An
electromagnet (1), particularly a proportional
magnet for operating a hydraulic valve, said
electromagnet (1) comprising at least one coil winding (3) carried by a hollow cylindrical coil spool (2) which is circumferentially surrounded by a hollow cylindrical
magnet housing (4) and limited at each end by a pole shoe (5, 6), said
electromagnet (1) further comprising an axially moveable cylindrical armature (8) which is arranged in a
hollow cylinder of the coil spool (2) that is configured as an armature space (7), the armature (8) being mounted for
low friction in rotary, longitudinally moveable axial guides, and electromagnetically produced axial movements of the armature (8) can be transmitted to a hydraulic valve
piston via a push rod (10) which is connected to the armature (8) to form an axial extension thereof. According to the invention, the rotary, longitudinally moveable axial guides of the armature (8) comprise at least one
bushing-less linear
ball bearing having a number of circumferentially spaced balls while being configured at the same time as an anti-stick means of the armature. The outer
peripheral surface (9) of the armature (8) and / or the outer
peripheral surface (11) of the push rod (10) is configured as an inner running track for the balls, and the inner
peripheral surface of one or more components which limit the armature space (7) of the coil spool (2) forms an outer running track for the balls.