Business Segment Information for Continuing Operations (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Jun. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 29, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$ 499,871	$ 504,107	$ 1,499,545	$ 1,471,654
Interest income	579	150	1,326	346
Interest expense	(7,902)	(7,299)	(23,673)	(22,645)
Earnings from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	40,969	42,745	86,502	111,721
Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	210,787	209,168	626,304	615,143
Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	190,895	184,804	564,516	535,287
Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	98,189	110,135	308,725	321,224
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	67,068	65,863	166,246	187,254
Operating Segments \| Avionics & Controls
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	23,781	22,496	67,839	61,185
Operating Segments \| Sensors & Systems
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	22,135	25,587	53,119	70,087
Operating Segments \| Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment Earnings	21,152	17,780	45,288	55,982
Corporate Non Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Corporate expense	$ (18,776)	$ (15,969)	$ (57,397)	$ (53,234)

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).

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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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