A method and apparatus are provided for manufacturing an element (1) of a magnetic chuck comprising pole parts (2) of soft magnetizable material and parts (3) of a nonmagnetizable material connected thereto. The method implies that the parts (3) of the non-magnetizable material are casted on to the pole parts (2) of soft magnetizable material. In case of the manufacture of a permanent magnetic chuck cavities (18) are saved between the pole parts (2) during casting. For this purpose the apparatus comprises a mould (10) having ribs (20) therein for forming said cavities (8), the ribs (20) also acting as spacer means for holding the pole parts (2) in a spaced apart relationship during casting. The resulting element (1) of a magnetic chuck has a strong and rigid structure and is less costly to produce than the prior art chucks.