Segment and Geographic Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 172,647	$ 173,132	$ 182,674	$ 180,453	$ 173,628	$ 183,053	$ 196,610	$ 193,361	$ 708,906	$ 746,652	$ 819,817
Income from operations										47,546	64,214	75,109
Restructuring										(9,849)	(7,214)	(1,767)
Net interest expense										11,679	12,164	11,994
Loss on extinguishment of debt										1,989
Other non-operating (income) expense, net										(7)	963	(3)
Total other non-operating (income) expense, net										13,661	13,127	11,991
Income before income taxes										33,885	51,087	63,118
Provision for income taxes										8,745	15,744	22,936
Net income										25,140	35,343	40,182
Total depreciation and amortization										29,898	30,121	32,137
Total assets		869,824				632,332				869,824	632,332
Property, Plant and Equipment		177,043				145,413				177,043	145,413
North America (primarily U.S.) [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										418,536	452,172	488,523
Property, Plant and Equipment		81,675				84,960				81,675	84,960
Europe [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										217,736	218,857	255,049
Property, Plant and Equipment		89,672				52,949				89,672	52,949
Asia And Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										72,634	75,623	76,245
Property, Plant and Equipment		5,696				7,504				5,696	7,504
Convertible Notes [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Loss on extinguishment of debt										1,989
Couplings, Clutches and Brakes [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Restructuring										(7,302)	(2,527)	(444)
Electromagnetic Clutches and Brakes [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Restructuring										(1,286)	(1,600)	(614)
Gearing [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Restructuring										(287)	(3,080)	(603)
Operating Segments [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Restructuring										(9,849)	(7,214)	(1,767)
Operating Segments [Member] | Couplings, Clutches and Brakes [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										305,406	342,299	396,089
Income from operations										20,941	38,750	49,299
Total depreciation and amortization										15,180	15,897	17,196
Total assets		511,934				312,117				511,934	312,117
Operating Segments [Member] | Electromagnetic Clutches and Brakes [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										217,856	219,676	218,550
Income from operations										26,406	21,634	22,014
Total depreciation and amortization										4,615	4,565	5,009
Total assets		169,507				125,887				169,507	125,887
Operating Segments [Member] | Gearing [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										192,003	192,252	212,628
Income from operations										22,718	21,094	22,698
Total depreciation and amortization										7,000	6,617	7,447
Total assets		147,829				150,860				147,829	150,860
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Net sales										(6,359)	(7,575)	(7,450)
Corporate [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Income from operations	[1]									(12,670)	(10,050)	(17,135)
Total depreciation and amortization										3,103	3,042	$ 2,485
Total assets	[2]	$ 40,554				$ 43,468				$ 40,554	$ 43,468

[1] Certain expenses are maintained at the corporate level and not allocated to the segments. These include various administrative expenses related to the corporate headquarters, depreciation on capitalized software costs, non-capitalizable software implementation costs, acquisition related expenses and non-cash partial pension settlements.

[2] Corporate assets are primarily cash and cash equivalents, tax related asset accounts, certain capitalized software costs, property, plant and equipment and deferred financing costs.