Translating your technical data sheets: how can AI help?
AI is everywhere these days! Whether it’s searching for information, producing a report or even writing computer code, ChatGPT, Gemini and other generative AIs seem capable of doing it all.
Perhaps you are considering using these new tools to translate your technical data sheets ? After all, the benefits seem significant: a translation produced instantly and at virtually no cost.
Some of EuropaTrad’s clients have given it a go and are disappointed…
In fact, translating a technical data sheet is not that straightforward. Often complex in terms of both content and form, it is also very risky to include errors in them (misinterpretation of technical terms, omissions, inconsistencies, etc.).
So, follow the guide fromEuropaTrad, your translation agency in Lyon, specialising in the translation of technical data sheets!
In this article, we will discuss the specifics of technical translation, the methodology to adopt, and the best practices for choosing your translation partners.
What are the specific aspects of these major projects?
Let’s start by discussing what makes technical translation an art form in its own right.
requirement for accuracy
As you know, when translating a leaflet or technical data sheet, your translation must be absolutely accurate.
After all, it is often the security of end users that is at stake ! For example, if the technical data sheet for a medical device is poorly translated, it could have a negative impact on the patient’s health.
But it is also the product’s functionalityand its proper operationthat are preserved when your technical data sheets are translated in a way that retains the original meaning and avoids any errors.
Highly specialised terminology
Technical data sheets have another feature: they use jargon that is specific to the product in question. This is the case, for example, with projects involving translation in engineering and construction.
This means that the professional translator mustidentify the terms specific to your industryin order to compile a glossary tailored to the translation project.
This glossary then serves as a reference during the translation of your technical data sheet, thereby ensuring consistent terminology throughout your document, as well as across different technical data sheets within the same product range.
Legal compliance
Another important point regarding the translation of technical data sheets is the need to comply with the standards and regulations in force in the target countries.
When translating product data sheets for export to Italy, you must take Italian regulatory requirements into account.
EuropaTrad specialises in addressing the regulatory aspects of technical translation.
Dedicated professional tools
A final distinctive feature of technical translation is that it relies on specific and complex document creation and management systems.
Examples include InDesign, Madcap and Flare and DITA. Our teams of technical translators at EuropaTradalso use the technical drawing and diagramming software AutoCAD.
It’s difficult (no, let’s be clear: impossible) to ask ChatGPT to ensure these tools are used for professional purposes!
The methodology to follow when producing a technical translation
Let’s now take a look behind the scenes of technical translation, as practised by your technical translation agency, EuropaTrad.
Step one: define the objectives of the translation
We recommend starting by clearly defining the main objective of the technical data sheet.
What will it be used for? By whom? When? In what context?
Is it intended for engineers, technicians or end users?
By answering these questions, you will gain a better understanding of the target audience, which will help guide the style and tone of the translation.
Step two: prepare your documentation
Once you have clarified the purpose of your technical document, you must gather all the source files that make up the technical data sheet.
A technical data sheet does indeed usually consist of graphics (plans, drawings, diagrams, etc.), which are created using various design software programmes. The technical translator will need the editable filesin order to translate them efficiently whilst maintaining the graphic design.
Another task to be carried out: obtain all versions and appendices of the technical data sheet, including the most recent documents. It would be a shame, for example, to translate the penultimate version of your technical data sheet!
This research has several objectives:
- avoid translation errors,
- reduce translation preparation costs,
- maintain the same layout as the source file.
Finally, one last important check to carry out: make sure that the source language of your document is indeed the language in which it was written and that it is not a translation.
Step three: choosing the right partners
Most companies that need to have technical documents translated use technical translation agencies, such as EuropaTrad.
When you work with our agency, you benefit from much more than just technical translation expertise.
Here are the additional benefits we offer:
- Our professional advice : you can’t just wing it when it comes to being a technical translator for industryor a specialist in aerospace translation. EuropaTrad provides you with all the advice you need to ensure your project runs smoothly.
- Our ability to handle any file format : localisation engineering is our speciality. We are able to handle any source file format, however technical it may be. What’s more, you benefit from personalised, bespoke solutions designed to effectively optimise the source document (in terms of both layout and wording) prior to translation.
- A wide range of languages, without compromising on quality : EuropaTrad is at your service to provide you with technical translations of the highest quality in dozens of languages.
- Proficiency in CAT tools : computer-assisted translation enables us to ensure the consistency and uniformity of our translations.
- Technical expertise : your technical translator at EuropaTrad must have a thorough understanding of the technical field in order to use the appropriate terminology and be able to capture the nuances of the content.
- Knowledge of standards and regulatory requirements : our translators are familiar with the standards and regulations specific to your sector.
Compliance with EC standards
It should be noted here that technical data sheets and instructions must be provided free of errors, in the language of the target market’s users, in order to prevent any misuse of the product.
EuropaTrad can help you obtain a translation that is 100% compliant with this legal requirement.
And what about AI?
As we mentioned at the start of this article: AI (artificial intelligence) is playing an increasingly important role in technical translation. It provides tools such as specialised machine translation engines.
By working with EuropaTrad, you benefit from the very best of this revolutionary technology, which we apply in a targeted and professional manner, as well as from the irreplaceable expertise of human translators—professionals with extensive experience.
By using our technical translation services, you can handle very large volumes of translationwithin a much shorter turnaround time.
We are taking this opportunity to improve the core document and are strengthening quality control for all AI-related projects.In conclusion, technical translation: a technical art!
Technical translation requires a very high level of experience and specific skills. From language expertise to tools, methodology and regulatory compliance, choosing a technical translation agency will help you carry out your projects with complete peace of mind!
Get in touch with our technical translation agencyto discuss your projects – we’re here to help!
