Abstract: For lifting the topmost, spread apart, magnetizable individual lamination with a central hole off a lamination stack stored without a mandrel and/or for transporting at least substacks of the lamination stack to a different location, a centering mandrel is provided suspended from a movable lifting device and contains, in a nonmagnetic tubular body closed on both sides, at least one separately switchable spreading electromagnet, the centering mandrel carrying at the upper end, at least one switchable adhesion device arranged outside the tubular body, for grabbing the electromagnetically spread apart topmost individual lamination. The centering mandrel is lowered into the central hole of the lamination stack, and then at least one spreading electromagnet is switched on.For obtaining the topmost individual lamination, the adhesion device is switched off after the spreading electromagnet is switched off, and the individual lamination is taken from the centering mandrel.