Predictika · Pneumatic components: compact cylinders

An AI sales agent's cylinder order, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent puts together an order for an SMC Series CQ2 compact cylinder for a customer's machine: the bore and stroke, the mounting, any option or auto switch, and the pressure, speed, load and temperature the cylinder will run at. Before it goes out, the agent sends the order to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published SMC catalog and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.

Scope: SMC Series CQ2 compact cylinder (standard type, double acting, single rod): bore, stroke, mounting, options, auto switches and operating limits. See everything this validator covers

This validator models orders for one product line, the SMC Series CQ2 compact cylinder, using the tables in SMC's public CQ2 catalog, not just the scenarios shown below.

  • Bore and stroke — the offered bore sizes, the standard strokes for each bore, and which intermediate strokes can be made as a spacer type or with an exclusive body (-XB10).
  • Operating limits — pressure range, piston speed, ambient and fluid temperature (which depend on the options and auto switch ordered), and the allowable kinetic energy of the load, with and without the rubber bumper.
  • Mounting, options and auto switches — the bracket that goes with each mounting style, port types, made-to-order variants such as the heat-resistant -XB6, and the auto-switch models with their magnet and mounting rules.
  • Stated figures — the allowable kinetic energy and minimum operating pressure the agent states are compared with the catalog on every call.

Any order for this cylinder line that touches these rules is in scope — not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: prices (the public catalog has none, so this validator produces no price build-up), other SMC cylinder series, and application engineering such as cylinder sizing beyond the catalog limits, cycle time or air consumption.

The AI sales agentBuilds the cylinder order from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Illustrative agent statement. The validator receives the structured request below.

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      

        
        
        
      

      
Waiting for the call.

      
    

  

  
  

    
Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong
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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

    
What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Allowable kinetic energy that depends on bore and bumperOnly with care
Each bore has its own allowable energy, higher with the rubber bumper; the energy of the load is computed from the moving mass and the speed, so a rule needs a table and a formula kept in step with the catalog.		The moving mass and energy limit are looked up from the bore and the bumper, the energy of the load is computed and compared on every call.
Temperature limits that change with the optionsOnly with workarounds
The upper limit is 60 degrees C with an auto switch, 70 without, and 150 with the heat-resistant -XB6; the limit has to be derived from several choices together.		The limit is derived from the options and switch in the order, then checked against the temperature the customer runs at.
Strokes that are valid only for some boresOnly with care
Standard strokes differ by bore, and a spacer type or -XB10 body allows intermediate strokes only in some bores and ranges; that is a grid of lists to maintain.		Standard and intermediate strokes are checked against the bore, and an intermediate stroke is routed to a person when the catalog cannot settle it.
Stated figures that disagree with the catalogOnly with care
The allowable energy and minimum pressure the agent states are free-entry fields; a rule can compare them, but only if someone writes and maintains it for every bore.		The stated figures travel with the order and are compared with the computed ones on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the order is saved or a step is completed, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.		All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

  

  

    
What this validator catches: findings from its test cases
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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

    
1A bore size of 22 mm is not offered; the CQ2 comes in 12, 16, 20, 25, 32, 40, 50, 63, 80 and 100 mm.
2A stroke of 60 mm is not a standard stroke for this bore size; order a spacer type or an exclusive-body (-XB10) intermediate stroke, or choose a standard stroke.
3A stroke of 50 mm is not a standard stroke for this bore size; order a spacer type or an exclusive-body (-XB10) intermediate stroke, or choose a standard stroke.
4The catalog lists the mass of the moving parts for standard strokes only, so the kinetic energy of an intermediate stroke of 60 mm cannot be checked here; a person should confirm it.
5An intermediate stroke of 100 mm cannot be made with a spacer in this bore size; the spacer range is 1 to 29 mm (12 and 16 mm bores), 1 to 49 mm (20 and 25 mm) or 1 to 99 mm (32 to 100 mm).
6An intermediate stroke of 30 mm cannot be made with a spacer in this bore size; the spacer range is 1 to 29 mm (12 and 16 mm bores), 1 to 49 mm (20 and 25 mm) or 1 to 99 mm (32 to 100 mm).
7The catalog lists the mass of the moving parts for standard strokes only, so the kinetic energy of an intermediate stroke of 11 mm cannot be checked here; a person should confirm it.
8An intermediate stroke of 10 mm cannot be made with an exclusive body (-XB10) in this bore size; the range is 6 to 29 mm (12 and 16 mm bores), 6 to 49 mm (20 and 25 mm), 6 to 99 mm (32 and 40 mm) or 11 to 99 mm (50 to 100 mm).
9An operating pressure of 1001 kPa is above the 1000 kPa (1.0 MPa) maximum operating pressure.
10An operating pressure of 69 kPa is below the 70 kPa minimum operating pressure for this bore size and type.
11An ambient and fluid temperature of 71 degrees C is outside the -10 to 70 degrees C range for this configuration.
12An ambient and fluid temperature of 61 degrees C is outside the -10 to 60 degrees C range for this configuration.
13A piston speed of 501 mm/s is outside the 50 to 500 mm/s range for this configuration.
14A piston speed of 49 mm/s is outside the 50 to 500 mm/s range for this configuration.
15The moving mass and piston speed give a kinetic energy of 150.1 mJ at the stroke end; the allowable kinetic energy is 150 mJ.
16The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 260 mJ; the catalog gives 150 mJ for this bore size and bumper choice.
17The quote states a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa; the catalog gives 70 kPa for this bore size and type.
18The air-hydro type is available in bore sizes 20 to 100 mm; 16 mm is too small.
19The pneumatic type runs on air and the air-hydro type on turbine oil; the fluid given does not match the type.
20A piston speed of 51 mm/s is outside the 5 to 50 mm/s range for this configuration.
21An operating pressure of 90 kPa is below the 100 kPa minimum operating pressure for this bore size and type.
22The air-hydro type is excluded from intermediate-stroke manufacture; use a standard stroke.
23The G port thread (TF) is not available on the air-hydro type.
24NPT (TN) and G (TF) port threads are offered for bore sizes 32 to 100 mm only; the 25 mm bore has an M thread port.
25Built-in one-touch fittings are available in bore sizes 32 to 63 mm and not on the air-hydro type.
26An auto switch is mounted on a built-in magnet cylinder (CDQ2); the cylinder was ordered without the built-in magnet.
27The magnetic-field-resistant auto switch D-P4DW is available for bore sizes 40 to 100 mm only; the bore is 32 mm.
28For bore sizes 32 to 50 mm, a D-A9, D-M9, D-M9W or D-M9A auto switch mounted on a side other than the port side needs the auto switch mounting bracket ordered separately.
29The heat-resistant cylinder (-XB6, -10 to 150 degrees C) is made without an auto switch only.
30An ambient and fluid temperature of 151 degrees C is outside the -10 to 150 degrees C range for this configuration.

