA / GS / cUL mark placement, wattage rating, voltage rating, safety-warning label per destination).
Container loading supervision. Load-plan verification (fragile hand-blown-glass shades on top-tier layers, dunnage separation between layers, moisture-absorbent silica-gel packs in each carton), container-condition inspection (seaworthiness, no water damage or contamination risk), seal number recording, export-documentation package handoff to freight forwarder.
Electrical safety inspection points
Continuity test — verifies electrical connection between plug pin and lamp-holder contact. Insulation-resistance test — verifies insulation between live conductors and exposed metal parts (target ≥100MΩ at 500V DC). Dielectric-withstand test — verifies insulation strength under high voltage (typically 1,500V AC for 60 seconds, no breakdown). Earth continuity test — verifies earth-pin to accessible-metal-part continuity (target ≤0.1Ω) on Class I luminaires.
Wiring inspection — wire gauge against destination wattage rating, insulation rating (typically 300V minimum for Class II decorative lighting, 600V for permanent-mounted), colour-coding compliance (US: black/white/green, EU: brown/blue/green-yellow, UK: brown/blue/green-yellow), strain-relief at cord-entry and lamp-holder-entry, solder-joint integrity, terminal-block torque.
Lamp-holder verification — brand authenticity (rejection of unbranded / counterfeit lamp-holders is a specific inspection point), voltage rating, wattage rating, thermal rating, E12 / E14 / E17 / E26 / E27 / E39 / GU10 correct specification against tech-pack. Fitted-plug verification — correct destination plug (NEMA / BS 1363 / Schuko / French Type-E / AS/NZS 3112), correct fuse rating in fused plugs (UK), polarity correct.
What we check on Indian-manufactured lighting
Brass components — alloy composition (63/37, 90/10 or 60/40 per spec), wall thickness against spec, casting integrity (no pinholes, no cold-shuts, no porosity in visible-surface areas), spinning consistency, buffing coverage, lacquer application (finish continuity, no runs, no orange-peel), patina consistency across a batch.
Glass shades — glass clarity (no seeds, no bubbles, no stress-cracks in clear-glass specification; controlled variance in seeded / hand-blown), thickness against spec (typically 3-6mm for decorative, higher for structural), tint colour-match against Pantone or approved sample, tint-consistency across batches on multi-shade programmes (Delta E ≤3 tolerance), heat-tolerance verification (typically 250°C 30-minute soak test for pendant and chandelier applications above tall ceilings).
Ceramic components — glaze thickness and continuity, glaze defect count (no crazing on food-contact ceramics, no bubbles above 1mm diameter on visible surfaces), hand-painted decoration alignment and colour-consistency across batches, thermal-shock testing on pendant and downlight ceramic bodies.
Final-assembly and finishing — component fit-up (no gaps in visible-surface joints, no scratches on lacquered brass, no fingerprints on polished-brass), packaging integrity (foam-block placement, bubble-wrap layer count, corner-protector fit, moisture-absorbent silica-gel packs, master-carton labelling completeness).
AQL 2.5 sampling — how it works on lighting
AQL 2.5 is the international standard for consumer-goods inspection — 'Acceptable Quality Level 2.5%' means that a batch is accepted if the sampled defect rate falls below 2.5% for major defects and 4.0% for minor defects. Critical defects (electrical safety failure, exposed live wire, missing earth connection) have zero tolerance in AQL 2.5 lighting inspection — a single critical defect fails the whole batch.
Sample size scales with batch size — 500-unit batch samples 50 units, 3,200-unit batch samples 125 units. Defect classification — Critical (electrical safety failure, structural failure risk), Major (functional failure, dimensional non-conformance, finish defect on primary visible surface), Minor (cosmetic defect on secondary visible surface, minor dimensional variance). Batches failing AQL are held for 100% rework or renegotiated to a lower tier — this is decided in coordination with the buyer at the PSI-completion call.
Related India sourcing capabilities
Lighting Quality Control Companies in India · Frequently asked questions
What is lighting quality control?
Lighting quality control is a four-stage inspection framework covering pre-production (raw material and pre-sample verification), during-production (30-50% completion sub-assembly checks), final / pre-shipment (AQL 2.5 sampling with electrical-safety verification and functional testing) and container loading supervision. Independent buyer-side QC catches defects before they become a container-level dispute.
How is lighting inspected before shipment in India?
Pre-shipment inspection to AQL 2.5 sampling standard — sample size scales with batch size (500-unit batch samples 50 units). Every sampled unit undergoes electrical-safety verification (continuity, insulation-resistance, dielectric-withstand, earth-continuity where applicable), 100% functional testing with appropriate lamp, dimensional verification, finish inspection, packaging integrity check with drop-test on selected cartons, and labelling verification.
What is AQL 2.5 in lighting inspection?
AQL 2.5 is Acceptable Quality Level 2.5% — the industry standard for consumer-goods inspection. Batches are accepted if sampled defect rate is below 2.5% for major defects and 4.0% for minor defects. Critical defects (electrical-safety failure) have zero tolerance.
Which safety tests are performed on Indian lighting?
Continuity test (plug pin to lamp-holder), insulation-resistance test (≥100MΩ at 500V DC), dielectric-withstand test (typically 1,500V AC for 60 seconds), earth-continuity test on Class I luminaires (≤0.1Ω), wiring gauge and insulation-rating verification, lamp-holder brand and rating verification, fitted-plug polarity and rating verification.
Can Asia Sourcing inspect lighting at multiple clusters?
Yes. Our QC field team covers Moradabad brass, Firozabad glass, Aligarh hardware, Khurja ceramic and Delhi NCR final-assembly with resident agents at each cluster. Multi-cluster inspection is coordinated as one programme deliverable — a single consolidated PSI report covering component quality across all involved clusters.
Share a written brief and we return a three-to-five factory shortlist within 5-7 working days.