These have been known to peel away over time and some sooner than others. Some advice during the purchase of a spreader bar, new or used is to thoroughly inspect the start and stop weld area on the plate (see photos) to make sure they have good fill all the way to the ends. Even some brand new ones have a bit of a C-shape void in the material where the weld started too late or stopped too soon during assembly. These voids can leave way for an eventual tear-away under lateral loads (side to side) and we all know those are the most common loads on a kiter’s spreader bar while on a reach. For more info, see https://www.skypilotkiteboarding.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=230
Source: skypilotkiteboarding.com