  

  

    
Scenarios and results
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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.

    
1. Load energy: Pusher cylinder whose load energy is above the limit

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm, foot-mounted. It runs on air at 600 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,500 g load at 480 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 150 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Kinetic energy above the allowable. The moving mass and piston speed give a kinetic energy of 186.0 mJ at the stroke end; the allowable kinetic energy is 150 mJ.
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2. Load energy: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm, foot-mounted, with rubber bumper. It runs on air at 600 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,500 g load at 480 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 290 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. CQ2 cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm: the mounting bracket is CQ-L032, 2 pieces per cylinder (mounting bolts are ordered separately).
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3. Hot cell: Cylinder with an auto switch in a 90 degrees C cell

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm, through-hole, with a M9BW auto switch (magnet built in). It runs on air at 600 kPa and 90 degrees C, moving a 500 g load at 300 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 150 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Temperature out of range. An ambient and fluid temperature of 90 degrees C is outside the -10 to 60 degrees C range for this configuration.
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4. Hot cell: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm, through-hole, with the -XB6 option. It runs on air at 600 kPa and 90 degrees C, moving a 500 g load at 300 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 150 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. CQ2 cylinder, bore 32 mm, stroke 50 mm: no mounting bracket is needed (mounting bolts are ordered separately).
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5. Stroke and pressure: Stroke of 57 mm and 1100 kPa on a through-hole cylinder

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 57 mm, through-hole. It runs on air at 1100 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,000 g load at 300 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 460 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Blocked.

    
    
      
  • Not a standard stroke. A stroke of 57 mm is not a standard stroke for this bore size; order a spacer type or an exclusive-body (-XB10) intermediate stroke, or choose a standard stroke.
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  • Pressure above the maximum. An operating pressure of 1100 kPa is above the 1000 kPa (1.0 MPa) maximum operating pressure.
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6. Stroke and pressure: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 57 mm, through-hole, made as a spacer type. It runs on air at 700 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,000 g load at 300 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 460 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Needs approval.

    
    
      
  • Kinetic energy not checkable on an intermediate stroke. The catalog lists the mass of the moving parts for standard strokes only, so the kinetic energy of an intermediate stroke of 57 mm cannot be checked here; a person should confirm it.
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  • Order summary. CQ2 cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 57 mm: no mounting bracket is needed (mounting bolts are ordered separately).
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7. Stroke and pressure: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

    
The agent's request. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 50 mm, through-hole. It runs on air at 700 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,000 g load at 300 mm/s. The quote states an allowable kinetic energy of 460 mJ and a minimum operating pressure of 50 kPa. It is ready to send.

    
Verdict: Allowed.

    
    
      
  • Order summary. CQ2 cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 50 mm: no mounting bracket is needed (mounting bolts are ordered separately).
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Narration transcript
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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

    
    
      
  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent puts together an order for an SMC Series CQ2 compact cylinder for a customer's machine: the bore and stroke, the mounting, any option or auto switch, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends the order to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the published SMC catalog and returns a verdict, every reason and the figures it computed.
    2. 
      
  2. I will start with the first request by the agent.
    3. 
      
  3. The agent says. Please order an SMC CQ2 compact cylinder, bore 50 mm, stroke 57 mm, through-hole. It runs on air at 1100 kPa and 25 degrees C, moving a 1,000 g load at 300 mm/s. The rest of the request is on screen.
    4. 
      
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
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  5. Blocked, with two findings, all in one answer. A stroke of 57 mm is not a standard stroke for this bore size; order a spacer type or an exclusive-body (-XB10) intermediate stroke, or choose a standard stroke. An operating pressure of 1100 kPa is above the 1000 kPa (1.0 MPa) maximum operating pressure.
    6. 
      
  6. The validator returned two blocking findings in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
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  7. What this shows: for strokes that are valid only for some bores, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
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  8. Now the agent resubmits.
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  9. The corrected request. It changes the pressure to 700 kPa. It sets the stroke made as to spacer type.
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  10. It calls the validator again.
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  11. Not blocked, but held for a person.
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  12. The two blocking findings are cleared; one approval remains for a person: kinetic energy not checkable on an intermediate stroke.
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  13. The agent resubmits once more.
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  14. The revised request. It changes the stroke to 50 mm. It removes the stroke made as.
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  15. It calls the validator once more.
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  16. This time the validator clears it.
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  17. The earlier finding is cleared.
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  18. Two problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer. Now you can try the other scenarios yourself.
    19.