A method for mutually separating two workpiece parts of a plate-shaped material , in particular a metal sheet, - in which the two workpiece parts to be separated are placed on a workpiece support - in which one of the workpiece parts to be separated is provided as a removal part and the other workpiece part is provided as a residual part , - in which a gripping device is displaced into a working position with respect to the workpiece parts to be separated and in which said gripping device comprises one or more gripping plates having each one or more retention members which, when activated, retain the removal part or the residual part while the gripping device is in its working position, characterised in that - one or more pushing members are associated with said retention member(s) and are activated separately or jointly with the retention member(s) , and in that their action is oriented in a direction which opposes the retention force of the at least one retention member , a pushing member being integrated into one retention member or, in the case of a group consisting of a predetermined number of retention members forming a gripping field, at least one retention member is replaced by at least one pushing member , - the at least one retention member is activated once it has been positioned on the removal part or on the residual part and the removal part or the residual part is gripped and retained by the gripping device , and - the removal part or the residual part is separated from the respective other workpiece part by a relative movement between the at least one retention member and the pushing member(s) , while during the separation process one of the two workpiece parts continues to be retained by the at least one retention member , - the removal part or the residual part retained by the retention members is transferred to a storage hopper or to another processing station. - in which the two workpiece parts to be separated are placed on a workpiece support - in which one of the workpiece parts to be separated is provided as a removal part and the other workpiece part is provided as a residual part , - in which a gripping device is displaced into a working position with respect to the workpiece parts to be separated and in which said gripping device comprises one or more gripping plates having each one or more retention members which, when activated, retain the removal part or the residual part while the gripping device is in its working position, characterised in that - one or more pushing members are associated with said retention member(s) and are activated separately or jointly with the retention member(s) , and in that their action is oriented in a direction which opposes the retention force of the at least one retention member , a pushing member being integrated into one retention member or, in the case of a group consisting of a predetermined number of retention members forming a gripping field, at least one retention member is replaced by at least one pushing member , - the at least one retention member is activated once it has been positioned on the removal part or on the residual part and the removal part or the residual part is gripped and retained by the gripping device , and - the removal part or the residual part is separated from the respective other workpiece part by a relative movement between the at least one retention member and the pushing member(s) , while during the separation process one of the two workpiece parts continues to be retained by the at least one retention member , - the removal part or the residual part retained by the retention members is transferred to a storage hopper or to another processing station. <EOS>