ISO 9001 
ISO 17100 
ISO 18587 LinguaVox provides robotics translation services for robotics manufacturers, automation integrators, industrial plants and software teams. We manage multilingual projects in more than 150 languages, combining specialist translators, project management, terminology control and review workflows according to what each assignment requires.
Translation for the robotics and automation sector
Robotics sits across three kinds of language at once: mechanical, electrical and software. A robot cell is documented, controlled and maintained through all three together, so the wording an engineer reads in a manual, an operator sees on a screen and a technician follows in a maintenance step has to line up exactly. The same system is described in a hardware manual, a set of safety instructions and an on-screen interface, and a term used in one has to match the others. The content also has to work for different readers — the engineer who integrates the cell, the operator who runs it, the technician who maintains it — without becoming inconsistent. Getting that alignment right, across languages, is the core of robotics translation.
Before we quote, we identify the document type, reader, destination market, format and review level, because those points determine the translator profile and quality workflow.
Documents we translate
Typical documents include robot and cell manuals, automation and PLC software strings, HMI and interface text, integration and commissioning guides, safety instructions, maintenance procedures, technical specifications and training material. Some is printed documentation; much of it is software and on-screen text with its own formats and constraints. We handle both and keep them aligned, so a function named on the interface matches the manual that explains it.
Before quoting, we review the files whenever possible to identify non-editable text, software string files, tables, screenshots, embedded content, repetitions, multilingual layouts, versioning issues and instructions that should be applied during translation.
Specialist translators and quality control
Projects are assigned to translators with robotics, automation or software experience and the right language combination. Where the project runs under ISO 17100, a second qualified linguist carries out a bilingual revision against the source, and the project manager then checks files, instructions and delivery format before completion.
Where machine translation is the agreed approach for suitable content, we provide full post-editing under ISO 18587. A lighter post-editing level is only used when it is explicitly agreed for the content concerned and is not equivalent to full post-editing under ISO 18587. Safety instructions are normally translated by people and revised.
Software strings, HMI and cross-discipline terminology
Two technical points shape most robotics projects. First, software and HMI text comes in formats — XML, JSON, PO, RESX, XLIFF — with placeholders, variables and length limits that have to be respected, so we translate strings in their native format and confirm any character constraints before starting. Second, mechanical, electrical and software terms have to agree across the whole documentation set, so we keep a single termbase covering all three and apply it to manuals, interfaces and training alike. This is what stops a control being called one thing on screen and another in the manual, which is a frequent source of operator error and support calls. When a new robot or software release reuses earlier content, the memory and termbase carry the approved wording forward automatically, so each release stays consistent with the last and only genuinely new strings need attention.
Related services
Robotics translation often connects with software and website localisation, technical translation, legal and certified translation, subtitling for training videos, desktop publishing and terminology management. The right combination depends on the files and on how the content will be used.
How to request a quote
To prepare an accurate quote, send the files, the language combination, the deadline, the destination markets and the intended use, with any software string files, previous translations, glossaries or style preferences. For multilingual releases we can organise staged deliveries, separate files by language and keep a consistent structure across markets, so translation fits your release schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Can you translate automation and HMI software strings?
Yes. We translate PLC, automation and HMI strings in their native formats — including XML, JSON, PO, RESX and XLIFF — respecting placeholders, variables and length limits. Send the string files and any character constraints and we will confirm the approach before starting.
How do you keep mechanical, electrical and software terms consistent?
We maintain a single termbase covering all three disciplines and apply it across manuals, interfaces and training, so a component or function is named the same way everywhere. This cross-discipline consistency is the most common weakness in robotics documentation and the thing we watch most closely.
Do you align on-screen text with the printed manual?
Yes. We translate interface text and the manual together and keep them aligned, so the function a user sees on screen matches the instruction that explains it. This reduces operator error and support queries caused by mismatched wording.
Do you handle safety instructions for robotic cells?
Yes. We translate safety instructions with particular care and keep standard warnings consistent through a controlled glossary. Safety content is normally handled by human translation with revision rather than machine translation.
Can you support integration projects across several languages?
Yes. We coordinate manuals, software and commissioning guides across the required languages at once, keep terminology aligned and deliver on a schedule that fits the integration timeline. Tell us the languages and milestones and we will plan around them.
