Technical Translation Services
Translation of engineering documents, specifications, manuals, safety data sheets and drawings, with consistent terminology and export-control awareness.
The short answer
Technical translation turns specifications, manuals and safety documents into another language without changing a value, unit or tolerance. Safety data sheets in the US must be in English (29 CFR 1910.1200); EU machinery instructions must be in the language set by each member state (Regulation (EU) 2023/1230). Sending controlled technical data to a foreign translator can be an export (15 CFR 734.13).
Rules that apply
Each rule links to its source. Checked 4 November 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the office that will receive your documents.
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| Safety data sheets and labels must be in English; other languages may be added. | 29 CFR 1910.1200(f)(2) and (g)(2) |
| Machinery placed on the EU market must come with instructions in a language easily understood by users, as determined by the member state; the Regulation applies from 20 January 2027. | Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 (Machinery Regulation) |
| Releasing controlled technology to a foreign person, including in the US, is a "deemed export" under the Export Administration Regulations. | 15 CFR 734.13(b) |
| Under ITAR, disclosing technical data to a foreign person is an export. | 22 CFR 120.50 |
| ISO 17100 sets requirements for translation services, including translator qualifications and revision of every translation by a second person. | ISO 17100:2015 |
What counts as technical translation
Operating and maintenance manuals, specifications and datasheets, test reports, engineering drawings and their title blocks, standard operating procedures, safety data sheets, tender documents, and the technical sections of patents. The common thread is that the reader will build, operate, test or repair something based on the text. A wrong word is not a style problem; it is a wrong part, a wrong torque or a missed warning.
Terminology first
Before translating a large technical job we build a term list from your existing documents: part names, process names, and the words your engineers actually use. If a German supplier calls a component Abdeckung in one manual and Deckel in another, the English needs to know whether those are the same cover or two different parts. We ask rather than guess, and the answers go into the term list for the next job.
Numbers, units and drawings
- Values, tolerances and units are copied exactly; no unit conversion unless you ask, and then both values are shown.
- Decimal commas are converted to points only where the target convention requires it, with a note, because "1,500" means one and a half in much of Europe.
- Drawing text is returned as a numbered list keyed to the drawing, or edited directly in the CAD export if you send it.
- Standards are cited by their number (EN ISO 12100, DIN 912), never translated into a different standard.
Export control
If your documents contain technology controlled under the EAR or ITAR, the translator is a recipient of that technology. Releasing it to a foreign person, even one working in the US, can require a licence. Tell us when a document is controlled; we will confirm who would work on it, or decline the job if we cannot staff it appropriately. This is your compliance decision, not ours, but we will not ignore it.
Safety documents
For the US market, a safety data sheet must exist in English; a Spanish version is often added for the workforce. When translating an SDS we keep the 16-section structure and the standard hazard and precautionary phrases, so the translated sheet reads like any other SDS in that language.
Revisions and updates
Technical documents are revised often. When you send a new version of a manual, send the previous source and its translation too. We translate only what changed and keep the approved wording for the rest, which cuts cost and keeps the versions consistent.
What we don't do
We translate; we do not perform engineering review, author SDSs, or certify that a product meets a standard. Desktop publishing of complex layouts is quoted separately.
Documents we translate for this
User Manual translation
Translation of user manuals, instructions and quick-start guides for products sold in the US, the EU, Canada and elsewhere, following each market's …
Contract translation
Certified translation of contracts and leases: supply, distribution, employment, rental and sale agreements, for signing, courts, lenders and USCIS.
Price
$39 for the first page (up to 250 words) into English, $49 into any other language, then $0.116 per additional word. Each file is priced on its own. The signed certificate of accuracy is included.
Full pricingTurnaround
24 hours standard for most documents. Expedited service is +50% for 6–8 hours and +100% for 1–3 hours. Large files are quoted with a delivery date before you pay.
Questions
How do you price an updated manual?
By the words that changed, when you send the old source and translation with the new version. Unchanged text keeps its approved translation.
Can you translate engineering drawings?
Yes. We translate title blocks, notes and callouts, and return them as a list keyed to the drawing or edited into an editable export (DXF, DWG text, PDF form).
Do you follow ISO 17100?
We follow its core practice, translation plus revision by a second person, on technical jobs. We are not ISO 17100 certified, and we will not claim to be.
Is translating export-controlled documents allowed?
It can need a licence, because giving controlled technical data to a foreign person is an export. Tell us before sending, and check with your export compliance team.
Related
Prepared by Global Certified Translations, Edgewater, NJ. Translations are signed by a State Court Certified Translator. This page explains translation requirements; it is not legal advice.
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