Manufacturing method and equipment for large, high-purity flat or curved quartz glass plate

A manufacturing method for large quartz glass plate, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a quartz glass tube having a circumferential wall with inner and outer surfaces and an opening of preselected width in the wall extending the entire length of the tube parallel to the longitudinal axis thereof whereby leading and trailing edges are formed in the wall of the tube;
• mounting the tube for rotation about a fixed axis of rotation;
• heating the wall of the tube in an initial zone at or adjacent to the leading edge to effect softening thereof;
• rotating the quartz glass tube with a means of rotating and simultaneously pulling the heated leading edge of the quartz glass tube with a means of pulling in a direction approximately tangential to the circumference of the tube, thereby opening and flattening the tube to form a flat plate while effecting rotation thereof;
• and
• continuing heating and pulling of the tube as it is rotated to produce a quartz glass plate.