Oscillate winding (sometimes referred to as traverse winding) is the process of combining narrow slit strip to a create a coil that has significantly more linear footage than a traditional slit product. The methodology behind the creation of an oscillate is relatively simple. An oscillate wound coil is the result of welding several slit coils (also called slit-to-width coil) together, end to end, coiling them into a single coil. During this process, the coils are wound like fishing line to create a finished product that allows multiple coils to be combined into one compact coil.

In a typical slit coil operation, the material would be wound on top of the strip, with even edges. There is a limit to how large of an outer diameter (OD) can be produced as these slit coils, sometimes referred to “ribbon wound” or “pancake coils”, have dimensional requirements to be able to handle them safely.