Segment Information- Reporting Information by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense									$ 145,208	$ 136,401	$ 131,676
Interest income									8,502	6,759	4,419
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent									811,665	508,892	869,829
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 2,017,438	$ 2,006,275	$ 1,993,351	$ 1,813,372	$ 1,777,961	$ 1,707,763	$ 1,686,345	$ 1,622,273	7,830,436	6,794,342	6,956,311
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									973,843	689,332	800,610
Provision for income taxes									162,178	180,440	204,729
Earnings from continuing operations	296,448	$ 178,912	$ 164,058	$ 172,247	161,162	$ 130,084	$ 118,290	$ 99,356	$ 811,665	$ 508,892	$ 595,881
Operating Margins [Abstract]
Segment Margins									16.30%	13.70%	14.90%
Earnings from continuing operations (in hundredths)									10.40%	7.50%	8.60%
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									$ 394,240	$ 360,739	$ 327,089
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									196,735	165,205	154,251
Total Assets [Abstract]
Total assets	10,657,653				10,115,991				10,657,653	10,115,991
Engineered Systems Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue									2,576,288	2,366,283	2,342,913
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									$ 590,430	$ 391,829	$ 376,961
Operating Margins [Abstract]
Segment Margins									22.90%	16.60%	16.10%
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									$ 81,419	$ 73,947	$ 59,914
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									35,028	31,121	37,109
Total Assets [Abstract]
Assets of continuing operations	2,985,920				3,002,629				2,985,920	3,002,629
Fluids Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue									2,250,830	1,700,574	1,399,273
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									$ 305,108	$ 200,921	$ 262,117
Operating Margins [Abstract]
Segment Margins									13.60%	11.80%	18.70%
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									$ 120,120	$ 85,224	$ 56,078
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									81,080	62,368	45,605
Total Assets [Abstract]
Assets of continuing operations	3,163,767				3,134,838				3,163,767	3,134,838
Refrigeration and Food Equipment Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue									1,599,105	1,620,339	1,731,430
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									$ 193,822	$ 283,628	$ 221,299
Operating Margins [Abstract]
Segment Margins									12.10%	17.50%	12.80%
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									$ 57,207	$ 65,017	$ 66,074
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									32,541	23,651	33,511
Total Assets [Abstract]
Assets of continuing operations	1,284,117				1,324,037				1,284,117	1,324,037
Energy Segment [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue									1,406,201	1,108,438	1,483,680
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									$ 188,427	$ 55,336	$ 173,190
Operating Margins [Abstract]
Segment Margins									13.40%	5.00%	11.70%
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									$ 130,996	$ 131,420	$ 141,779
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									40,061	32,938	33,692
Total Assets [Abstract]
Assets of continuing operations	2,250,721				2,209,230				2,250,721	2,209,230
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Depreciation and Amortization [Abstract]
Depreciation and Amortization									4,498	5,131	3,244
Capital Expenditures [Abstract]
Capital Expenditures									8,025	15,127	4,334
Total Assets [Abstract]
Assets of continuing operations	$ 973,128				$ 445,257				973,128	445,257
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Reconciliation from Segment Totals to Consolidated [Abstract]
Revenue									(1,988)	(1,292)	(985)
Total segments [Member]
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									1,277,787	931,714	1,033,567
Corporate expense / other [Member]
Reconciliation of Earnings from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated [Abstract]
Earnings from continuing operations before provision for income taxes and discontinued operations									$ 167,238	$ 112,740	$ 105,700