Product   failures   manifest   themselves  in  numerous
 ways.   Depending  upon   the   particular   circumstances
 surrounding   the   use   of   an   item,  appliance   or   other
 mechanical device, failure of an item  can  be  an  unremark-
 able  event,  or  a   catastrophic  event.   DTC   personnel  have
 examined  and  investigated a wide range of actual and alleged
 product  and  component failures,  and can provide assistance to
 assess  an  actual  or  alleged   failure   mechanism.   Many  times,
 unintended   failure   mechanisms   can  be  eliminated  with  proper
 design.   The technical staff at  DTC can provide assistance in testing,  design analysis,  and  failure  analysis  to  determine  the cause(s) of a  particular incident.