Method for driving an apparatus for notching, wherein the apparatus comprises - a frame with a stand and a headpiece ; - a plunger coupled to the headpiece and movable along a punching axis oriented along a y axis; and - an electrical direct drive for driving the plunger , wherein the direct drive comprises an electric machine, a drive shaft drivable by the electric machine and carrying an eccentric and a connecting rod coupled to the eccentric and coupleable to the plunger , wherein the drive shaft is rigidly connected to a rotor of the electric machine, and wherein the eccentric is coupled to the connecting rod via a bearing for the connecting rod , and wherein the method comprises the step of: rotating the drive shaft of the direct drive of the apparatus to effect linear motion of the plunger , characterized in that the step of rotating comprises, for realizing a pendular operation of the plunger , a step of rotating forward the drive shaft and a step of rotating backward the drive shaft , wherein when rotating forward and when rotating backward, a punching stroke for punching a notch each is performed, - wherein in the step of rotating forward the drive shaft is rotated about a first portion of a full revolution in a first rotational direction, to move the plunger from a top reversal point via a lowest reversal point back to the top reversal point, and - wherein in the step of rotating backward the drive shaft is rotated about the first portion in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction to move the plunger from the top reversal point via the lowest reversal point back to the top reversal point; wherein in the step of rotating, following completion of a punching process, the drive shaft is rotated to a predetermined rest position starting from a current position, to move the plunger to a topmost reversal point, which effects an upstroke of the plunger , to enable the workpiece to be supplied or removed. - a frame with a stand and a headpiece ; - a plunger coupled to the headpiece and movable along a punching axis oriented along a y axis; and - an electrical direct drive for driving the plunger , wherein the direct drive comprises an electric machine, a drive shaft drivable by the electric machine and carrying an eccentric and a connecting rod coupled to the eccentric and coupleable to the plunger , wherein the drive shaft is rigidly connected to a rotor of the electric machine, and wherein the eccentric is coupled to the connecting rod via a bearing for the connecting rod , and wherein the method comprises the step of: rotating the drive shaft of the direct drive of the apparatus to effect linear motion of the plunger , characterized in that the step of rotating comprises, for realizing a pendular operation of the plunger , a step of rotating forward the drive shaft and a step of rotating backward the drive shaft , wherein when rotating forward and when rotating backward, a punching stroke for punching a notch each is performed, rotating the drive shaft of the direct drive of the apparatus to effect linear motion of the plunger , characterized in that the step of rotating comprises, for realizing a pendular operation of the plunger , a step of rotating forward the drive shaft and a step of rotating backward the drive shaft , wherein when rotating forward and when rotating backward, a punching stroke for punching a notch each is performed, - wherein in the step of rotating forward the drive shaft is rotated about a first portion of a full revolution in a first rotational direction, to move the plunger from a top reversal point via a lowest reversal point back to the top reversal point, and - wherein in the step of rotating backward the drive shaft is rotated about the first portion in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction to move the plunger from the top reversal point via the lowest reversal point back to the top reversal point; <EOS>