The verdict in three sentences
For a machinery manufacturer translating 3,000 pages a year into 8 languages, an AI translation pipeline with a glossary and human review costs between €0.05 and €0.09 per word all-in, against €0.12 to €0.20 for traditional human translation. The integration project ranges from €12,000 to €30,000 excl. VAT and pays back in 4 to 8 months on a volume of 2.7 million translated words a year. The non-negotiable condition: a review by a technical translator on safety instructions, because the Machinery Directive and the upcoming Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 hold the manufacturer liable for every translation.
What each language costs in 2026
A technical manual page averages 300 words. 3,000 pages therefore represent 900,000 source words, i.e. 900,000 words per target language. With 30 to 40% repetitions captured by the translation memory, the actual billable volume falls to around 600,000 words per language.
| Target language | Human (€/word) | Annual human cost | AI + review (€/word) | Annual AI cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 0.12 | €72,000 | 0.05 | €30,000 |
| German | 0.16 | €96,000 | 0.07 | €42,000 |
| Spanish | 0.12 | €72,000 | 0.05 | €30,000 |
| Italian | 0.13 | €78,000 | 0.05 | €30,000 |
| Polish | 0.15 | €90,000 | 0.07 | €42,000 |
| Simplified Chinese | 0.18 | €108,000 | 0.09 | €54,000 |
| Japanese | 0.20 | €120,000 | 0.09 | €54,000 |
| Arabic | 0.17 | €102,000 | 0.08 | €48,000 |
These amounts are 2026 orders of magnitude observed with technical translation agencies in western France. The AI cost includes the engine (€0.02 to €0.05 per word once the subscription and setup are amortised) and human post-editing, which is shorter than a full translation. Across 8 languages, the bill drops from about €738,000 to €330,000 a year before project amortisation. The real gain depends on the repetition rate and the quality of the source text.
What an integration project includes
The cost is not limited to a machine translation subscription. The project connects the AI to your authoring tool (DITA, structured Word, technical content CMS) and guarantees terminology consistency.
| Component | Role | 2026 range excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Content and source format audit | Measure repetitions, structure, priority languages | €2,000 to €4,000 |
| Validated multilingual glossary | 1,500 to 3,000 locked business terms per language | €3,000 to €8,000 |
| Consolidated translation memory | Reuse existing validated translations | €1,500 to €4,000 |
| AI engine and authoring tool connector | Automatic send, return and versioning | €3,000 to €9,000 |
| Review workflow and traceability | Who reviewed what, when, on which version | €2,000 to €5,000 |
| Training and 2-language pilot | Calibrating quality thresholds | €500 to €2,000 |
| Total | €12,000 to €30,000 |
The delivery time for a 150-page manual typically drops from 4 weeks to 5 working days, because post-editing moves three to four times faster than translating from scratch.
Quality control and the Machinery Directive
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Directive 2006/42/EC requires the manual to be supplied in the official language of the country of use, with the translation marked as a translation of the original instructions. Regulation (EU) 2023/1230, applicable from 20 January 2027, keeps this requirement and allows digital instructions. In practice, AI changes nothing about your liability: a badly translated safety instruction remains a defect of the machine.
Our recommendation: three review levels based on risk. Safety warnings, lockout procedures and setting ranges get a full review by a native technical translator. Functional descriptions get sample-based review (20%). Spare parts catalogues get an automated consistency check against the glossary. A quality score (MQM type) is kept per language and per delivery, which gives you evidence during a notified body audit.
Mini case study
Hélène, documentation manager at a packaging line manufacturer near Nantes, translates 3,000 pages a year into 8 languages. Her agency bill was €720,000. After a €24,000 integration project and a €9,000 yearly engine subscription, her annual cost falls to €340,000 including post-editing. First-year saving: 720,000 - 340,000 - 24,000 - 9,000 = €347,000. The project pays back in under a month of volume. Her average time to market for an export machine shrinks by 3 weeks.
FAQ
Is AI translation accepted by a notified body? Yes, the body checks the result and traceability, not the tool. Keep, for each language, the reviewer's name, the source version and the quality score, i.e. one log line per delivery.
What minimum volume makes the project profitable? Below 300,000 words a year across all languages, a simple machine translation subscription with a glossary (about €3,000 to €6,000 a year) is enough. Above that, an integration starting at €12,000 pays back in under a year.
Are Asian languages reliable? They need more post-editing: count €0.08 to €0.09 per word against €0.05 for English. The glossary matters even more, since Japanese and Chinese technical terms vary widely between industries.
Are our drawings and diagrams translated? Captions embedded in SVG files or text layers are, raster images are not. Plan 10 to 15% of extra budget for graphic rework in year one.
Do our confidential documents go to a US vendor? Not necessarily. Engines hosted in Europe or deployed on your own cloud exist, at a 15 to 30% premium on the subscription.
Let's scope your project. Send us a sample manual and your language list: we price the integration (€12,000 to €30,000 excl. VAT) and the per-language cost, with a pilot delivered in 6 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
