In conventional ram-driven presses, the downward stroke of the ram into a tool causes acceleration of the tool, thereby facilitating an operation on a workpiece (16) by the tip (32) of the tool. While the ram stroke is found to impart sufficient dynamic energy to the tool to facilitate the necessitated operation by the tool tip, there are other more efficient, and in turn, more effective, means and methods of actuating the tool tip, with such means and methods being facilitated from energy derived from the tool's acceleration or from energy from other external sources.