About
The Man Behind the Shackle
Inventor & founder, Noel Duke, is a lifetime engineer. Since he could pick up a tool, Noel was infuriating his mother by tinkering with whatever appliance he could get his hands on. This fascination with the workings of the mechanical world around him developed into a hunger for building things and his love of bikes led to building a mini-bike at age 12. Noel’s continuing thirst for knowledge motivated him to study engineering at both the Auckland Technical Institute and Auckland University.
From here, Noel went to Australia for a number of years where he honed his skills in Machinery and Product Design before returning to New Zealand to work at Fisher & Paykel. It was during this time that 3D CAD and its disciplines were emerging and Noel was among the pioneers of this new technology.
At this time Noel had an idea for a revolutionary new engine that grew into a highly refined alternative engine that offers many advantages over the status quo. While awaiting commercialisation of this extraordinary engine, Noel continued to offer his services to various companies as a contractor.
A number of years ago, Noel’s wife Kyla returned from the national Field Days with information about a so called ‘secure’ shackle that sparked yet another idea that would solve the problem with shackles rather than just improve it. He rushed into his workshop and emerged 30 minutes later with vastly superior prototype that convinced both Noel & Kyla that the idea was worth pursuing.
This was the genesis of SureShack. Within a few months, Noel had already begun to assemble and supply his innovative new shackles to the markets.
Make it stand out.
The Duke Engine
The brainchild of Noel’s petrol head predilections, the Duke Engine is a unique and patented high-speed internal combustion engine. It features 5 four-stroke cylinders without valves, 3 injectors and unnervingly low vibration. Its compact design significantly reduces size & weight, producing a very high power density. This allows for a variety of applications including marine, military, automobile and light aircraft. The Duke Engine is also designed for the future by having the capability to run on multiple fuels, biofuels and Hydrogen.
The Shackle
SureShack is a shackle that works the way all shackles should. It’s easy to do up and will only undo when you want it to. Another innovation from senior engineer, Noel Duke, SureShack was conceived while he was revising the design of traditional shackles to address the frustrations that come with their use.
The key to SureShack’s design is the spring clip. Lock it onto the shackle and the pin cannot unwind. To unfasten the shackle, simply flip the clip off the shackle’s body and freely unscrew the pin. No tools required and no stressing about whether or not your shackle will come undone on its own!