Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Deferred Profit

The components of deferred profit are as follows:

	September 30,
	2013		2012		2011
	(dollars in thousands)
Deferred revenue	$	3,371	$	11,200	$	29,666
Deferred costs	304		964		2,058
Deferred profit	$	3,067	$	10,236	$	27,608

Allowance For Doubtful Accounts

The following is a summary of the activity in the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts:

	Years Ended September 30,
	2013			2012		2011
	(dollars in thousands)
Balance at beginning of year	$	517		$	246	$	181
Provision	199			271		115
Write offs	(78		)	—		(50		)
Balance at end of year	$	638		$	517	$	246

Schedule of Inventory, Current

The components of inventories are as follows:

	September 30, 2013		September 30, 2012
	(dollars in thousands)
Purchased parts and raw materials	$	11,757	$	19,644
Work-in-process	7,104		2,328
Finished goods	3,140		3,698
	$	22,001	$	25,670

Property, Plant and Equipment

The following is a summary of property, plant and equipment:

	September 30, 2013			September 30, 2012
	(dollars in thousands)
Land, building and leasehold improvements	$	10,960		$	10,476
Equipment and machinery	7,630			7,272
Furniture and fixtures	5,685			5,458
	24,275			23,206
Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(13,209		)	(10,819		)
	$	11,066		$	12,387

Schedule of Goodwill

The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the year ended September 30, 2013 are as follows.

	Solar and Semiconductor			Polishing Supplies and Equipment		Total
	(dollars in thousands)
Balance at the beginning of year
Goodwill	$	12,362		$	728	$	13,090
Accumulated impairment losses	(4,735		)	—		(4,735		)
	7,627			728		8,355
Net exchange differences	126			—		126
Balance at the end of the year
Goodwill	12,563			728		13,291
Accumulated impairment losses	(4,810		)	—		(4,810		)
	$	7,753		$	728	$	8,481

Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets

The following is a summary of intangibles:

	Useful Life	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
		Years Ended September 30,
		2013							2012
		(dollars in thousands)
Non-compete agreements	4-8 years	$	1,065	$	(717	)	$	348	$	1,057	$	(468	)	$	589
Customer lists	10 years	871		(532		)	339		828		(432		)	396
Technology	5-10 years	2,426		(1,422		)	1,004		2,341		(1,085		)	1,256
In-process research and development	(1)	1,600		—			1,600		1,600		—			1,600
Other	2-10 years	341		(130		)	211		325		(70		)	255
		$	6,303	$	(2,801	)	$	3,502	$	6,151	$	(2,055	)	$	4,096

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability

The following is a summary of activity in accrued warranty expense:

	Years Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2011
	(dollars in thousands)
Beginning balance	$	2,687		$	2,265		$	1,843
Warranty expenditures	(1,360		)	(1,831		)	(1,199		)
Reserve provision	127			2,253			1,621
Ending balance	$	1,454		$	2,687		$	2,265

Research and Development Expense

	Years Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2011
	(dollars in thousands)
Research and development	$	8,459		$	14,723		$	7,362
Grants earned	(1,865		)	(1,029		)	(1,578		)
Net research and development	$	6,594		$	13,694		$	5,784

Schedule of Compensation Cost for Share-based Payment Arrangements, Allocation of Share-based Compensation Costs by Plan

Stock-based compensation expense for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2013, 2012 and 2011 reduced the Company’s results of operations as follows:

	Years Ended September 30,
	2013			2012			2011
	(dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)
Effect on income before income taxes (1)	$	(2,472	)	$	(1,763	)	$	(1,470	)
Effect on income taxes	$	512		$	255		$	495
Effect on net income	$	(1,960	)	$	(1,508	)	$	(975	)

(1) Stock-based compensation expense is included in selling, general and administrative expense

Stock-based compensation plans are summarized in the table below:

Name of Plan	Shares Authorized	Shares Available	Options Outstanding	Plan Expiration
2007 Employee Stock Incentive Plan	1,400,000	194,142	839,004	Mar. 2020
1998 Employee Stock Option Plan	500,000	—	72,710	Jan. 2008
Non-Employee Directors Stock Option Plan	350,000	65,600	147,853	Mar. 2020
		259,742	1,059,567

Schedule of the fair value of stock option awards

The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model using the following assumptions:

	Years Ended September 30,
	2013	2012	2011
Risk free interest rate	1%	1%	2%
Expected life	6 years	6 years	6 years
Dividend rate	0%	0%	0%
Volatility	70%	70%	70%

Schedule of Multiemployer Plans

Below is a table of contributions made by the Company to multiemployer pension plans.

	Contributions
	Years Ended September 30,
	2013		2012		2011
	(dollars in thousands)
Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek (PMT)	$	879	$	1,021	$	913
Other plans	163		181		192
Total	$	1,042	$	1,202	$	1,105