Impairment and Restructuring Charge	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Impairment and Restructuring Charge	Impairment and Restructuring Charge Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The methods used to estimate fair value include the market approach (Level 2) and discounted cash flows (Level 3). The Company gives the greatest weight to the discounted cash flow method. The material estimates and assumptions used in the discounted cash flows method of determining fair valued include: the appropriate discount rate, given the risk-free rate of return and various risk premiums; projected revenues; projected material costs as a percentage of revenue; and the rate of increase in payroll and other expense. In April 2007, the Company entered into a license agreement with one of the Company’s technology partners to market, sell, install, service and manufacture machinery and equipment for the manufacturing of photovoltaic cells that employs PECVD Technology (Licensed Product) developed by the technology partner. Under the terms of this agreement the Company paid $1.0 million to the technology partner. The license agreement expires in January 2019. These payments are being amortized over the life of the agreement. Several new competitors have entered the market and management has determined that the market opportunity for the licensed product has decreased. This development and the extended amount of time to develop the licensed product caused management to review the licensed product for impairment and recoverability. In Fiscal 2010, it was determined that the carrying value of the license subject to amortization was not fully recoverable; therefore, an impairment charge of $0.6 million was recorded for the excess of carrying value over the fair value of the license. The fair value of the license was determined through estimates of the present value of future cash flows based upon the anticipated future use of the license. The Bruce operations were restructured in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 to focus primarily on a parts supply business versus furnace systems sales. The restructuring resulted in a charge of $620,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. We conducted an assessment of the ability to recover the carrying amount of long-lived assets of the Bruce operations. It was determined that the carrying value of the net assets was not fully recoverable; therefore, an impairment charge of $373,000 was recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 for the excess of carrying value over the fair value of the customer list and non-compete agreement. The carrying values of goodwill ($89,000) and the Bruce trademark ($592,000) were also recorded as an impairment charge in the second quarter of fiscal 2009.

Impairment and Restructuring Charge

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The methods used to estimate fair value include the market approach (Level 2) and discounted cash flows (Level 3). The Company gives the greatest weight to the discounted cash flow method. The material estimates and assumptions used in the discounted cash flows method of determining fair valued include: the appropriate discount rate, given the risk-free rate of return and various risk premiums; projected revenues; projected material costs as a percentage of revenue; and the rate of increase in payroll and other expense.

In April 2007, the Company entered into a license agreement with one of the Company’s technology partners to market, sell, install, service and manufacture machinery and equipment for the manufacturing of photovoltaic cells that employs PECVD Technology (Licensed Product) developed by the technology partner. Under the terms of this agreement the Company paid $1.0 million to the technology partner. The license agreement expires in January 2019. These payments are being amortized over the life of the agreement. Several new competitors have entered the market and management has determined that the market opportunity for the licensed product has decreased. This development and the extended amount of time to develop the licensed product caused management to review the licensed product for impairment and recoverability. In Fiscal 2010, it was determined that the carrying value of the license subject to amortization was not fully recoverable; therefore, an impairment charge of $0.6 million was recorded for the excess of carrying value over the fair value of the license. The fair value of the license was determined through estimates of the present value of future cash flows based upon the anticipated future use of the license.

The Bruce operations were restructured in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 to focus primarily on a parts supply business versus furnace systems sales. The restructuring resulted in a charge of $620,000 in the second quarter of fiscal 2009. We conducted an assessment of the ability to recover the carrying amount of long-lived assets of the Bruce operations. It was determined that the carrying value of the net assets was not fully recoverable; therefore, an impairment charge of $373,000 was recorded in the second quarter of fiscal 2009 for the excess of carrying value over the fair value of the customer list and non-compete agreement. The carrying values of goodwill ($89,000) and the Bruce trademark ($592,000) were also recorded as an impairment charge in the second quarter of fiscal 2009.