A method of increasing a cast-off speed of an armature from a pole of an electromagnet of an electromagnetic actuator, includes the following steps: holding the armature at the pole against a force of a resetting device by maintaining an electric holding current flow through a coil of the electromagnet; and launching the armature from the pole by switching off the holding current; and at a predetermined moment during a release period of the armature from the pole, passing a cast-off current for a predetermined period through the coil. The cast-off current has a polarity opposite to the polarity of the holding current.