Swashplate compressors belong to the second generation of compressors and are a type of axial piston compressor, a mainstream product in automotive air conditioning compressors. Common classification methods include by displacement control method and by the number of cylinders.
Based on displacement control method, swashplate compressors can be divided into variable displacement compressors and fixed displacement compressors. Based on the number of cylinders (structure), common types include six-cylinder, seven-cylinder, and ten-cylinder swashplate compressors. A six-cylinder swashplate compressor typically refers to a compressor with three cylinders and three double-acting pistons evenly distributed across the cylinder block cross-section; one rotation of the main shaft is equivalent to six cylinders working. A ten-cylinder swashplate compressor corresponds to five cylinders and five double-acting pistons.
The 6SES14C variable displacement compressor is a swashplate type, externally controlled variable displacement compressor.