Thermoplastic elastomer compounds offer cost-effective solutions to a growing range of applications in the automotive industry and other fields. The rapidly expanding TPE compounding industry is answering a wide range of customers' needs with TPE compounds specially formulated to meet those specific needs. Some fully-compounded TPEs and their manufacturer are mentioned. The first step in formulating a TPE compound is to determine the product's end-use requirements. These requirements often include a combination of physical properties, processing characteristics, and/or special features required by the application. Some guidelines on choosing the elastomer base and determining the processing methods are given.