Installing equipment made overseas, technical exchange with a site in China, taking on foreign staff, dealing with overseas suppliers: on the manufacturing floor, the language barrier affects productivity and safety directly. By having the same person handle both document translation and on-site interpreting, we keep terminology consistent across drawings, screens, procedures and conversation. Our working languages are Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) and English.
When to talk to us
- You are installing equipment from a Chinese manufacturer, and the operator screens and manuals are still in Chinese
- You are relocating Japanese equipment to a plant in China and need the screens, manuals and maintenance procedures in Chinese
- Engineers from overseas are coming for commissioning or handover, and you want the interpreting during their stay and the translation of the technical documents they leave behind handled together
- The number of Chinese-speaking operators has grown, but the work instructions, safety training materials and notices exist only in Japanese
- You need to read defect reports and corrective action reports from overseas suppliers accurately, and to convey your own requirements accurately
- Participants from overseas will attend a customer audit or a head-office audit
- Terminology on the shop floor is inconsistent, and every translation you order comes back with different terms
Documents we handle
Equipment and engineering
- Equipment specifications, operating manuals, installation procedures
- HMI and operator-screen text, alarm messages, PLC comments (entered directly into export files from Siemens TIA Portal / WinCC and similar software, and delivered ready for re-import)
- Notes on electrical and piping drawings, I/O lists
- FAT / SAT records, commissioning reports, witness-test minutes
Production and quality
- Work instructions, standard operating procedures, QC process charts
- Inspection standards, descriptions of boundary samples
- Defect reports, 8D reports, corrective action reports
- Process FMEA, control plans, audit checklists
Maintenance
- Maintenance procedures, inspection sheets, lubrication charts
- Spare parts lists, parts management rules
- Troubleshooting guides, failure histories
- Translation of enquiries to equipment manufacturers and their replies
Safety and training
- Safety training materials, site induction, hazard prediction (KY) materials
- Wording for notices, signs and pictograms
- SDS, chemical handling procedures
- Training slides, subtitle scripts for training videos
HR and labour
- Work rules, employment contracts, notices of working conditions
- Appraisal systems, interview materials
- Internal guidance on receiving foreign workers
On-site interpreting
Equipment commissioning and relocation, engineer handovers, supplier witness tests, audits and customer visits, regular meetings: we cover them whatever the duration or frequency, from a single half day to residence on site for several months. Terms that come up during interpreting are recorded on the spot and carried into the translated documents.
Interpreting rates are set out on the interpreting rates section of our Services page.
Equipment installation and commissioning: language support package
For the installation of equipment made overseas, or commissioning and handover by engineers from overseas, we take on the whole job in three stages: before, on site and after. What you receive is not interpreting hours but documents that stay with the shop floor after commissioning is over.
Before
- Translation of the material needed before commissioning: equipment specifications, operating manuals, HMI display text and the like
- A first version of the terminology table (your existing terms take precedence)
On site
- On-site interpreting for installation, trial runs, training and handover (from a single visit to residence on site)
- Terms, decisions and open points that come up during interpreting are recorded on the spot
After
- A bilingual list of points to confirm and open items (who, what, by when)
- The updated terminology table, and revised documents reflecting corrections found on site
- Where needed, further translation of maintenance procedures and training materials
How fees are structured: quoted according to days on site, volume of material and duration. Where translation and interpreting are ordered together, the saving from not duplicating terminology work is reflected in the fee.
What we need from you: the equipment manufacturer’s documentation, the commissioning schedule, and the languages of those involved (Japanese, Chinese or English).
How we deliver
- We deliver in the original file format (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF, as well as text export files from equipment software). Layout, tags, placeholders and identifiers are left unchanged.
- Text for on-screen display is written in a short style that fits the display width, with suggested abbreviations where needed.
- A terminology table is prepared and delivered for each project, and the same terms are used in later work. Where your company already uses particular terms, those take precedence.
- Where a judgement call is needed, it is flagged in a translator’s note rather than decided silently.
Languages
Japanese ⇄ Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), English → Japanese, English → Chinese. Post-editing of machine translation (MTPE) is also available.
Main industries
Automotive and automotive parts, electrical and electronic components, semiconductor-related, industrial machinery, food machinery, logistics equipment. Other industries are welcome to enquire.
How fees are structured
Translation is quoted by character count and volume and by the technical level of the content; interpreting is quoted by hours and days. For ongoing work, a monthly arrangement is also available on request.
Per-character translation rates and interpreting rates are set out in the rates section of our Services page.
Frequently asked questions
Q. In what form should we hand over the screen text from our equipment?
A. Send us the file exported from the equipment software as it is (Excel format is the most common). We fill in the translation column only and return it. If you are not sure how to export it, ask us.
Q. Can you follow the terminology our company already uses?
A. Yes. If you give us an existing glossary or previously translated documents, we follow them. If there is no glossary, we build one during the first project and hand it over.
Q. What is the advantage of ordering interpreting and translation together rather than separately?
A. The wording actually used on the shop floor can be carried into the translated documents. Because the terms used in conversation and in the documents match, operators are no longer left wondering why the screen and the procedure use different words.
Q. Can you handle urgent work?
A. It depends on the volume and content. Short items such as an enquiry during an equipment breakdown can sometimes be handled the same day. Contact us first.
Q. Can you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
A. Yes. We can work with your template or ours.
Contact
Email info@az-llc.co.jp with the type and volume of documents and your deadline, or the dates, location and subject of the interpreting assignment. We will review the details and reply with a quotation.
AZ LLC, Fukuoka, Japan