ACQUISITIONS (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	$ 54,474		$ 19,078	$ 3,956
Inventory	52,215		23,813	3,052
Property, plant, and equipment	40,630		22,526	225
Other current assets	6,029		1,182	93
Intangible assets	183,481		53,717	14,792
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(45,288)		(13,510)	(3,671)
Pension and postretirement benefits	(8,144)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	52,010			4,542
Debt assumed	(13,819)
Holdback			(1,051)
Due to seller	(4,081)		(4,303)
Net tangible and intangible assets	213,487		101,452	13,905
Gain on bargain purchase	(910)		0	0
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	460,439		180,277	40,139
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	247,862		78,825	26,234
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription			No Yes Yes
Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	25,070		5,630
Inventory	21,612		10,914
Property, plant, and equipment	11,710		2,200
Other current assets	822		494
Intangible assets	67,681		21,633
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(22,182)		(5,856)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	21,275
Due to seller	(1,327)
Net tangible and intangible assets	82,111		35,015
Gain on bargain purchase	(910)
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	170,176		55,295
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	88,975		20,280
Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	23,831		11,398	3,956
Inventory	29,014		11,385	3,052
Property, plant, and equipment	21,903		4,427	225
Other current assets	5,207		555	93
Intangible assets	106,400		25,254	14,792
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(22,668)		(6,886)	(3,671)
Pension and postretirement benefits	(8,144)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	(30,735)		(2,303)	(4,542)
Debt assumed	(13,819)
Net tangible and intangible assets	110,989		43,830	13,905
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	257,963		85,731	40,139
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	146,974		41,901	26,234
Surface Technologies [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			2,050
Inventory			1,514
Property, plant, and equipment			15,899
Other current assets			133
Intangible assets			6,830
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Liabilities			(768)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Liabilities			(1,051)
Due to seller			(2,000)
Net tangible and intangible assets			22,607
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			39,251
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			16,644
SeriesOfIndividuallyImmaterialBusinessAcquisitionsMember | Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Inventory	236
Intangible assets	4,681
Due to seller	(664)
Net tangible and intangible assets	4,253
Gain on bargain purchase	(910)
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	6,625
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	3,282
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	Yes
Cimarron Energy [Member] | Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	21,706
Inventory	18,987
Property, plant, and equipment	8,222
Other current assets	618
Intangible assets	55,000
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(21,434)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	17,851
Due to seller	(366)
Net tangible and intangible assets	64,882
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	132,665
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	67,783
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	No
AP Services LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets	8,000
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(748)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	3,424
Due to seller	(297)
Net tangible and intangible assets	12,976
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	30,886
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	17,910
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	Yes	[1]
AP Services LLC [Member] | Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	3,364
Inventory	2,389
Property, plant, and equipment	3,488
Other current assets	204
Anatec [Member] | Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			4,685
Property, plant, and equipment			1,581
Other current assets			185
Intangible assets			14,936
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities			(818)
Net tangible and intangible assets			20,569
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			35,201
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			14,632
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription			Yes
Douglas Equipment Ltd [Member] | Flow Control [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			945
Inventory			10,914
Property, plant, and equipment			619
Other current assets			309
Intangible assets			6,697
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities			(5,038)
Net tangible and intangible assets			14,446
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			20,094
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			5,648
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription			Yes
Exlar [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	49,578
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	No
Exlar [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	5,852
Inventory	8,039
Property, plant, and equipment	4,177
Other current assets	435
Intangible assets	37,200
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(5,971)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	(14,999)
Net tangible and intangible assets	34,733
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	84,311
PG Drives [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	22,812
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	Yes
PG Drives [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	7,596
Inventory	10,541
Property, plant, and equipment	1,589
Other current assets	220
Intangible assets	25,200
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(4,739)
Net tangible and intangible assets	40,407
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	63,219
Williams Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	74,584
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	No
Williams Controls [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	10,383
Inventory	10,434
Property, plant, and equipment	16,137
Other current assets	4,552
Intangible assets	44,000
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(11,958)
Pension and postretirement benefits	(8,144)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent	(15,736)
Debt assumed	(13,819)
Net tangible and intangible assets	35,849
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	110,433
South Bend [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			1,635
Inventory			2,990
Property, plant, and equipment			727
Other current assets			32
Intangible assets			3,500
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities			(648)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent			0
Net tangible and intangible assets			8,236
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			11,175
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			2,939
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription			Yes
ACRA Control Ltd [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			8,901
Inventory			6,539
Property, plant, and equipment			1,600
Other current assets			456
Intangible assets			17,054
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities			(6,048)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent			(2,303)
Net tangible and intangible assets			26,199
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			61,053
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			34,854
Predator Systems Inc [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			862
Inventory			1,856
Property, plant, and equipment			2,100
Other current assets			67
Intangible assets			4,700
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities			(190)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent			0
Net tangible and intangible assets			9,395
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			13,503
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			4,108
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription			Yes
SES [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				1,683
Inventory				977
Property, plant, and equipment				74
Other current assets				25
Intangible assets				8,115
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities				(2,251)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent				(2,255)
Net tangible and intangible assets				6,368
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price				21,163
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount				14,795
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription				No
Hybricon [Member] | Controls [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				2,273
Inventory				2,075
Property, plant, and equipment				151
Other current assets				68
Intangible assets				6,677
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities				(1,420)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Deferred Taxes Asset (Liability), Net, Noncurrent				(2,287)
Net tangible and intangible assets				7,537
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price				18,976
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount				11,439
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription				No
Gartner [Member] | Surface Technologies [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	5,573
Inventory	1,589
Property, plant, and equipment	7,017
Intangible assets	9,400
Business Acquisition Purchase Price Allocation Other Current And Noncurrent Liabilities	(438)
Due to seller	(2,754)
Net tangible and intangible assets	20,387
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	32,300
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount	11,913
BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmountDescription	Yes
IMR Test Labs [Member] | Surface Technologies [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			2,050
Property, plant, and equipment			3,125
Other current assets			133
Intangible assets			3,830
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Liabilities			(505)
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Liabilities			(1,051)
Due to seller			(2,000)
Net tangible and intangible assets			5,582
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			18,750
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			13,168
BASF Surface Technologies [Member] | Surface Technologies [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable			0
Inventory			1,514
Property, plant, and equipment			12,774
Intangible assets			3,000
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Current Liabilities			(263)
Net tangible and intangible assets			17,025
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price			20,501
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount			$ 3,476

[1] $13.3 million of the goodwill acquired is tax deductible.