About VSI
Precision Control Valve Engineering
At Valve Systems International (VSI), we specialize in precision severe service control valves engineered to overcome the toughest flow challenges. The single biggest issue in control valves is flow disruption, and no one understands this better than Mark Lobo. With over 30 years of experience engineering hundreds of valve solutions, Mark identified the critical gap between traditional control valve engineering and venturi tube technology. He sought to design a flow path that minimizes disruption, enhancing valve performance and longevity in severe service conditions.
The Birth of a Better Valve Design
Mark Lobo applied engineering analysis for 20 years to refine and grow a precision control valve product line, cementing his belief that flow disruptions were the root cause of control valve failures. Later, his time in the oilfield “choke” world proved that when fluid velocity isn’t properly controlled, valve components are subject to severe erosion and wear. In early oil patch days, the term “choke” referred to valves that helped manage well pressure, often leading to high-pressure drops that caused flow disruption and valve failure.
This experience led Mark to develop a key insight: what if a valve design could keep high-velocity streams of fluid away from the trim components, preserving the integrity and efficiency of the valve? This idea would later evolve into the Helical Bevel Gear-Drive Valve, an innovation that aligned valve trim components with the flow path, ensuring minimal flow disruption.
The Innovative Helical Bevel Gear-Drive Valve
After years of refining ideas, Mark combined the best of several engineering concepts: venturi tubes, globe control valves, and internal actuation systems. The result was a revolutionary valve design where the valve trim aligned axially with the flow path, and the trim components move seamlessly along that axis. This alignment reduces turbulence and ensures the valve maintains peak performance, even in severe service environments where high-pressure drops and erosive fluids would otherwise wreak havoc on traditional valves.
The unique design also incorporates a helical bevel gear with spiral teeth, engineered to resist linear forces and provide precision control under extreme conditions. This valve design has made a significant impact on industries requiring control over high-pressure drops, such as oil and gas, hydrocarbon refining, and heavy industrial applications.
Valve Systems International (VSI) and i2E
With the support from i2E (www.i2e.org), Mark developed a business plan and successfully launched VSI in March 2015. The company’s initial goal was to produce five valves for field testing, and with strong advisory support, Mark secured funding to turn his vision into reality.
Today, VSI is at the forefront of severe service control valve technology, providing industries with reliable, high-performance solutions that handle extreme pressure drops, erosive fluids, and difficult operating conditions. VSI’s commitment to precision and innovation is driven by Mark’s 30+ years of engineering experience and his dedication to solving the toughest valve challenges.
About Mark A. Lobo, P.E.
Mark Lobo holds a BSME from Oklahoma State University and is a licensed professional engineer in Oklahoma with over four decades of engineering experience. Throughout his career, he has worked on a wide range of product designs, including military aircraft, well logging equipment, commercial food service equipment, and, of course, precision control valves. As the Managing Director of VSI, Mark continues to lead the company in pioneering new technologies that ensure the performance and reliability of control valves, especially in severe service applications.
For more information on VSI’s innovative valve solutions, including our severe service control valves, visit the product page.