Gand concentrates one of the most diversified industrial zones in Belgium: automotive with Volvo Cars Ghent, green steelmaking with ArcelorMittal Steelanol, chemicals with BASF, offshore shipbuilding with Exomar. Technical translation in Gand fits into this dense ecosystem of cutting-edge industries, where each document - workshop manual, safety sheet or ship classification plan - directly involves the safety of operators and regulatory compliance.
Industrial Gand: automotive, green steelmaking and chemicals
The Gand industrial fabric is remarkable for its diversity and its international scope. Volvo Cars Ghent is the only European plant of the Swedish manufacturer, producing more than 300,000 vehicles per year and in full electric transition with the assembly of the EX30 and EX90 models. This technological transition generates considerable volumes of technical documentation: updated workshop manuals, high-voltage maintenance procedures, quality standards ISO/TS 16949 (now IATF 16949), multilingual production plans for the Swedish, Belgian and international Tier 1 subcontractor teams.
The Steelanol project by ArcelorMittal Gand represents a major advance in the decarbonisation of steelmaking: conversion of steelmaking CO2 into ethanol via unprecedented biochemical processes. The documentation of these industrial processes - process engineering reports, material balances, environmental studies - must be translated into several languages for the European partners and the certification bodies. The safety data sheets (SDS) for steelmaking, subject to the REACH (EC 1907/2006) regulation, must be available in the official languages of each country of commercialisation.
The main typologies of technical documentation in Gand by sector:
- Volvo Cars Ghent (automotive and EV): workshop manuals and maintenance procedures in Dutch, English, French, German and Swedish, quality documentation IATF 16949, production plans, procedures for European Tier 1 and Tier 2 subcontractors
- ArcelorMittal Steelanol (steelmaking and green chemistry): documentation of the industrial fermentation and CO2 conversion processes, safety data sheets compliant with REACH, environmental reports for the Belgian and European authorities, process safety analyses (PSA)
- BASF Gand (chemicals): multilingual safety data sheets (18 EU regulatory languages), safety procedures for ATEX zones, product certification documentation according to the regulation CLP (EC 1272/2008), technical specifications of chemical products
- Exomar (offshore shipbuilding): technical plans and specifications for marine cranes and offshore structures, classification documentation DNV and Bureau Veritas, inspection reports in English and Dutch, CE Machinery conformity certificates
- Port of Gand (international transport): consignment notes CMR, certificates of origin, bills of lading, multilingual customs documents for the container terminal and the RO-RO flows
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Automotive, chemicals, steelmaking, shipbuilding. Technical translators specialised by sector. Standards IATF 16949, REACH, ATEX, DNV. Free quote within 1h.
Types of technical documents translated for Gand companies
The industrial companies of Gand generate a wide variety of technical documents whose translation requires a dual competence: linguistic and sectoral. Here are the main categories and their specificities.
The Volvo Cars workshop manuals follow the standard technical format of the Swedish group, with a proprietary terminology strictly controlled by the parent company in Göteborg. Our automotive translators work with the terminology bases Volvo Cars Global and the IATF 16949 glossaries to guarantee consistency throughout the manual - from the high-voltage battery removal procedure to the tightening torque specifications.
The multilingual REACH SDS for the Gand chemical clients (BASF, Citrique Belge, subsidiary of ADM) represent a particular case: the REACH regulation requires the SDS to be provided in the official language of the destination country. For a product marketed in the 27 EU Member States, this means up to 24 language versions. Citrique Belge, a major producer of citric acid in Gand, must for example provide its SDS in Bulgarian, Romanian, Hungarian and Maltese in addition to the major European languages.
The naval documentation for Exomar follows the formats imposed by the classification societies. DNV (Det Norske Veritas) and Bureau Veritas have their own documentary requirements: annotated structure plans, welding reports, commissioning procedures, test certificates. These documents must be drafted in technical naval English, with very precise presentation and terminology standards that only a translator experienced in naval classification can respect.
