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07:57 Sep 29, 2010
English to English translations [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general)
English term or phrase:neck off
Context:
"Snorkels must be set close to the product. If they are set too high, the snorkel vacuum will neck off on the bag before achieving a good vacuum package."
This is part of the vacuum packaging machine manual.
I guess that 'neck off' refers to the escaping of the vacuum through the "neck" between the snorkels and the opening of the bag, if the snorkels are positions too high, but I couldn't find any usage of 'to neck off' in this meaning in the Net.
Explanation: If you imagine the air being sucked out of the bag around a product, if the nozzle is set too far up the bag, it will simply pull the bag shut as soon as it has emptied some air in front of itself.
The nozzle needs to be pushed in close to the product, then all the air immediately around the product is sucked out first, before the sides of the bag fall together to create a narrow "neck", which will close, leaving air around the product.
I admit to knowing nothing about these machines, but I have a good general grasp of how things work (people come up to me in shops and ask me to explain things!) =)
There may well be a better technical way of expressing this, but I'm pretty sure this is what it means. Hope it helps.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2010-09-29 12:26:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Oops! My second sentence reads badly. Please read "before the sides of the bag..." as "otherwise the sides of the bag will..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 8 hrs (2010-09-29 16:45:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
My suggestion was by way of explanation. "Necking off" is an accepted term for the narrowing of an inlet, extrusion, etc., before separation, like when a cell divides into two. An example sentence from an academic paper: "This sidewall deposition resulted in the feature necking off before it could completely fill." Also: "...sequence of narrowing and necking off of brine pockets with decreasing temperature." (link below)
I asked also the manufactory workers/engineers and this is the answer I got: 'When the snorkels are too far away from the product the vacuum cycle will pull the bag against the slits in the snorkel preventing all the air from being removed. This is called "necking off"'
It turned out that the snorkels have slits for suction on their tips and necking off means the bag film closing these slits. 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Seems to be used in a wide variety of contexts, some of which are more technical that others! But I've been wondering why nobody else has come in on this one - do they all know something we don't? =)
Your idea is good, but I am just wondering why nobody else here has presented any explanation. I also wonder, if English natives in general could catch the idea behind this 'neck off'. It may be jargon of packaging machine business or even of just this one factory.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
4 hrs confidence: peer agreement (net): +1
close the bag
Explanation: If you imagine the air being sucked out of the bag around a product, if the nozzle is set too far up the bag, it will simply pull the bag shut as soon as it has emptied some air in front of itself.
The nozzle needs to be pushed in close to the product, then all the air immediately around the product is sucked out first, before the sides of the bag fall together to create a narrow "neck", which will close, leaving air around the product.
I admit to knowing nothing about these machines, but I have a good general grasp of how things work (people come up to me in shops and ask me to explain things!) =)
There may well be a better technical way of expressing this, but I'm pretty sure this is what it means. Hope it helps.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2010-09-29 12:26:27 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Oops! My second sentence reads badly. Please read "before the sides of the bag..." as "otherwise the sides of the bag will..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 8 hrs (2010-09-29 16:45:21 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
My suggestion was by way of explanation. "Necking off" is an accepted term for the narrowing of an inlet, extrusion, etc., before separation, like when a cell divides into two. An example sentence from an academic paper: "This sidewall deposition resulted in the feature necking off before it could completely fill." Also: "...sequence of narrowing and necking off of brine pockets with decreasing temperature." (link below)
Wordeffect France Local time: 03:03 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
I asked also the manufactory workers/engineers and this is the answer I got: 'When the snorkels are too far away from the product the vacuum cycle will pull the bag against the slits in the snorkel preventing all the air from being removed. This is called "necking off"'
It turned out that the snorkels have slits for suction on their tips and necking off means the bag film closing these slits.
The translation workplace 
peer agreement (net): +1
