Significant accounting policies (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010	Oct. 31, 2009
Significant Accounting Policies (Textuals) [Abstract]
Advertising costs	$ 9,008	$ 8,267	$ 6,512
Research and development costs incurred	26,997	23,835	25,528
Number of shares excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share	71	17
Maturity period of highly liquid instruments	90 days or less
Maturity period of marketable securities	Greater than 90 days
Percentage of LIFO Method valuation of inventory	26.00%	25.00%
Consolidated inventories under FIFO method	6,779	7,855
Increased cost of goods sold under LIFO liquidation			85
Standard product warranty period	1 year
Interest charges capitalized [Member]
Property Plant And Equipment [Line Items]
Interest charges capitalized	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

Interest costs incurred capitalized.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Maturity period of highly liquid instruments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Maturity period of marketable securities.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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- Definition

Standard product warranty period.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Number 93-7

+ Details

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- Definition

Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because to do so would increase EPS amounts or decrease loss per share amounts for the period presented.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 128

-Paragraph 13, 14

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 128

-Paragraph 171

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 128

-Paragraph 40

-Subparagraph c

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- Definition

The effect of liquidating LIFO (last in first out) inventory layers on income.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 11

-Section F

+ Details

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- Definition

Reflects the difference between (a) inventory at the lower of LIFO cost or market and (b) inventory at replacement cost or at the lower of some acceptable inventory accounting method (such as FIFO or average cost), or market. If material, reflects an excess of replacement or current cost over stated LIFO value parenthetically on the balance sheet or in a note to the financial statements.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph c

-Article 5

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- Definition

The percentage of LIFO (last in first out) inventory to total inventory as of the balance sheet date if other than 100 percent.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Details

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- Definition

The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph g

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 2

-Paragraph 12, 13

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 86

-Paragraph 11, 12

+ Details

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