1.0.0.3 false Consolidated Balance Sheet (USD $) In Thousands 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 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 4 Current assets: 2 us-gaap_AssetsCurrentAbstract 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 No definition available. false 5 Cash and cash equivalents 3 us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 246356000 246356 false false 2 true true 86980000 86980 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 6 Marketable securities 3 us-gaap_MarketableSecuritiesCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 4994000 4994 false false 2 false true 4230000 4230 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 7 Receivables, less allowance for possible losses 3 us-gaap_ReceivablesNetCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 331383000 331383 false false 2 false true 406012000 406012 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 8 Inventories 3 us-gaap_InventoryNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 311542000 311542 false false 2 false true 349509000 349509 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 9 Deferred income taxes 3 us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsNetCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 30669000 30669 false false 2 false true 30919000 30919 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 10 Other current assets 3 us-gaap_OtherAssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 44486000 44486 false false 2 false true 76936000 76936 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 11 Total current assets 3 us-gaap_AssetsCurrent us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 969430000 969430 false false 2 false true 954586000 954586 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 12 Property, plant and equipment, net 2 us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 310053000 310053 false false 2 false true 307908000 307908 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 13 Goodwill 2 us-gaap_Goodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1277291000 1277291 false false 2 false true 1240052000 1240052 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 14 Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization 2 us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsNetExcludingGoodwill us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 521888000 521888 false false 2 false true 441785000 441785 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 15 Investments and other assets 2 ame_InvestmentsAndOtherAssets ame false debit instant monetary Investments and other assets. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 167370000 167370 false false 2 false true 111211000 111211 false false Investments and other assets. No authoritative reference available. true 16 Total assets 2 us-gaap_Assets us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 3246032000 3246032 false false 2 false true 3055542000 3055542 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 18 Current liabilities: 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrentAbstract 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 No definition available. false 19 Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt 3 us-gaap_DebtCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 85801000 85801 false false 2 false true 18438000 18438 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 20 Accounts payable 3 us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 191779000 191779 false false 2 false true 203742000 203742 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 21 Income taxes payable 3 us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 13345000 13345 false false 2 false true 31649000 31649 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 22 Accrued liabilities 3 us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 133357000 133357 false false 2 false true 193684000 193684 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 23 Total current liabilities 3 us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 424282000 424282 false false 2 false true 447513000 447513 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 24 Long-term debt 2 us-gaap_LongTermDebtNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 955880000 955880 false false 2 false true 1093243000 1093243 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 25 Deferred income taxes 2 us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 206354000 206354 false false 2 false true 144941000 144941 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 26 Other long-term liabilities 2 us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 92492000 92492 false false 2 false true 82073000 82073 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 27 Total liabilities 2 us-gaap_Liabilities us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1679008000 1679008 false false 2 false true 1767770000 1767770 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 28 Stockholders' equity: 2 us-gaap_StockholdersEquityAbstract 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 No definition available. false 29 Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; authorized: 5,000,000 shares; none issued 3 us-gaap_PreferredStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 0 0 false false 2 false true 0 0 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 30 Common stock, $0.01 par value; authorized: 400,000,000 shares; issued: 2009 - 111,000,578 shares; 2008 - 110,188,937 shares 3 us-gaap_CommonStockValue us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1110000 1110 false false 2 false true 1102000 1102 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 31 Capital in excess of par value 3 us-gaap_AdditionalPaidInCapitalCommonStock us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 224057000 224057 false false 2 false true 203000000 203000 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 32 Retained earnings 3 us-gaap_RetainedEarningsAccumulatedDeficit us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1500471000 1500471 false false 2 false true 1320470000 1320470 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 33 Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) 3 us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossNetOfTax us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -75281000 -75281 false false 2 false true -144767000 -144767 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. false 34 Treasury stock: 2009 - 3,116,579 shares; 2008 - 3,461,541 shares 3 us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue us-gaap true debit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true -83333000 -83333 false false 2 false true -92033000 -92033 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 35 Total stockholders' equity 3 us-gaap_StockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 false true 1567024000 1567024 false false 2 false true 1287772000 1287772 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true 36 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity 2 us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity us-gaap true credit instant monetary No definition available. false false false false false false false false false 1 true true 3246032000 3246032 false false 2 true true 3055542000 3055542 false false No definition available. No authoritative reference available. true false 2 32 false Thousands UnKnown UnKnown false true