Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2017	Dec. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 482,045	$ 458,416
Interest income	298	96
Interest expense	(7,604)	(7,888)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	19,327	20,904
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	202,703	192,682
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	175,468	167,756
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	103,874	97,978
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	46,681	45,940
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	20,385	17,917
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	11,713	18,143
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	14,583	9,880
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (20,048)	$ (17,244)

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

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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.

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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).

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

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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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