Specialist translations for packaging machines - precise. Compliant with standards. Multilingual.
Operating instructions, HMI software, training and CE documentation for packaging machines - terminology-safe, standards-compliant and in over 40 languages.
OEM-tested – Hygienically safe (GMP/EHEDG) – ISO 17100 – International standards
Packaging machines are the link between production and the market – and place particularly high demands on technical documentation. Whether a flow-wrapping machine, cartoner, labeler or fully automatic FFS system: every machine requires a linguistically precise and standard-compliant translation of its accompanying documents. COMLOGOS has been translating operating instructions, HMI texts, training documents and CE documentation for manufacturers of packaging machines since 2007 – consistently, with terminology assurance and in over 40 languages.
What are packaging machines? - An industry with its own language
Packaging machinery encompasses all the technical equipment used to package, label, group or prepare products for shipment. It is a distinct subfield of mechanical engineering with its own terminology and standards, as well as a wide range of designs.
The industry is categorised by packaging level:
- Primary packaging: direct product contact (e.g. blisters, bags, tubes)
- Secondary packaging: outer packaging (e.g. folding carton, cartoner)
- Tertiary / final packaging: shipping units (e.g. palletisers, shrink-wrapping systems)
Request a project & get advice
Do you have technical documents to translate? Send us 1-2 sample files – you will receive a specific recommendation and a quote within 24 hours.
Types of machines that we translate
Form, fill and seal machines (FFS)
Vertical and horizontal, for food and consumer goods
Flow-wrapping machines
Can, bag and sachet packaging
Cartoning and case-erecting machines
Secondary packaging in folding cartons and boxes
Labelling machines
Self-adhesive, hot-melt and inkjet labelling
Blister machines (pharma)
Tablet and capsule packaging in accordance with GMP
Film and shrink packaging systems
Stretch, shrink and sleeve packaging
Palletising and depalletising systems
Final packaging and shipping units
Labelling and inspection systems
Track & Trace, Vision-Systeme, Codierung
Where packaging machines end and other disciplines begin
| Bereich | Interface | Where we draw the line |
|---|---|---|
| Maschinenbau | Parent discipline | Packaging machinery is a distinct sub-field with its own standards (for example ISO 21067). |
| Anlagentechnik | Line integration | Plant engineering plans the overall system, with packaging machines as subcomponents. |
| Automotive | Special machinery construction | Automotive packaging (KLT containers) is a niche area rather than a main domain. |
| Robotics | Pick-and-place, palletising robots | Robotics supplies the motion and packaging machinery supplies the process. |
| Logistics / intralogistics | Downstream material flow | Packaging ends at the pallet. Logistics starts there |
Documents that we translate for you
Bedienung & Sicherheit
- operating manuals (EU) 2023/1230
- safety and warning notices
- emergency and shutdown instructions
Software & HMI
- HMI-Texte (Siemens TIA, B&R, Rockwell)
- software strings and error messages
- interface and API documentation
Service & Wartung
- maintenance and service manuals
- spare parts catalogues and parts lists
- inspection and test reports
CE & Compliance
- CE declarations of conformity
- risk assessments
- certificates and test reports
Hygiene & Reinigung
- cleaning and hygiene regulations
- GMP, FDA and EHEDG documentation
- validation and qualification documentation
Schulung & Marketing
- training material
- data sheets and product brochures
- trade show communication and web content
Industries that we serve in packaging machine construction
Food & Beverages
The highest hygiene requirements according to the EHEDG, FDA and IFS. Translations must accurately convey cleaning processes, allergen-related notices and CIP/SIP procedures. Mistranslations can jeopardise audits.
Pharma & Medical Technology
GMP-compliant documentation for blister machines, serialisation equipment and track-and-trace systems. We are familiar with the requirements of EU GMP Annex 15 and FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and we translate IQ/OQ/PQ protocols in a manner that is ready for audits.
Cosmetics & Consumer Goods
Brand consistency across languages, fast time-to-market and SKU diversity. We coordinate terminology workflows for manufacturers with hundreds of product variants and short launch cycles.
Chemicals & Hazardous Substances
ATEX-certified equipment, GHS-compliant labelling and REACH documentation. Safety-relevant terms are terminologically maintained across language boundaries, machine generations and suppliers.
Why COMLOGOS for packaging machine documentation?
Familiar with packaging technology since 2007
COMLOGOS has been translating for German-speaking manufacturers of technical equipment since 2007, including renowned specialists in the pharmaceutical and packaging technology industries, such as Hinterkopf and Hüttlin. Over this time, we have built up a verified terminology database that is immediately available for every new project and remains consistent across machine generations, languages and suppliers.
Translation Memory & Terminology per Client
Every client gets their own maintained translation memory and a central terminology system. This reduces follow-up costs by 30–70%, speeds up translations and ensures consistency, even across machine generations, line variants and parallel suppliers.
Native specialised translators with a mechanical engineering background
Our translators are native speakers of the target language and have technical training or several years of experience in mechanical engineering. If you request it, we can work with a translator and an independent subject-matter editor under the four-eyes principle, as recommended by ISO 17100 for safety-relevant documentation, CE files, and regulatorily reviewed texts.
Standards assurance for regulated markets
We are familiar with the requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230, ATEX 2014/34/EU, EHEDG, GMP, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and the GPSR. Our workflows are certified to ISO 9001:2015 (quality management), ISO 17100 (translation services) and ISO 18587 (post-editing of machine translations). This gives your compliance and audit officers confidence, even for MTPE projects.
