SEGMENT INFORMATION AND GEOGRAPHIES (Details) (USD $) In Thousands	12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	$ 2,740,916	$ 2,401,932	$ 2,329,158
Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Total segment profit	533,391	444,633	386,123
Corporate Services Group	61,125	53,411	56,478
Operating profit	472,266	391,222	329,645
ROTC	33,841	17,664	30,723
Interest expense, net	18,903	14,324	28,136
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	31,513	0
Earnings before income taxes	419,522	327,721	270,786
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION	98,106	93,628	89,439
Segment Reporting Information Expenditures For Additions To Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES	160,771	136,313	133,049
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	3,232,416	2,999,212
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	2,740,916	2,401,932	2,329,158
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	3,232,416	2,999,212
Life Sciences Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	1,407,863	1,237,835	1,166,275
Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Total segment profit	337,600	280,089	234,055
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION	57,282	54,882	51,838
Segment Reporting Information Expenditures For Additions To Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES	55,313	59,882	73,915
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,097,616	1,068,697
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	1,407,863	1,237,835	1,166,275
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,097,616	1,068,697
Industrial Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	1,333,053	1,164,097	1,162,883
Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Total segment profit	195,791	164,544	152,068
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION	38,585	36,922	36,170
Segment Reporting Information Expenditures For Additions To Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES	41,361	32,175	42,033
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,011,778	903,740
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	1,333,053	1,164,097	1,162,883
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,011,778	903,740
Total Before Corporate [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION	95,867	91,804	88,008
Segment Reporting Information Expenditures For Additions To Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES	96,674	92,057	115,948
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	2,109,394	1,972,437
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	2,109,394	1,972,437
Corporate [Member]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization [Abstract]
DEPRECIATION AND AMORTIZATION	2,239	1,824	1,431
Segment Reporting Information Expenditures For Additions To Long Lived Assets [Abstract]
CAPITAL EXPENDITURES	64,097	44,256	17,101
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,123,022	1,026,775
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,123,022	1,026,775
Western Hemisphere [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	917,109	789,361	769,702
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,108,943	1,098,019
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	917,109	789,361	769,702
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	1,108,943	1,098,019
Europe [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	1,055,075	945,952	960,307
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	695,297	621,959
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	1,055,075	945,952	960,307
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	695,297	621,959
Asia [Member]
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
SALES	768,732	666,619	599,149
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	375,283	304,671
Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas [Abstract]
SALES	768,732	666,619	599,149
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	375,283	304,671
Intersegment Elimination [Member]
Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	(70,129)	(52,212)
Geographic Areas, Long-Lived Assets [Abstract]
IDENTIFIABLE ASSETS	$ (70,129)	$ (52,212)

Entity Wide Information About Revenue By Geographic Areas.

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Earnings of segments before restructuring and other charges (ROTC), income taxes, extraordinary items, discontinued operations, and cumulative effect and loss on estingushment of debt.

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General corporate expenses are not traceable to individual segments/divisions/products, and are only taken into consideration in the overall corporate income calculations. This type of reporting helps remove the bias that can result from arbitrary allocation of common costs and is sometimes helpful in identifying which business segments are targets for expansion, restructure, or discontinuance.

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Segment Reporting Information Identifiable Assets.

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Sum of the carrying amounts as of the balance sheet date of all assets that are recognized. Assets are probable future economic benefits obtained or controlled by an entity as a result of past transactions or events.

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The aggregate expense recognized in the current period that allocates the cost of tangible assets, intangible assets, or depleting assets to periods that benefit from use of the assets.

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Amount represents the difference between the fair value of the payments made and the carrying amount of the debt at the time of its extinguishment.

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This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations attributable to the economic entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses from ongoing operations, after income or loss from equity method investments, but before income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale; includes cash outflows to pay for construction of self-constructed assets.

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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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