Summary of Quarterly Financial information (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 28, 2019	Jun. 29, 2019	Mar. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Operations data:
Net revenues	$ 69,142	$ 67,421	$ 70,870	$ 76,525	$ 76,982	$ 75,490	$ 74,231	$ 73,091	$ 283,958	$ 299,794	$ 254,350
Gross profit	24,167	25,790	28,609	33,051	30,816	30,580	31,366	28,505	111,617	121,267	98,283
Operating income	1,757	6,186	8,102	12,603	7,091	10,631	11,315	8,186	28,648	37,223	22,488
Net earnings	3,859	4,530	5,580	8,326	3,437	7,567	7,683	4,958	22,295	23,645	14,394
Less: comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	(12)	21	15	83	19	20	(10)	(30)	107	(1)	49
Net earnings attributable to VPG stockholders	$ 3,871	$ 4,509	$ 5,565	$ 8,243	$ 3,418	$ 7,547	$ 7,693	$ 4,988	$ 22,188	$ 23,646	$ 14,345
Per Share Data:
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.29	$ 0.33	$ 0.41	$ 0.61	$ 0.25	$ 0.56	$ 0.57	$ 0.37	$ 1.64	$ 1.76	$ 1.08
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.28	$ 0.33	$ 0.41	$ 0.61	$ 0.25	$ 0.56	$ 0.57	$ 0.37	$ 1.63	$ 1.75	$ 1.07
Certain Items Recorded during the Quarters:
Acquisition purchase accounting adjustments	$ 1,254	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Acquisition costs	443	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	$ 443	$ 0	$ 0
Executive severance costs	0	0	611	0	0	0	0	0	611	0	0
Impairment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangibles	0	0	0	0	2,820	0	0	0	0	2,820	0
UK pension settlement		0	0	0	673	0	0	0
Restructuring costs	1,746	547	0	0	0	228	61	0	$ 2,293	$ 289	$ 2,044
Tax effect of reconciling items and discrete tax items	$ 3,663	$ 80	$ 0	$ 0	$ (377)	$ 35	$ 9	$ 0