Technical Translation Services

A technical translator applies subject knowledge and translation skills to produce a target text that keeps function, units and constraints accurate. Translators work with CAT tools, translation memories, glossaries and style guides, and raise queries when the source is ambiguous. Tomedes engages domain experts, maintains client termbases and documents decisions through a managed query process.

Yes. Tomedes localized a safety-critical aviation maintenance manual from English into French and Spanish to EASA regulatory standards and ATA iSpec 2200 formatting, where the accuracy tolerance was zero. Tomedes also translates system operation manuals, instruction manuals and software development documentation between German and English.

Technical translation needs subject-matter expertise, standardized terminology and regulatory formatting, while general translation covers everyday content such as correspondence, marketing copy and business documents. Technical errors carry higher risk: an incorrect unit conversion in a specification or a wrong dosage on a label can have safety, legal and financial consequences. Tomedes assigns technical projects to linguists with verified domain expertise.

Yes. Products shipped into regulated markets need labels, instructions and safety information in each market's required language. In the US, a safety data sheet must be in English, and other languages are optional (29 CFR 1910.1200). Under the EU MDR, each Member State decides the languages for medical device labels and instructions (Regulation (EU) 2017/745). Define target markets first, list the document sets each one needs and confirm any in-country reviewer. Tomedes assigns subject-matter linguists and manages multilingual DTP across 270+ languages so files are submission-ready.

ISO 17100 sets the baseline process and roles for most technical deliverables, and ISO 18587 applies when machine translation is used, requiring full human post-editing. For safety-critical or legal content, human translation with independent review is safest. MTPE suits repetitive, lower-risk or time-sensitive content when a senior editor approves the final copy. Tomedes is certified for both ISO 17100:2015 and ISO 18587:2017.

AI speeds up drafts and helps with consistency, but it does not replace a qualified human for technical meaning, and it can misread units, symbols or warnings. MTPE can work on low-risk, repetitive content when a trained editor validates terminology. Safety-critical material needs human translation and independent review, and sensitive data should stay out of public tools. Tomedes offers MTPE with senior editor oversight and switches to full human translation when risk is high.

Neither is reliably better for technical content, because quality depends on the language pair, the field and the text, and both can misread units, symbols and part names. The safeguard is the same for either one: a qualified human post-edits the output and an independent reviewer checks it. Tomedes uses AI-assisted drafts only where risk allows.

Technical translation typically costs $0.08 to $0.20 per word, with higher rates for niche fields or rush work, so 1,000 words of moderate complexity, such as a manual section or datasheet, starts from about $80 before DTP. MTPE can run 30% to 50% less for suitable content. Tomedes provides itemized quotes that separate new words, repetitions and translation memory matches.

A professional translator produces about 2,000 to 3,000 words per day including self-review, so 1,000 words takes half a day to a day, and longer with formulas, drawings or regulatory phrasing. Splitting long manuals into staged deliveries lets reviewers start early. Tomedes sets schedules by content risk and offers phased deliveries, rush capacity and integrated DTP.

Tomedes works with InDesign, FrameMaker, Word, PowerPoint and structured formats such as XML and DITA, localizes graphics and captions, and can rebuild a document from its originals. Provide fonts, linked assets and print specifications at the start. Tomedes delivers press-ready files and localized images with terminology locks applied across languages.

Send editable sources, not scanned PDFs, and approve a glossary and style guide before translation starts. Remove obsolete sections, mark strings that should not be translated, and share previous translations and TMs so approved wording can be reused. Tomedes builds and reuses TMs across versions, which lowers the cost of updates and keeps wording stable.

Tomedes reviews education, subject experience and sample work, then monitors quality on live projects. For regulated content, a native-speaking reviewer joins the team. Clients can ask for the vetting criteria and the reviewer's profile and request that the same team stays on future updates.

The team sets a glossary at the start, applies it in CAT tools and enforces it during review. Repeated phrases are locked through translation memory, high-risk terms get an extra check in context, and reviews check numbers, units, part names and safety language. Tomedes maintains client-owned termbases and provides side-by-side checks so stakeholders can see decisions.

An editor checks flow, terminology, units, symbols, cross-references and style, and a final proof reviews layout, line breaks and hyphenation. For long manuals, a chapter sample is proofed first to confirm choices. Tomedes integrates client comments and delivers final files per market.

Access is limited to the assigned team, files move through secure links and NDAs are signed with the vendor and the individual linguists. For especially sensitive content, ask for a clean-room path. Tomedes uses secure transfer, signed NDAs and project-level permissions.

Yes. Tomedes supports US-based and global clients in 270+ languages across multiple technical industries.