Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 01, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 01, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 509,182	$ 490,310	$ 966,915	$ 931,787
Interest income	100	94	196	181
Interest expense	(7,458)	(7,294)	(15,346)	(14,510)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	49,859	20,636	72,043	30,629
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	213,593	198,665	406,275	384,910
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	182,478	176,069	349,551	328,499
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	113,111	115,576	211,089	218,378
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	77,239	46,801	124,982	81,988
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	21,761	2,649	39,678	12,062
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	27,156	20,944	47,102	33,728
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	28,322	23,208	38,202	36,198
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (20,022)	$ (18,965)	$ (37,789)	$ (37,030)

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses excluding corporate expense from operating revenues.

No definition available.

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Segment reporting information corporate expense.

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations, including income (loss) from equity method investments, before deduction of income tax expense (benefit), and income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
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-Section S99
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The amount of interest income and other income recognized during the period. Included in this element is interest derived from investments in debt securities, cash and cash equivalents, and other investments which reflect the time value of money or transactions in which the payments are for the use or forbearance of money and other income from ancillary business-related activities (that is, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business).

+ References

No definition available.

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Amount of the cost of borrowed funds accounted for as interest expense.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 20
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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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-Publisher FASB
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-Topic 225
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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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