SEGMENT INFORMATION AND GEOGRAPHIES (Details Textuals) (USD $) In Thousands	12 Months Ended
Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2009
All discussions and amounts reported in this report are based on the reorganized segment structure.	The Company serves customers through two global businesses: Life Sciences and Industrial.The Life Sciences business group is focused on developing, manufacturing and selling products to customers in the Medical, BioPharmaceuticals and Food & Beverage markets. The Industrial business group is focused on developing, manufacturing and selling products to customers in the Aeropower, Microelectronics and Energy & Water markets. The chief executive officer manages the Company and makes key decisions about the allocation of Company resources based on the two businesses. The Company's reportable segments, which are also its operating segments, consist of its two businesses, Life Sciences and Industrial. The Business Groups are supported by shared facilities and personnel ("Shared Services Group") in the Company's subsidiaries that sell into both Life Sciences and Industrial markets. The Shared Services Group and Corporate Services Group facilitate the Company's corporate governance and business activities globally. Expenses associated with the Corporate Services Group, as well as interest expense, net, the provision for income taxes and restructuring and other charges are excluded from the measurement and evaluation of the profitability of the Company's reportable segments. Cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, investments and retirement benefit assets and income taxes, all of which are managed at the Corporate level, are included in Corporate/Shared Services Groups' assets. Furthermore assets not specifically identified to a business are also included in Corporate/Shared Services Groups' assets. Accounts receivable and inventory are in all cases specifically identified to a business.
U.S. Operations [Member]
Revenues	$ 846,000	$ 733,000	$ 715,000
Value of Export Sales made by the U.S. operations included in total Sales	56,000	43,300	86,000
Euro Zone [Member]
Revenues	725,000	665,000	672,000
Japan Operations [Member]
Revenues	$ 257,000	$ 230,000	$ 214,000

Revenues from external customers attributed to all foreign countries in total from which the entity derives revenues.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 131
-Paragraph 38
-Subparagraph a(2)
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 41
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6534315&loc=d3e9038-108599

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- Definition

Description of the factors used to identify reportable segments, including the basis of organization (for example, whether management has chosen to organize the enterprise around differences in products and services, geographic areas, regulatory environments, or a combination of factors and whether operating segments have been aggregated to reportable segments).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 131
-Paragraph 26
-Subparagraph a
-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

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Aggregate revenue recognized during the period (derived from goods sold, services rendered, insurance premiums, or other activities that constitute an entity's earning process). For financial services companies, also includes investment and interest income, and sales and trading gains.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 5
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

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