[en] Test manufacturing of canister intended for disposal of used nuclear fuel was started in 1994. The aim of this first stage of manufacturing was to investigate whether it was possible to manufacture SKB's reference canister using established techniques. The present canister design is the result of a development work, which has been going on since the early 1980's. The canister consists of an outer corrosion resistant corrosion barrier of copper, the copper canister, and an inner load-bearing component. The canisters are to be designed and manufactured in such a way that they remain intact for a very long time in the environment, which is foreseen in the repository. Thus, they must not be penetrated by corrosion or damaged by the mechanical stresses. To achieve this the proposed canister is designed with a steel insert, which provides the mechanical stability, and an outer part of copper, which provides corrosion protection. The studies performed to date show that the canister probably will remain leak tight for millions of years. This provides a considerable safety margin, which is necessary in view of the uncertainties and variations in the assumptions, for the design goal of 100,000 years service life