Which of the following is NOT a key area covered by MSSC Quality certification?

Production automation is not a key area covered by MSSC Quality certification because the certification primarily focuses on concepts and practices that ensure product quality and process improvement. The core areas, such as Quality Control, Statistical Process Control, and Quality Assurance, emphasize the methodologies and standards necessary to maintain and enhance quality in manufacturing processes.

Quality Control pertains to the techniques and activities used to fulfill quality requirements, while Statistical Process Control involves using statistical methods to monitor and control a process, ensuring it operates at its full potential. Quality Assurance encompasses the systematic activities in a quality system to guarantee that the product will satisfy the given requirements.

In contrast, production automation relates to the technological and mechanized aspects of manufacturing processes rather than the quality management methodologies that are central to MSSC Quality certification. Therefore, it does not align with the primary focus areas aimed at fostering quality excellence in manufacturing.