Abstract: A method for improving mechanical properties of a magnetically activatable material for reducing ripples in the magnetically activatable material. The method includes conveying the magnetically activatable material using at least one conveying device through a processing region, and applying a force on the magnetically activatable material in the processing region to deform the magnetically activatable material. The force is contactlessly applied by a plurality of magnet groups that form a plurality of magnetic fields, and which are arranged in a material flow direction side by side or one behind another. The plurality of magnetic fields are applied in or opposite to the material flow direction, and travel along one of the plurality of magnet groups or between two of the plurality of magnet groups.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for improving mechanical properties of a magnetically activatable material (14) includes at least one conveying device (1, 1a; 5, 5a; 9, 9a; 13, 13a) to convey the material (14) through a processing region. In the processing region, the material is deformed as a result of the application of a force. Since the force is contactlessly applied in the processing region by at least one magnetic field (A, B) and/or by at least one ultrasonic device (8a), a levelling process or material finishing process for metal bands and metal sheets is provided, which meets the requirements of all mutually-linked processing operations positioned upstream and downstream.