Portable vs Fixed Lifting Davit

Portable and fixed lifting davits can both provide a dedicated lifting point, but which one is right for you will depend on how and where you need to use it.

If you’re lifting in several different locations, a portable davit can give you the flexibility to move the equipment between designated lifting points. If you’re regularly lifting in the same place, a fixed or semi-permanent davit may make more sense.

What Is a Lifting Davit?

A lifting davit is a lifting system designed to provide a dedicated lifting point for raising, lowering and positioning loads.

They can be used in all sorts of environments, from maintenance and engineering to manufacturing, construction and industrial applications. Depending on what’s needed, a davit can be permanently installed, semi-permanently mounted or designed to be removed and used at different locations.

Portable Lifting Davits

Portable lifting davits are a good option when you don’t want the lifting equipment permanently installed in one location.

They’re particularly useful for maintenance teams and applications where lifting is needed at several different points. Instead of installing a separate davit at every location, a portable system can be moved between suitable mounting points as required.

For example, a maintenance team might have several designated lifting locations around a site. Once the work is finished in one area, the davit can be removed and used at another location.

Portable doesn’t necessarily mean temporary, either. A portable lifting davit can be used again and again as part of a planned lifting system. The important thing is that the mounting points and supporting structure are suitable for the intended load and application.

Fixed Lifting Davits

Fixed or semi-permanent lifting davits are generally a better fit when lifting is regularly carried out in the same location.

Having the davit already installed means there’s a dedicated lifting point ready to use whenever it’s needed. This can be useful around machinery, maintenance areas, production environments and other locations where similar lifting jobs are carried out regularly.

If the same load needs to be lifted or positioned repeatedly, having a fixed lifting davit in place can make the process more straightforward. There’s no need to install or remove the equipment each time it’s required.

Things to Consider Before Choosing

There are a few things worth looking at before deciding which type of lifting davit you need.

Think about where you’ll be lifting, how often you’ll be lifting and whether you need the equipment in one location or several. You’ll also need to consider the available mounting arrangement, supporting structure, required lifting capacity and working radius.

Space can also be an important factor. A portable system may be useful where you don’t want a permanent structure taking up room, while a fixed davit can be a practical option where a dedicated lifting point is needed on a regular basis.

If you’re looking at a portable system, it’s also worth considering how easily the davit can be installed and removed between lifting operations.