Multi-stable solenoids are novel energy-efficient actuators, which combine the continuous adjustability of proportional solenoids with the energy efficiency of polarised magnetic circuits. They can hold any armature position without power supply. Thus, they are well suited for an automation of pneumatic throttle check valves, in order to set the throttle cross-section and thus the cylinder piston velocity to a specific value and hold it for a certain time. This is useful in the context of industry 4.0 to produce on demand with customised piston velocities or to gradually compensate for the increasing frictional forces during cylinder lifetime. This paper deals with the application of novel multi-stable solenoids to actuate a throttle check valve for an adaptive meter-out control of pneumatic cylinder drives. Therefore, the design of a multi-stable solenoid for a given throttle valve is presented. The functionality of the combination is verified by measurements. The automated throttle is integrated in a simple pneumatic cylinder drive to investigate the adjustability of and disturbance influences to the piston velocity. On that basis, a feed forward and a closed loop control are presented for setting of specific piston velocities.