1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Statement of Income (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data false 1 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 2 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 false 3 $ false false Shares Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 USD Standard http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 0 USDEPS Divide http://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217 USD iso4217 http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instance shares xbrli 0 2 Consolidated Statement of Income [Abstract] 0 us-gaap_IncomeStatementAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 3 Net sales 1 us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 2098355000 2098355 false false 2 true true 2531135000 2531135 false false 3 true true 2136850000 2136850 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 4 Operating expenses: 1 us-gaap_OperatingExpensesAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 5 Cost of sales, excluding depreciation 2 ame_CostOfSalesExcludingDepreciation ame false debit duration monetary Cost of sales, excluding depreciation. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1435953000 1435953 false false 2 false true 1730086000 1730086 false false 3 false true 1444514000 1444514 false false Cost of sales, excluding depreciation. No authoritative reference available. false 6 Selling, general and administrative 2 us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 254143000 254143 false false 2 false true 322552000 322552 false false 3 false true 263472000 263472 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 Depreciation 2 us-gaap_Depreciation us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 42209000 42209 false false 2 false true 45843000 45843 false false 3 false true 42290000 42290 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 8 Total operating expenses 2 us-gaap_CostsAndExpenses us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1732305000 1732305 false false 2 false true 2098481000 2098481 false false 3 false true 1750276000 1750276 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 9 Operating income 1 us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 366050000 366050 false false 2 false true 432654000 432654 false false 3 false true 386574000 386574 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Other expenses: 1 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpenseAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 11 Interest expense 2 us-gaap_InterestExpense us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -68750000 -68750 false false 2 false true -63652000 -63652 false false 3 false true -46866000 -46866 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Other, net 2 us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -2667000 -2667 false false 2 false true -2786000 -2786 false false 3 false true -3264000 -3264 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 13 Income before income taxes 1 us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 294633000 294633 false false 2 false true 366216000 366216 false false 3 false true 336444000 336444 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 14 Provision for income taxes 1 us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit us-gaap true debit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 88863000 88863 false false 2 false true 119264000 119264 false false 3 false true 108424000 108424 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 15 Net income 1 us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss us-gaap true credit duration monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 205770000 205770 false false 2 true true 246952000 246952 false false 3 true true 228020000 228020 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 16 Basic earnings per share 1 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.93 1.93 false false 2 true true 2.33 2.33 false false 3 true true 2.15 2.15 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 17 Diluted earnings per share 1 us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted us-gaap true na duration decimal No definition available. false false false false false false false false true 1 true true 1.91 1.91 false false 2 true true 2.3 2.3 false false 3 true true 2.12 2.12 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 18 Weighted average common shares outstanding: 1 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingAbstract us-gaap true na duration string No definition available. false false false false false true false false false 1 false false 0 0 false false 2 false false 0 0 false false 3 false false 0 0 false false No definition available. false 19 Basic shares 2 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfSharesOutstandingBasic us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 106788000 106788 false false 2 false true 106148000 106148 false false 3 false true 105832000 105832 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 20 Diluted shares 2 us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding us-gaap true na duration shares No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 107850000 107850 false false 2 false true 107443000 107443 false false 3 false true 107580000 107580 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 3 19 false Thousands Thousands Hundreds false true