Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jul. 01, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 503,753	$ 517,092	$ 1,470,668	$ 1,448,879
Interest income	150	30	346	211
Interest expense	(7,299)	(7,659)	(22,645)	(22,169)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	41,999	46,416	114,042	77,045
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	209,168	222,583	615,443	607,493
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	184,450	186,337	534,001	514,836
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	110,135	108,172	321,224	326,550
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	65,117	71,971	190,099	153,959
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	22,495	28,517	62,173	40,579
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	24,842	27,942	71,944	61,670
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	17,780	15,512	55,982	51,710
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (15,969)	$ (17,926)	$ (53,758)	$ (54,956)

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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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
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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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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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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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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.

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No definition available.

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