AI translation with post-editing - economical and audit-proof
Packaging machinery manufacturers are under pressure in terms of time and costs: documentation volumes are growing, production lines are being rolled out faster and more target languages are being added. AI-assisted translation combined with professional post-editing (MTPE) offers a cost-effective solution without compromising on safety and compliance. COMLOGOS works to ISO 18587, the international standard for post-editing machine translations.
Reach your global line faster
Bis zu 50% of the time spent on large, highly repetitive documents such as service manuals, spare parts catalogues or multilingual training material.
Cost-effective for high volumes
Significantly reduced costs while maintaining quality, ideal for manufacturers with extensive technical documentation, frequent updates and many target languages.
Reviewed and standard-compliant
Every AI-assisted translation is post-edited by experienced specialist translators and checked for terminology and compliance with ISO 18587 standards.
When is AI translation suitable – and when is it not? AI translation with post-editing is ideal for large, repetitive documents. For safety-critical content (CE files, risk assessments, pharmaceutical GMP), we continue to recommend classic specialist translation with the dual control principle in accordance with ISO 17100. We advise you individually on which workflow suits which document type.
Related expertise from COMLOGOS
Mechanical Engineering
Design documentation, operating manuals, maintenance documentation – specialised translation for German mechanical engineering in all target languages.
Learn more
Plant Engineering
Multi-part document packages, many interfaces, multi-supplier terminology – terminology management is the biggest lever here.
Learn more
Electrical Engineering & Digital Industry
From component data sheets to Industry 4.0 solutions – specialised translation across the ZVEI world.
Learn moreLanguages, formats and tools
Packaging machines are used all over the world – with all the linguistic and technical consequences for documentation. We deliver translations in over 40 languages, from German and English to Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Czech, Turkish, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. When it comes to file formats, we work directly in your source environment – without conversion losses and with full layout fidelity.
| Format | What we use them for |
|---|---|
| Word, Excel, PowerPoint | Operating instructions, training material, data sheets: with full preservation of layout and formulas |
| InDesign / IDML | High-quality service manuals and marketing brochures: layout check included |
| FrameMaker / MIF | Structured technical documentation: variables and cross-references remain intact |
| XML / DITA / CCMS | Modular documentation from your content management system (Schema ST4, COSIMA, TIM-RS) ideal for machine families |
| HMI and software strings (CSV, JSON, XLIFF) | Operator text for Siemens TIA, B&R and Rockwell with character limit checks and pseudo-translation |
| PDF (reference) | Legacy content that can be used as a reference for terminology and consistency |
What customers say about COMLOGOS
Process Insights
'Thanks to COMLOGOS's precise and reliable translations, our manuals now speak the right language worldwide. A real asset for our international presence!'
ek robotics
'For the translation of technical specialist texts, COMLOGOS has been our reliable partner for years. Working with COMLOGOS is always straightforward and fast, whatever the language, and the quality of the translation is always the highest.'
FAQs on packaging machines
The costs depend on several factors: Language pair, scope of the documentation, complexity of the content (e.g. HMI texts, safety instructions, circuit diagrams) and the reuse rate from existing translation memories. In follow-up projects, costs are often significantly reduced as identical and similar segments from previous translations are automatically recognized – often between 30% and 70%. In addition, there may be surcharges for rush jobs, DTP work (e.g. InDesign layouts) or terminology maintenance. We will be happy to provide you with a non-binding quote based on your original files.
HMI translations are a discipline in their own right: terms must not only be technically correct, but also fit within specified character or pixel limits. We work with specialized tools such as SDL Trados Studio with character limit checking, carry out pseudo-translations to identify layout problems at an early stage and coordinate critical terms (e.g. error messages, control buttons) in a terminology database. If necessary, we test the final translations directly on the display or in the simulator – so that no “emergency shutdown” button runs over two lines in Spanish. This close integration between language, software and hardware is standard in our packaging machine projects.
Packaging machines are subject to a complex network of standards. The central requirements are
- Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 – replaces the old Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC from January 2027; regulates CE marking and requirements for operating instructions
- ISO 12100 – Safety of machinery, general principles for design and risk assessment
- ISO 21067 – Terminology standard for packaging technology (binding terminology)
- EHEDG guidelines – hygienic design and cleaning for food packaging machines
- GMP guidelines (EU GMP Annex 15) – Qualification and validation requirements for pharmaceutical packaging
- DIN EN 415 series – specific safety standards for packaging machines of various types
Depending on the application, ATEX (explosion protection), GS marking and, for pharmaceutical machines, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (digital records) also apply. We know the specific requirements from over 20 years of project work with packaging machine manufacturers.
According to the new EU Machinery Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, the operating instructions must be available in the official language(s) of the EU Member State in which the machine is placed on the market or put into service. If a packaging machine is sold in Germany, France, Poland and Spain, for example, translations into German, French, Polish and Spanish are mandatory. The EU Declaration of Conformity must also be supplied in all official languages of the target countries. Outside the EU, country-specific requirements apply – such as English (USA, FDA-compliant), simplified Chinese (China, UK standards) or Russian (EAEU area). We will be happy to advise you on the right language strategy for your export markets.
Your packaging machinery project is in good hands
Send us one or two sample files from your current project, such as an operating manual, HMI strings oder eine CE/GMP documentation. We will recommend the best approach and suitable language strategy for your export markets, and prepare a clear, non-binding quote including a plan for reuse across machine generations and line variants.
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