The plastic piping systems of Aliaxis, a Gand manufacturer of piping solutions, must be documented according to the standards EN ISO 15874 (polypropylene) and EN ISO 15877(PVDF) for domestic hot water. The technical notices and product sheets require a translation that integrates exactly the official normative terminology in each target language, so that the CE marking and the performance declarations are legally valid.
| Type of technical document | Indicative rate | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive workshop manual (Volvo, Tier 1) | € 0.16/word | 3-5 working days |
| Multilingual REACH SDS (18 EU languages) | € 850-1 500 / package | 5-7 working days |
| Naval specification DNV / Bureau Veritas | € 0.18/word | 2-4 working days |
| Quality standard IATF 16949 / quality procedure | € 0.15/word | 2-3 working days |
| Environmental report industrial process | € 0.14/word | 3-5 working days |
These rates are indicative and vary according to the translation direction, the volume, the availability of existing translation memories and the level of specialisation required. A precise quote is established after analysis of the source document.
Regulatory compliance and technical standards in Gand industry
Gand industry operates in a complex regulatory environment that imposes strict documentary obligations. The Machinery Directive 2006/42/ECobliges manufacturers to provide the instructions for use in the language of the Member State where the machine is placed on the market. For Exomar which exports its marine cranes to Northern Europe, this means manuals in English, German, Dutch, Danish and Norwegian.
The REACH (EC 1907/2006) regulation requires BASF and the other Gand chemical producers to provide the safety data sheets in the language of the destination country before any placing on the market of a substance or a mixture. The CLP (EC 1272/2008) regulation harmonises the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical products according to the United Nations GHS system - and imposes precise terminology in each European language.
For the automotive sector, the IATF 16949:2016 standard (formerly ISO/TS 16949) is the quality management reference framework in the global automotive supply chain. The Tier 1 suppliers of Volvo Cars Ghent must document their quality processes in English for the certification audits, while maintaining the operational documentation in the language of the local operators.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does Volvo Cars Ghent require particular certifications for its technical translators?
Volvo Cars does not issue its own certification to external translators, but the language service providers who work in the automotive documentary chain are required to comply with the requirements of the standard IATF 16949, which applies to the entire supply chain. In practice, this means that the provider must have a documented quality management system, review and validation processes, and translation memories capitalising the proprietary Volvo terminology. Our automotive translators use the official terminology bases of the Volvo Cars group and follow the document format specifications imposed by the manufacturer for each type of document (workshop manual, quality procedure, packaging instruction).
How does one translate a REACH SDS into 18 languages simultaneously for a Gand chemical client?
The simultaneous multilingual translation of a REACH SDS is a coordination project that requires a structured approach. We put in place a dedicated project manager who coordinates a team of native translators per target language, all specialised in chemistry and in REACH/CLP regulation. The GHS terminology (classification, hazard statements H, precautionary statements P) is standardised by the CLP (EC 1272/2008) regulation, which imposes the use of the official wording in each language - these are not translated freely but are imposed by the regulatory text. We deliver the 18 versions in a format usable directly in your SDS management system (SAP EHS, Vault, etc.), with coordinated timeframes of 5 to 7 working days for the entire project.
Which standard applies to the translation of machinery manuals for the Belgian market (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC)?
The Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (under revision towards the Machinery Regulation 2023/1230/EU applicable in 2027) requires that the instructions for use be drafted in the official language or languages of the Member State where the machine is put into service. In Belgium, this implies French, Dutch and German to cover the three linguistic communities. The translator must reproduce exactly the safety warnings, the standardised pictograms (standards ISO 11684for agricultural machinery, ISO 7010 for safety signals) and the maintenance instructions. A deficient translation of the manual engages the manufacturer's liability in case of accident. Our machinery technical translators have specific expertise in the technical drafting of safety instructions compliant with the requirements of the Directive.
Must a DNV certificate be translated by a DNV-approved translator?
DNV (Det Norske Veritas) does not impose a closed list of approved translators for the translation of its certificates. On the other hand, the translation of a DNV naval classification certificate engages the liability of the applicant: the translated document must be faithful to the original in substance and accurately reflect the technical terms of naval classification (structural integrity, fatigue resistance, notation categories). For official uses (presentation to port authorities, to P&I insurers, to charterers), a sworn translation accompanied by the original may be required. We provide both: technical translation by a naval specialist, and certification by a sworn translator if necessary.