Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 517,629	$ 509,131	$ 999,674	$ 967,547
Interest income	449	100	747	196
Interest expense	(8,167)	(7,458)	(15,771)	(15,346)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	26,206	48,072	45,533	68,976
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	212,814	213,293	415,517	405,975
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	198,153	182,727	373,621	350,483
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	106,662	113,111	210,536	211,089
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	52,497	75,451	99,178	121,391
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	23,673	20,772	44,058	38,689
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	19,271	26,357	30,984	44,500
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	9,553	28,322	24,136	38,202
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (18,573)	$ (20,021)	$ (38,621)	$ (37,265)

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
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 20
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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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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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