Export-based industries require a particularly large amount of translations. Companies in mechanical and plant engineering are also subject to the highest technical and legal requirements. But how do you find the right translation partner for your specific needs? Here are four criteria you should consider.
Contents
- Why a correct technical translation is so important in mechanical engineering
- How to find the right translation agency for mechanical engineering
- Mechanical and plant engineering: Specialist knowledge is crucial
- Translators with legal knowledge: When every document counts
- Professional translations with strategy
- Professional translators and technology: The perfect match
The two worlds seem far apart. Industry, especially mechanical and plant engineering, is all about technology, engineering ingenuity, precision, and fierce competition. Language, on the other hand, is all about communication—a carrier of information that simultaneously conveys emotions.
No wonder it gets tricky when the two worlds collide.
Why professional technical translation is so important in mechanical engineering
Translations are part of the daily routine in mechanical engineering. The export rate of German mechanical engineering companies is over 81%. In Austria, it is even around 84%. The USA and China are powerful target markets for both countries, in addition to relevant intra-European export destinations.
Export-based industries require a particularly large amount of translations, for example, for contracts, marketing materials, offers, or presentations. In mechanical and plant engineering, there are additional, highly specific requirements: For example, technical documentation, manuals, or operating instructions must not only be comprehensible. They must also be one hundred percent correct when it comes to the highly complex technical terminology. If errors occur in a document, it can threaten the future existence of a company.
How to find the right translation agency for the mechanical engineering industry
Finding the right partner can be challenging, but there are clear criteria that make the selection process easier.
Some of these criteria are independent of the industry, for example, references, availability of native speakers, and proof of the most important certifications such as ISO 17100. Of course, the price-performance ratio is also important—and so is personal chemistry.
For mechanical and plant engineering, however, a translation service provider must be able to demonstrate special skills
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1. Professional translations for mechanical and plant engineering: Specialist knowledge is crucial
Subject-specific terminology can quickly become a “translation trap.” Often, these documents use terms that we think we know from everyday language but take on a different meaning in the respective fields. Knowing the correct industry-specific term makes the difference between right and wrong, depending on whether it is a technological, legal, medical, or other field.
When it comes to choosing a translation service provider, this means: Make sure that your future partner works with specialized translators who are demonstrably competent in the language of mechanical engineering! Ask for appropriate references and test translations! At ACT Translations, we can provide all of these references and offer you a customized service package.
2. Translators with legal expertise: When every document counts
In the field of mechanical engineering, translations also have a tangible legal dimension. Besides reputational damage, mistranslations in this field can also end up in court in serious cases. If they pose a risk to life and limb, they can even lead to criminal charges.
Therefore, you must always make sure that your translation service provider also works closely with legal specialists who are highly familiar with the legal framework and requirements of the target country!
3. Professional translations with strategy
Even if the decision is made to create individual operating instructions, brochures, or similar documents, multilingualism is not an issue that should be decided in the spur of the moment. It should be an essential element of the corporate strategy. It depends on the definition of quality criteria and is ultimately also part of marketing and the corporate identity.
You need to ask yourself: Is your translation service provider willing and able to understand your strategy or contribute to shaping and defining it? And does the agency understand how to simultaneously manage quality, efficiency, and compliance?
4. Professional translators and technology: The perfect match
Modern translations are no longer done with paper and pencil. Nowadays, professional service providers rely on technological support.
Translation Memory: A translation memory system is kind of like a more advanced automated glossary. Once the professional translation of a term or phrase from the source text has been confirmed to be appropriate, the translators automatically receive a corresponding suggestion next time the phrase reappears. This saves time (and money) for the service provider. It also ensures that the translation is consistent and meets the defined specifications.
Terminology databases: Which technical terms are the correct ones in the respective target language? Many companies keep databases that define these terms precisely. We offer to integrate this glossary into translation projects and expand it together with the customer whenever new terms appear.
Artificial intelligence: Given the potential consequences of mistranslations, machine translation alone is an absolute no-go in the field of mechanical and plant engineering. It does not mean that the technology must be completely ignored. Artificial intelligence can generally handle easily understandable texts, but when it comes to sensitive areas like mechanical engineering, it absolutely requires human oversight and post-editing. AI quickly reaches its limits, especially when it comes to specific terminology, because it simply lacks context. Professional translation agencies therefore offer a combination of machine translation and post-editing (MTPE): First, the AI translates a basic version. Then, human professionals check the text and turn it into exactly what the customer expects—the perfect translation.
Technology and language—at first glance, these are two worlds that have little overlap. With the right translation partner, they become a whole that is literally more than the sum of its parts.
