Inside the Works: How Orion Manufactures DNQ Actives in Karad
Orion DNQ manufacturer in Karad, Maharashtra — Banawadi works since 1988. Salt, ester, THBP and CtCP coating. COA per batch. Request a factory enquiry.
Chemical buyers evaluating a new DNQ supplier ask the same question before specifications: *where is this actually made?* A trading company with a datasheet is not the same as a manufacturer with a works, batch records, and a quality function that issues COAs per lot.
Orion Photosensitive Systems is a manufacturer — not a distributor. This article states what is verifiable about Orion's Karad facility, the process stages at a general level, and the documentation practices that replace certification-based trust signals.
Two addresses in Karad
Orion operates from two locations in Karad, District Satara, Maharashtra:
Registered office 241 ½ F, Datta Chouk, Shaniwar Peth, F.P. No. 534, Radha Infinity, 4th Floor, Karad 415110, Maharashtra, India
Factory / works Survey No. 67/2, Banawadi, Karad 415124, Maharashtra, India
The manufacturing works at Banawadi is where DNQ actives and coating systems are produced. The registered office handles commercial and administrative functions. Both are in Karad — a town in western Maharashtra with a history of chemical and engineering industry.
Manufacturing since 1988
Orion was founded in 1988 by Pradeep Sakhadeo, who started producing photosensitive chemicals for the printing trade from Maharashtra. The company has since developed grades for offset printing plate coatings and electronic photoresist applications.
Today, Orion serves two industries from the same manufacturing works:
- UV CtCP offset printing plates — Freedom Plus One Pack (conventional) and Orion Next (developer-free)
- Electronic photoresists — Freedom 2-1-4 sodium salt, DNQ-THBP building blocks, P-1403 / P-1610 / P-3101 / P-0711
Photosensitive chemistry has been the sole focus for over three decades — not a side product line within a general chemical trading operation.
What Orion manufactures — the DNQ value chain
Orion covers four stages of the DNQ value chain in-house:
A plate coater buying Freedom Plus or Orion Next sources from the same works that produces the sodium salt upstream. A photoresist formulator buying P-1403 sources from the same works that produces Freedom 2-1-4.
For the full product map, see What Is Diazonaphthoquinone?.
| Stage | Product | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1. DNQ salt | Orion Freedom 2-1-4 | Water-soluble sodium salt (CAS 64173-96-2) |
| 2. DNQ ester | Orion Freedom Plus 1413 | Esterified DNQ-cresol one-pack (CAS 3770-97-6) |
| 3. DNQ-THBP PAC | P-1403, P-1610, P-3101, P-0711 | G-line/i-line photoresist building blocks |
| 4. Ready coating | Orion Next | Developer-free UV CtCP multi-polymer solution |
Process stages at a general level
Orion's DNQ manufacturing follows the standard fine-chemicals pathway for diazonaphthoquinone chemistry. At a general level — without proprietary process detail:
Sodium salt production (Freedom 2-1-4)
Diazotisation and sulphonation chemistry produces the 2-diazo-1-naphthol-4-sulphonic acid sodium salt. The output is a water-soluble yellow powder held to 98.0% minimum assay and 2.5% maximum moisture.
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: Specific synthesis route steps, reactor types, and in-process control points — proprietary, not in public source data.]
Esterification (Freedom Plus 1413)
The sodium salt is converted through sulphonyl chloride to an esterified DNQ-cresol resin — the one-pack diazo polymer used in UV CtCP plate coating lacquers. Supplied as dry powder or pre-dissolved solutions (30%, 12%, RTU).
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: Esterification conditions, resin specifications, and quality control methodology — proprietary.]
DNQ-THBP PAC production (P-series)
DNQ is esterified with tetrahydroxy benzophenone (THBP) to produce photoactive compounds for g-line and i-line photoresists. Orion supplies powder and ready-liquid grades with and without matched novolak resin.
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: THBP esterification process, novolak matching criteria for P-1610, and CNR process for P-0711 — proprietary.]
Coating system formulation (Orion Next)
Multi-polymer coating solution with photo-initiators, formulated for developer-free negative-working UV CtCP plates. Ready to coat on anodised aluminium at 1.7–1.8 g/m².
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: Polymer composition, initiator system, and formulation specifics — proprietary.]
Quality practices — documentation, not certification
Orion's quality assurance is expressed through batch documentation rather than third-party accreditation badges:
Buyers verify quality by comparing trial batch COAs against their specification — not by checking an ISO or REACH badge on a website. For the step-by-step workflow, see How to Qualify a New DNQ Supplier.
| Practice | Detail |
|---|---|
| Assay standard | 98.0% minimum across active DNQ grades |
| COA per batch | Issued for every production batch — batch number, date, assay, moisture |
| MSDS per grade | Available on request and on product pages |
| TDS per grade | Technical data sheets with application parameters |
| Method-of-use guidance | PDF documents for coating and spin-coating processes |
What buyers can verify without a factory visit
Even without travelling to Karad, procurement teams can build confidence through:
- Address verification — Banawadi works address on COA, invoice, and export documentation
- Batch COA review — Assay, moisture, batch number, and date on a trial shipment
- MSDS/TDS consistency — CAS number, product name, and specs match across documents
- Technical support responsiveness — Method-of-use guidance, coating troubleshooting, sales contact
- Trial batch performance — Coating, imaging, and development results on your own line
- Second-batch consistency — Compare two COAs before committing to production volumes
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: Whether factory visits or virtual audits can be arranged — contact sales@orionppp.com.]
Supply from the works
For international buyers, see Sourcing DNQ Actives From India and Exporting DNQ Chemicals From India.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| MOQ | 10 kg |
| Maximum | Full container load |
| Packaging | Sealed, light-protected containers |
| Supply | India and export — worldwide |
| Contact | sales@orionppp.com · WhatsApp +91 91755 34420 |
| Phone | +91 98230 64420 · +91 91755 34420 |
Why location matters for chemical supply
Karad sits in Maharashtra's chemical manufacturing belt — a region with established fine-chemicals infrastructure, skilled chemical operators, and export logistics access to Mumbai port. For overseas buyers, Indian DNQ manufacturing offers:
- Direct factory pricing without intermediary margins
- Full value-chain supply from one works
- Batch documentation for import and qualification
- Flexible order sizes from 10 kg trials to container-load production
Location is a trust signal because it is verifiable. The works address appears on every COA and invoice. The batch number ties your material to a specific production run at that address.
Common questions.
Where does Orion manufacture DNQ actives?
Orion manufactures at Survey No. 67/2, Banawadi, Karad 415124, District Satara, Maharashtra, India. The registered office is in Shaniwar Peth, Karad 415110. The company has produced photosensitive chemicals since 1988.
Does Orion make DNQ from raw materials or repackage imported product?
Orion manufactures DNQ actives in-house at its Banawadi works — sodium salt, esterified resin, DNQ-THBP PAC grades, and ready CtCP coating systems. The company covers the DNQ value chain from building block to finished coating.
Can I visit the Orion factory in Karad?
[NEEDS VERIFICATION: Factory visit policy — contact sales@orionppp.com to enquire about visits or virtual facility tours.]
What quality documentation does Orion provide from the works?
Every batch is supplied with a certificate of analysis (COA). MSDS and TDS are available per grade. Method-of-use PDFs accompany coating products. Export documentation is provided with international shipments.