Does PLC need pulses to control cylinder action? Is it ok to use normally closed and normally open controls?

No, it depends on whether the solenoid valve you use to control the cylinder is single-headed or double-headed. If it is a single head, the cylinder will be in a state after refueling. After you power on, the cylinder will move, exit or retract, and your voltage will remain unchanged, which means that your PLC will always output, and the cylinder will always remain in this state.

If a double-headed solenoid valve is used, as long as the PLC produces the output of 100 ms, the cylinder can be changed from one state to another. In this case, a PLC with two outputs is needed. However, from the PLC technology, it is still possible to use a single head. After all, the double-headed relay control system is usually used because it can reduce the interlocking logic.