The increasing importance of elastomeric components in various industrial fields resulted in the intensification of elastomer research. Following this trend the Fraunhofer-Institute for Strength of Structures under Operational Conditions has investigated questions of the mechanical behaviour and the fatigue strength of elastomeric components more intensively during the last few years. This report gives a short summary of some results from these investigations. Methods and procedures were developed to describe the material behaviour and to identify material parameters. Extensive investigations were carried out in the field of structural analysis, numerical simulation and fatigue life prediction of elastomeric components. Experimental and numerical methods are combined to obtain meaningful results.