Rosanna Palermo (asker) Aug 7, 2009:

Hi Phil..to answer your question..I don't know.
the dilemma is that prendere in carico usually means to take charge of something in a business enviromnent, while presa di carica is usually the socket for the electrical supply. Inm y experience "accendere" is start-up but again if I knew for sure...who am I to say. Being that this is a lathe-broach combo used to make crankshafts, I'm sure there's some kind of shaft-stock loading device on it, possibly automatic, but frankly I just cannot figure it out. Now I'm even contemplating the possibility that it may be a clamping device to hold the stock in place while it's being machined. Right now I'm still spinning. Hopefully our peers will validate Vincenzo's answer or propose viable alternatives. Thanks for the clue!! :o)

philgoddard Aug 6, 2009:

This is way outside of my subject areas, so if it's a stupid question just ignore it, but doesn't prendere in carico mean start up? If so, does it matter, for the puirposes of your translation, what is being started?