Income Taxes - Reconciliation of the federal statutory income tax rate to the company's effective income tax rate for continuing operations (Details)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Reconciliation of the federal statutory income tax rate to the company's effective income tax rate for continuing operations
Federal income tax at statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State income provision (benefit)	(7.30%)	(0.40%)	(0.50%)
Manufacturing & research incentives	(5.20%)	(2.70%)	(3.30%)
Taxes on foreign income which differ from the U.S. statutory rate	(34.20%)	(14.40%)	(9.30%)
Adjustments for unrecognized tax benefits	(2.70%)	(1.40%)	(5.40%)
Adjustments for valuation allowances	(31.20%)	26.80%	(1.00%)
Capital loss generation	(0.00%)	(45.70%)	(0.00%)
Change in assertion over permanently reinvested foreign earnings	0.00%	3.20%	0.00%
Business acquisitions & divestitures	14.10%	0.00%	0.00%
Spin-off tax costs	0.133	0.000	0.000
Other items	6.40%	4.70%	0.50%
Effective tax rate	(11.80%)	5.10%	16.00%

Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Separation Tax Costs, Percent

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Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to disposition of a business not qualifying as a discontinued operation.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to statutory income tax expense (benefit) outside of the country of domicile.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to state and local income tax expense (benefit), net of federal tax expense (benefit).

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to income tax contingencies. Includes, but not limited to, domestic tax contingency, foreign tax contingency, state and local tax contingency, and other contingencies.

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Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to tax credits. Including, but not limited to, research credit, foreign tax credit, investment tax credit, and other tax credits.

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