Bridging the skills gap with Digital Twin and Tokn

HELLER trains future technicians with its award-winning mini-CNC machine tool, Tokn. This helps to solve the skills gap in the machining market.

To address the urgent need for skilled CNC technicians, machine tool manufacturer HELLER developed Tokn, a unique, award-winning high-performance training tool. Together with our control technology and the Digital Twin we offer a seamless and effective experience for technical education.

The world is increasingly dependent on complex components. Everything from drones to bicycle frames, from medical implants to airplanes, relies on the precision engineering of parts produced by computer numerical control (CNC) machines. The global CNC market is expected to grow from $100 billion in 2025 to reach $195 billion by 2032.

The lack of skilled CNC technicians, however, is alarming. More than 60% of companies report difficulty filling vacancies due to lack of qualified workers. This gap is not only slowing down production, but also impacting innovation. To counter this trend, German machine tool manufacturer HELLER developed Tokn, a one-of-a-kind training solution. We, in turn, provided Run MyVirtual Machine, the Digital Twin of the Sinumerik One CNC controller.

Made by apprentices, for apprentices

Tokn is designed, produced, and commissioned by HELLER’s own apprentices explicitly for training and education. “Tokn is a game changer for manufacturing education. The miniature version of a real 5-axis CNC machine, combined with professional training and the digital twin, is pushing training to the next level. This approach is not only addressing the lack of skilled workers, it’s offering motivation for the young generation and is an accelerator for further education and mastery programs,” says Melanie Luz, Global Training Coordinator.

“We created Tokn to give young people the opportunity to be able to experience and actively shape the world of machine tools,” explains Achim Hammley from HELLER Training. “In the CNC course, each of our apprentices learns how to use the machine to manufacture workpieces.”

Equipped with a Sinumerik One controller, Tokn offers the same functionality of its larger, CNC-controlled 5-axis machining counterpart. And because it is a stand-alone unit, apprentices can practice creating complex components for all industries without interrupting real-world operations.

A person is standing in front of a large window, looking out at a snowy landscape.

Tokn is a game changer for manufacturing education. The miniature version of a real 5-axis CNC machine, combined with professional training and the digital twin, is pushing training to the next level.

Melanie Luz, Global Training Coordinator, HELLER

Digital Twin expedites learning

It is the combination of the Sinumerik One controller, and the Digital Twin solution Run MyVirtual Machine that unlocks the true training potential of Tokn. It allows instructors and students to design CNC programs and test them using a 3D simulation model of an actual HELLER machine tool. “This detailed simulation lets trainees modify and improve NC (numerical control) programs without the risk of damaging any real – and very expensive – equipment. As students practice the steps of machining, they can view the outcomes in the digital model, just as if they were working with the physical machine,” says Simon Schmidt, Siemens’ Global Key Account Manager for HELLER. If everything appears to be in order, trainees can then machine the real parts. This ideal blend of the real and the digital is yet another reason why the solution is so effective. So it’s not surprising that Tokn won the German Design Award 2025 for “Excellent Product Design”.

This tool lets trainees improve NC programs without the risk of damaging any real and very expensive equipment. The students can view the outcomes in the digital model, just as if they were working with the physical machine.

Simon Schmidt, Key Account Manager, Siemens AG

Opening up new avenues in technical training

Complex problems require sophisticated solutions. A flexible, powerful, compact and well-designed tool like Tokn opens up possibilities for developing talent in the technical field. It is precisely this type of innovation that is needed to adapt to new technologies more quickly and efficiently and ensure that manufacturers – large and small – remain relevant in the ever-evolving landscape of the 21st century.

May 2025