Business Segment Information (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Business Segment Information [Abstract]

Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services

Net sales for the Company's products and services are as follows for the three and nine months endedSeptember 30, 2017 and October 1, 2016 (in thousands):

			Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
			September 30, 2017		October 1, 2016		September 30, 2017		October 1, 2016
Product net sales:
	Waters instrument systems		$	238,431	$	226,296	$	674,768	$	646,733
	Chemistry consumables			92,879		84,114		271,606		255,312
	TA instrument systems			44,240		39,524		126,310		115,433
		Total product sales		375,550		349,934		1,072,684		1,017,478
Service net sales:
	Waters service			172,594		160,503		498,736		471,792
	TA service			17,440		16,393		50,383		49,366
		Total service sales		190,034		176,896		549,119		521,158
Total net sales			$	565,584	$	526,830	$	1,621,803	$	1,538,636