A good technical translation combines specialist technical knowledge with linguistic sophistication – this is what the specialist technical translators at Translation Agency Vienna | Connect Translations Austria prove every day with accurate, readable and user-friendly translations in more than 25 languages (including German, English, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, Czech, Chinese, Croatian, Slovenian, Polish etc.).
Technical translation – Technical documentation
Technical documentation is a very broad term. In general, a distinction is made between documents that are only used internally and documents that are specifically for customers. Internal documents include design drawings made with CAD programmes, parts lists and quality management manuals e.g. for ISO 9000 certification. External technical documentation includes user manuals, product data specifications that give information about the precise properties and possible uses of a product and, of course, also sales documents (product brochures, catalogues, data specifications etc.).
One particular type of product data specifications are material safety data sheets, the content of which is outlined in Annex II of the REACH Regulation (EC) no. 1907/2006 and the translation of which must strictly correspond to the REACH Regulation, including the wording of the templates in Annex II of the Regulation. Especially important is what are known as the H and P phrases, which must be on the packaging for chemicals. These warnings are an important part of the GHS system and must be translated with the utmost care and attention.
External technical documents also include brief instructions, user manuals, maintenance instructions, installation instructions and operating instructions, which are a combination of maintenance and user instructions.
Technical translation – A legal necessity
Marketing machinery in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Turkey is regulated by the respective applicable Machinery Directive. The Directive includes numerous provisions on how technical documents and their translations must look. In general, it states that operating instructions must be translated into the official language of the country of use. The original operating instructions, like their translation, are part of the scope of delivery. Both the original version and the translations must be correct and complete. There may be legal consequences otherwise.
Technical translation – Right in the existing layout
Technical documents have varying formats. The CAT tools used by the technical Translation Agency Vienna | Connect Translations Austria readily support files that are prepared with Word, Excel, InDesign, PowerPoint etc. With InDesign files, we need the IDML export file in order to be able to edit them directly in the existing layout. With design drawings that have been created using a CAD programme, ideally we should be sent the drawings in the DXF exchange format.
Technical translation – Challenging terminology
An important part of technical texts is the terminology. This should not only be consistent, but should also comply with the customer specifications (corporate wording) and the latest technology. The translators at Translation Agency Vienna | Connect Translations Austria overcome this challenge not least through the use of up-to-date translation software in which terminological databases can be integrated without a problem.