Robert Mavros (asker) Oct 5, 2010:

thanks for your help :)

Gene Selkov Oct 5, 2010:

untreated? Take a read here: http://www.cometal.de/lagerlisten/datenblaetter_gerostal_en....

if this text does not explain "sin plaquear", it at least shows what the rods may be used for -- a pulling test (a.k.a. tensile strength test).

Even if it does perchance mean "untreated", then the parentheses are in the wrong place, nevermind the wrong grammar. I'm stymied.

Robert Mavros (asker) Oct 5, 2010:

hmm, I can't thing of anything else with the same root. I agree it has to be a verb. I'll ask the client. I was thinking that maybe it was an unplated sample. Of course as you say it could have nothing to do with it as my knowledge in this field is limited.

Gene Selkov Oct 5, 2010:

Yes, I understand, but I am at a loss trying to grasp the meaning of it. Can it still be used in some figurative sense, or can it refer to some other word with the same root that is not "plating"?

If find it extremely unlikely that they are talking about plating; if they did, "sin plaquear" would be gramattically inappropriate: it must refer to a verb, not to a noun -- don't you think?

Yes, these "probetas" are test samples; I bet if you read on (or around) you'll find a description of how they are used. (Maybe in the next document?)

Robert Mavros (asker) Oct 5, 2010:

test Pecime=test specimen (my fingers are in knots)

Robert Mavros (asker) Oct 5, 2010:

lol, I forgot to say thet this isn't a slang word in Spain Spanish. Seems like I'm implying Spain's Spanish is serious Spanish.

Robert Mavros (asker) Oct 5, 2010:

Hi Gene it isn't slang.
They are Spanish from Spain and Procedures and Operations carried out in a laboratory, so as you say they are very academic, they are documents by laboratory staff only. Before posting the question I thought it could be something to do with plating as Karen says but I don't know. BTW in this context probeta is test Pecimen/sample and not test tube, right?

Thanks for your time :)

Gene Selkov Oct 5, 2010:

does it look like slang? Robert,

Do you have other non-standard-looking expressions in this text? I mean the general style: is it academic style, or teenager-in-the-street style? What I <em>undrestand</em> it needs to say here is that the material of the samples (they appear to be reference samples) is the 7075 alloy. But because it is written in Spain (I suppose), the UNE designation comes first. These are alterative designations of the same material (they are not equivalents -- they are identical).

If you think about it for a moment, will it sound to you like "L-3710 (or, plainly speaking, 7075)"?