Axial piston compressors can be referred to as the second generation of compressors, common are rocker or inclined plate compressor, which is the mainstream automotive air conditioning compressor products.

The main components of swash plate compressors are spindles and swash plates. The cylinders are arranged around the center of the compressor spindle with the piston moving in a direction parallel to the main shaft of the compressor. Most of the piston of the swash plate compressor is made as a double-headed piston, such as an axial 6-cylinder compressor, then 3 cylinders are in front of the compressor and the other 3 are in the back of the compressor. The double-headed piston slides one behind the other in the opposite cylinder. When one end of the piston compresses the refrigerant vapor in the front cylinder, the other end sucks the refrigerant vapor in the rear cylinder. Each cylinder is equipped with high and low pressure valve, and another a high pressure pipe for connecting the front and rear high pressure chamber. The swash plate is fixed with the main shaft of the compressor. The edge of the swash plate fits in the groove in the middle of the piston. The piston groove and the edge of the swash plate are supported by the steel ball bearing. When the spindle rotates, the swash plate also rotates with the swash plate to push the piston to reciprocate axially. If the swash plate is rotated one revolution, the two pistons are compressed, exhausted, inflated and inhaled one cycle, which is equivalent to 2 cylinders. In the case of an axial 6-cylinder compressor, 3 cylinders and 3 double-headed pistons are evenly distributed over the cross section of the cylinder. When the spindle rotates one revolution, it corresponds to 6 cylinders.

Swash plate type compressor is relatively easy to miniaturization and lightweight, and can achieve high-speed work. Its compact structure, high efficiency, reliable performance, in the realization of the variable displacement control, is now widely used in automotive air conditioning.