Predictika · hydraulic cylinder sizing and quotes
An AI sales agent prepares a quote for industrial hydraulic cylinders for a fictional customer, with the order total it expects. Before the quote goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika’s validator, which checks pressure, bore, force, rod buckling, seals, speed, stroke, lead time and discount rules, compares the order total the agent states with the one it computes, and returns a verdict with every reason.
This validator checks a quote for industrial hydraulic cylinders in three Parker-style series: pressure rating and bore range, push force against the load, rod size and Euler buckling, seal compatibility with fluid and temperature, cushions, stroke, lead time and discounts. It handles any combination of series, bore, rod, mounting, seal and fluid, not just the scenarios shown below.
It does not cover other product lines, real prices or contracts, or any real customer.
8 scenarios in 4 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch
Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.
Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)
Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run
What this means
Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ or Revenue Cloud) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.
| What the validator catches | Typical rules-based CPQ | Predictika |
|---|---|---|
| Rod buckling under load | Only with workarounds The Euler buckling load depends on rod inertia, stroke and an end-condition factor set by the mounting and whether the load is guided. It is a formula, so a rules-based CPQ needs custom code. | The buckling load is derived on every call and compared with four times the load. |
| Seal, fluid and temperature matrix | Only with care Which seal works with which fluid, and over what temperature range, is a matrix that tends to need a validation rule for each combination. | Both checks run against the chosen seal in the same call and every failure is returned. |
| Force and rod sizing | Only with care Push force comes from bore area and pressure and must beat the load by a margin, which is a calculated field plus a validation rule. | Force, margin and the rod-to-bore ratio are derived and checked together. |
| Lead time with special seals | Only with care The lead time is a series figure plus an adder for special seals, compared with the wanted date. | The lead time is computed from the series and seal and compared with the request. |
| Discount authority and volume tiers | Only with workarounds An automatic volume discount, an extra discount that needs approval above one threshold and is blocked above another, all stack in one price. | The tiers are computed together and the approval and block thresholds come back with the verdict. |
| Approval steps | Only with care A person must review long strokes and discounts, and the release must stay blocked until they do. | Approval items come back with the verdict, and the release step is refused until the approval is recorded. |
| The order total the agent states | Only with workarounds Comparing a stated figure with a computed one needs its own rule per quote layout, and price rules rarely run on stated figures. | The stated order total is a field in the request and is checked against the computed figure. |
| Every problem returned in one answer | Only with workarounds Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved, so a rep fixes one error and meets the next. | All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in. |
Every rule is checked on every call, in whatever order the choices arrive, and one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.
| Rule | Effect | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | block | The system pressure must be within the series rating |
| 2 | block | The bore must be within the range the series offers |
| 3 | block | Push force (bore area times pressure) must be at least 1.25 times the load |
| 4 | block | The rod diameter must be at most 0.7 times the bore |
| 5 | block | Euler buckling: the rod buckling load, from rod inertia, stroke and the mounting end-condition factor (guided or unguided), must be at least 4 times the load |
| 6 | block | The seal material must be compatible with the fluid (nitrile, fluorocarbon or EPR against mineral oil, water glycol or phosphate ester) |
| 7 | block | The seal must cover the operating temperature range |
| 8 | block | Piston speed above 4 in/s needs at least one cushioned end |
| 9 | block, approval | Stroke is limited to 120 in; a stroke over 40 in without a stop tube needs specialist review |
| 10 | block | Lead time (series plus special-seal adder) must fit the wanted delivery date |
| 11 | block, approval | Quantities of 25 or more get an automatic 10 percent discount; extra discount above 5 percent needs approval and above 12 percent is blocked |
| 12 | computed | Cylinder price, mounting, seals, cushions and discount are computed from the line items |
| 13 | block | The order total the agent states must match the validator figure within $1 |
The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.
The agent's request. Quote for four Parker 2H heavy-duty cylinders, 4 in bore, 2 in rod, 24 in stroke, flange mount, nitrile seals. Order total $3,658.32. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Quote for four Parker 2H heavy-duty cylinders, 4 in bore, 2 in rod, 24 in stroke, flange mount, nitrile seals. Order total $4,064.80. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Quote for one Parker 2H cylinder, 4 in bore, 2 in rod, 20 in stroke, flange mount, nitrile seals, phosphate ester fluid, 0 to 200 F. Order total $981.00. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Quote for one Parker 2H cylinder, 4 in bore, 2 in rod, 20 in stroke, flange mount, fluorocarbon seals, phosphate ester fluid, 0 to 200 F. Order total $1,066.00. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Quote for one Parker 2H cylinder, 4 in bore, 1.75 in rod, 36 in stroke, flange mount, rod-end load not guided. Order total $1,121.80. Ready to send.
Verdict: Blocked.
The agent's request. Quote for one Parker 2H cylinder, 4 in bore, 1.75 in rod, 36 in stroke, flange mount, rod-end load guided and supported. Order total $1,121.80. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The agent's request. Quote for two Parker 2H cylinders, 5 in bore, 3 in rod, 48 in stroke, clevis mount, no stop tube. Order total $2,906.00. Ready to send.
Verdict: Needs approval.
The agent's request. Quote for two Parker 2H cylinders, 5 in bore, 3 in rod, 48 in stroke, clevis mount, with a stop tube. Order total $2,906.00. Ready to send.
Verdict: Allowed.
The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.