KEYENCE has launched the CS/SP Series, a three-component pneumatic control platform that replaces traditional end-of-stroke magnetic switches with continuous piston position monitoring across the full cylinder stroke.
The platform ships as three integrated products: the CS-L Linear Cylinder Sensor, the SP-C Smart Cushion Valve, and the SP-N/V Smart Valve Manifold. The CS-L mounts from the top without removing the cylinder from the machine and uses a full-length LED indicator to show piston position in real time, rather than detecting only the stroke endpoints. A 2-Point Teach function lets operators configure output set points at any position along the stroke by pressing a button, replacing the manual alignment adjustments required by conventional cylinder sensors.
What's new here is how the position data feeds directly into valve control. The SP-C Smart Cushion Valve reads piston location from the CS-L and automatically switches between two internal flow paths: a high-speed path for most of the stroke, then a deceleration path just before impact. That sequence absorbs shock through air cushioning rather than mechanical hardware, eliminating the wear and replacement cycle associated with traditional shock absorbers. The SP-C also includes Automatic Stroke Control (ASC), which adjusts deceleration timing to compensate for changes in air pressure, seal wear, load, and temperature, keeping stroke times consistent as conditions change. Setup runs four steps on the valve's onboard display and requires no external software or licensing.
The SP-N/V Smart Valve Manifold handles wiring and network integration. Each valve unit carries a dedicated M8 quick-disconnect connector for direct attachment to cylinder sensors, removing the need for external I/O blocks and reducing PLC programming overhead. The manifold communicates over EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, IO-Link, MC Protocol/SLMP, and Modbus/TCP. A built-in web server and control panel support remote monitoring of cylinder strokes, impact levels, and stroke timing, along with predictive maintenance alerts keyed to configurable stroke-count thresholds for valves and cylinders.
The CS/SP Series follows broader movement in industrial automation toward pneumatic systems that report their own condition, a capability that previously required separate sensor hardware, external I/O modules, and custom integration work. Valve units can be added or removed from the manifold at any time without changing the base configuration. KEYENCE provides a guided online selection tool that supports batch CAD file downloads and configuration drawings for specified model combinations.
