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C1  ·  40 words

Mechanical engineering and production in French

Turning, milling, tolerance, fit — the language of the drawing and of the shop floor.

Practise this list

From these 40 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

Late on this list stand le rodage and roder, and their root explains what the operation actually is. French took the verb straight out of Latin rodere, to gnaw, and English keeps three of its descendants in ordinary use: a « rodent » is a gnawer, something that « corrodes » gnaws away at metal, and a river that « erodes » a bank gnaws it out from underneath. Running an engine in is that same idea put to work on purpose — two surfaces are allowed to gnaw each other smooth under light load before anybody asks them to carry a full one. Hence le rodage dure les cent premières heures, and hence the figurative use, where a new team or a new show is en rodage, still wearing its rough spots down. One warning about the spelling, because the two words are neighbours on the page and strangers in the dictionary. Rôder, with the circumflex, comes from Latin rotare, to turn, and means to prowl: un homme rôdait devant l’atelier. That accent is the whole difference between running an engine in and loitering outside.

The words

Verb (4)

usinerto machineVerbC1
On usine la pièce dans la masse.The part is machined from solid.

Conjugation of usiner →

ébavurerto deburrVerbC1
Chaque pièce est ébavurée à la main.Every part is deburred by hand.
assemblerto assembleVerbC1
On assemble le sous-ensemble avant la peinture.The sub-assembly is put together before painting.
roderto run inVerbC1
Il faut roder le moteur avant de le charger.The engine has to be run in before it is loaded.

Noun (m) (23)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

l’usinagethe machiningNoun (m)C1
L’usinage se fait en trois passes.The machining is done in three passes.
le tournagethe turningNoun (m)C1
Le tournage donne des pièces de révolution.Turning gives you parts that are round about an axis.
le fraisagethe millingNoun (m)C1
Le fraisage laisse des traces régulières.Milling leaves regular marks behind.
le perçagethe drillingNoun (m)C1
Le perçage est repris à l’alésoir.The drilled hole is finished with a reamer.
l’alésagethe boring (to size)Noun (m)C1
L’alésage atteint le centième.The boring holds to a hundredth of a millimetre.
le copeauthe chip (of metal)Noun (m)C1
Le copeau bleuit quand la vitesse est trop élevée.The chip turns blue when the speed is too high.
l’outil de coupethe cutting toolNoun (m)C1
L’outil de coupe s’use plus vite sur l’inox.The cutting tool wears faster on stainless steel.
le porte-outilthe tool holderNoun (m)C1
Le porte-outil est serré au couple.The tool holder is tightened to torque.
le mandrinthe chuckNoun (m)C1
Le mandrin serre la pièce sur trois mors.The chuck grips the workpiece in three jaws.
l’étauthe viceNoun (m)C1
La pièce est bloquée dans l’étau.The workpiece is clamped in the vice.
l’ajustementthe fitNoun (m)C1
L’ajustement est serré, pas glissant.The fit is a press fit, not a sliding one.
le jeu fonctionnelthe working clearanceNoun (m)C1
Le jeu fonctionnel disparaît à chaud.The working clearance goes away once everything is hot.
l’état de surfacethe surface finishNoun (m)C1
L’état de surface est indiqué par un symbole.The surface finish is given by a symbol.
le plan cotéthe dimensioned drawingNoun (m)C1
Le plan coté prime sur le modèle.The dimensioned drawing takes precedence over the model.
le recuitthe annealingNoun (m)C1
Le recuit enlève les tensions internes.Annealing takes the internal stresses out.
le traitement thermiquethe heat treatmentNoun (m)C1
Le traitement thermique se fait après usinage.The heat treatment comes after the machining.
le moulagethe casting (as a process)Noun (m)C1
Le moulage laisse une ligne de joint.Casting leaves a joint line behind.
l’emboutissagethe deep drawingNoun (m)C1
L’emboutissage forme la tôle à froid.Deep drawing forms the sheet metal cold.
le pliagethe bending (of sheet metal)Noun (m)C1
Le pliage suit un rayon minimal.Bending keeps to a minimum radius.
le prototypethe prototypeNoun (m)C1
Le prototype révèle ce que le plan cache.The prototype shows up what the drawing hides.
le poste de travailthe workstationNoun (m)C1
Le poste de travail est réglé à la taille de l’opérateur.The workstation is set to the height of the operator.
le temps de cyclethe cycle timeNoun (m)C1
Le temps de cycle est de quarante secondes.The cycle time is forty seconds.
le rodagethe running-inNoun (m)C1
Le rodage dure les cent premières heures.The running-in lasts the first hundred hours.

Noun (f) (13)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

la plaquettethe indexable insertNoun (f)C1
La plaquette se tourne au lieu d’être affûtée.The insert is turned round instead of being reground.
la tolérancethe toleranceNoun (f)C1
La tolérance est de deux centièmes.The tolerance is two hundredths of a millimetre.
la rugositéthe roughnessNoun (f)C1
La rugosité se mesure au palpeur.Roughness is measured with a stylus.
la cote nominalethe nominal dimensionNoun (f)C1
La cote nominale est de quarante millimètres.The nominal dimension is forty millimetres.
la trempethe quench hardeningNoun (f)C1
La trempe rend la pièce dure et cassante.Quench hardening leaves the part hard and brittle.
la fonderiethe foundryNoun (f)C1
La fonderie livre des bruts.The foundry delivers rough castings.
la découpe laserthe laser cuttingNoun (f)C1
La découpe laser laisse un bord net.Laser cutting leaves a clean edge.
la présériethe pre-production runNoun (f)C1
La présérie compte trente pièces.The pre-production run comes to thirty pieces.
la gamme de fabricationthe process planNoun (f)C1
La gamme de fabrication donne l’ordre des opérations.The process plan sets the order of the operations.
la nomenclaturethe bill of materialsNoun (f)C1
La nomenclature compte cent douze références.The bill of materials runs to a hundred and twelve items.
la vitesse de coupethe cutting speedNoun (f)C1
La vitesse de coupe dépend de la matière.The cutting speed depends on the material.
l’avance par tourthe feed per revolutionNoun (f)C1
L’avance par tour décide de l’état de surface.The feed per revolution decides the finish.
la bavurethe burrNoun (f)C1
La bavure coupe si on ne l’enlève pas.The burr will cut you if it is not taken off.

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