Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policy)	9 Months Ended
Jul. 02, 2011
Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Plexus Corp. and its subsidiaries ("Plexus" or the "Company") without audit and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In the opinion of the Company, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the consolidated financial position of the Company as of July 2, 2011, and the results of operations for the three and nine months ended July 2, 2011 and July 3, 2010, and the cash flows for the same nine month periods. Certain information and footnote disclosures, normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the SEC's rules and regulations dealing with interim financial statements. However, the Company believes that the disclosures made in the condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30. The Company also uses a "4-4-5" weekly accounting system for the interim periods in each quarter. Each quarter therefore ends on a Saturday at the end of the 4-4-5 period. Periodically, an additional week must be added to the fiscal year to re-align with the Saturday closest to September 30. The accounting periods for the three and nine months ended July 2, 2011 and July 3, 2010 each included 91 days and 273 days, respectively. In the fiscal first quarter of 2011, as previously announced, we completed our migration to a regional reporting structure. This change included establishing regional targets for various financial metrics, delegating additional authority to the regions to manage their business, and changing our related internal reporting. Given this change to regional reporting and management, as well as in the information used by management for assessing performance and allocating Company resources, we modified our reporting segments. Prior to fiscal 2011, the Company's reportable segments consisted of the United States, Asia, Europe and Mexico. During the fiscal first quarter of 2011, we combined our United States and Mexico segments into the "Americas" (AMER) segment and renamed our Asia segment "Asia Pacific" (APAC) and our Europe segment "Europe, Middle East and Africa" (EMEA) to better represent our long-range regional focus. As a result, we have conformed all prior period segment presentations to be consistent with our current reportable segments. See Note 10 - Business Segment, Geographic and Major Customer Information for further information.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents: Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments	Fair Value of Financial Instruments The Company holds financial instruments consisting of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, debt, and capital lease obligations. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and capital lease obligations as reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements approximate fair value. Accounts receivable were reflected at net realizable value based on anticipated losses due to potentially uncollectible balances. Anticipated losses were based on management's analysis of historical losses and changes in customers' credit status. The fair value of the Company's long-term debt was $302.4 million and $105.2 million as of July 2, 2011 and October 2, 2010, respectively. The carrying value of the Company's long-term debt was $276.3 million and $112.5 million as of July 2, 2011 and October 2, 2010, respectively. The Company uses quoted market prices when available or discounted cash flows to calculate the fair value of its term loan debt. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (or exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The accounting guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. The input levels are: Level 1: Quoted (observable) market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 2: Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability. Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the asset or liability.

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policy)

9 Months Ended

Jul. 02, 2011

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by Plexus Corp. and its subsidiaries ("Plexus" or the "Company") without audit and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). In the opinion of the Company, the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which include normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair statement of the consolidated financial position of the Company as of July 2, 2011, and the results of operations for the three and nine months ended July 2, 2011 and July 3, 2010, and the cash flows for the same nine month periods.

Certain information and footnote disclosures, normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, have been condensed or omitted pursuant to the SEC's rules and regulations dealing with interim financial statements. However, the Company believes that the disclosures made in the condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The Company's fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to September 30. The Company also uses a "4-4-5" weekly accounting system for the interim periods in each quarter. Each quarter therefore ends on a Saturday at the end of the 4-4-5 period. Periodically, an additional week must be added to the fiscal year to re-align with the Saturday closest to September 30. The accounting periods for the three and nine months ended July 2, 2011 and July 3, 2010 each included 91 days and 273 days, respectively.

In the fiscal first quarter of 2011, as previously announced, we completed our migration to a regional reporting structure. This change included establishing regional targets for various financial metrics, delegating additional authority to the regions to manage their business, and changing our related internal reporting. Given this change to regional reporting and management, as well as in the information used by management for assessing performance and allocating Company resources, we modified our reporting segments. Prior to fiscal 2011, the Company's reportable segments consisted of the United States, Asia, Europe and Mexico. During the fiscal first quarter of 2011, we combined our United States and Mexico segments into the "Americas" (AMER) segment and renamed our Asia segment "Asia Pacific" (APAC) and our Europe segment "Europe, Middle East and Africa" (EMEA) to better represent our long-range regional focus. As a result, we have conformed all prior period segment presentations to be consistent with our current reportable segments. See Note 10 - Business Segment, Geographic and Major Customer Information for further information.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and Cash Equivalents:

Cash and cash equivalents include highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the time of purchase.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company holds financial instruments consisting of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, debt, and capital lease obligations. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and capital lease obligations as reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements approximate fair value. Accounts receivable were reflected at net realizable value based on anticipated losses due to potentially uncollectible balances. Anticipated losses were based on management's analysis of historical losses and changes in customers' credit status. The fair value of the Company's long-term debt was $302.4 million and $105.2 million as of July 2, 2011 and October 2, 2010, respectively. The carrying value of the Company's long-term debt was $276.3 million and $112.5 million as of July 2, 2011 and October 2, 2010, respectively. The Company uses quoted market prices when available or discounted cash flows to calculate the fair value of its term loan debt.

Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (or exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. The accounting guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy based on three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value. The input levels are:

Level 1: Quoted (observable) market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability.

Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the asset or liability.