Quote:
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the 22-year-old was part of a team that was setting up the robot when it grabbed and crushed him against a metal plate
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There is not enough information here to even speculate but...
The use of 'grabbed him' seems to imply that maybe an external device mounted to the robot did the damage. Grippers and other external functions are often not locked out of a teach pendant function, so it's conceivable that he initiated an unsafe motion locally and possibly unintentionally.
Being in a VW plant it is highly unlikely that safeties were not in place and followed. I don't see a person being able to crush themselves to death on 'teach speed' or even 'safe play-back speed' with a 'hold-to-run' teach pendant. Or possibly two people in an area where only was is permitted.
It is more likely there was an oversight in the basic design. Or he just did something really stupid.