ISO 14691:2008规定了石油、石化和天然气工业中通用应用的两台机器转轴之间动力传输的联轴器要求。此类应用通常要求联轴器以不超过4000 r/min的速度在第一横向临界转速高于运行速度范围的机器（硬轴机器）之间传输功率。根据协议，ISO 14691:2008可用于这些限制之外的应用。 ISO 14691:2008适用于联轴器，其设计可适应轴的平行（或横向）偏移、角度偏差和轴向位移，而不会对耦合机器施加过大的机械负载。 ISO 14691:2008涵盖的联轴器包括齿轮（和其他机械接触类型）、金属挠性元件和各种弹性体类型。这种联轴器可以是全金属结构，也可以包括非金属材料的部件，如复合材料。 ISO 14691:2008涵盖了联轴器的设计、结构材料、检查和测试，以及联轴器与轴的连接方法（包括锥形套筒和其他专有装置）。 ISO 14691:2008不适用于特殊类型的联轴器，如离合器、液压、涡流、刚性和径向花键类型。 ISO 14691:2008未定义特定应用中联轴器类型选择的标准。

ISO 14691:2008 specifies the requirements for couplings for the transmission of power between the rotating shafts of two machines for general-purpose applications in the petroleum, petrochemical and natural gas industries. Such applications typically require couplings to transmit power at speeds not exceeding 4 000 r/min, between machines in which the first lateral critical speed is above the running speed range (stiff-shaft machines). ISO 14691:2008 can, by agreement, be used for applications outside these limits. ISO 14691:2008 is applicable to couplings designed to accommodate parallel (or lateral) offset, angular misalignment and axial displacement of the shafts without imposing excessive mechanical loading on the coupled machines. Couplings covered by ISO 14691:2008 include gear (and other mechanical contact types), metallic flexible-element and various elastomeric types. Such couplings can be of all metal construction or can include components of non-metallic materials, such as composites. ISO 14691:2008 covers design, materials of construction, inspection and testing of couplings and methods of attachment of the coupling to the shafts (including tapered sleeve and other proprietary devices). ISO 14691:2008 does not apply to special types of couplings, such as clutch, hydraulic, eddy-current, rigid and radial-spline types. ISO 14691:2008 does not define criteria for the selection of coupling types for specific applications.