Debt (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) Banks	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Debt [Line Items]
Current maturities of long-term debt	$ 4,662	$ 4,528
Osborn [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Amount of credit facility	6,457
Borrowings outstanding	$ 0
Unused facility fee as a percentage of line of credit	0.75%
Under utilized facility resulting in unused facility fee	50.00%
Performance bank guarantee, subsidiary obligation to fulfill contracts	$ 1,351
Available credit under the facility	$ 5,106
Interest rate at period end	10.50%
Astec Brazil Working Capital Loans [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Borrowings outstanding	$ 9,502
Number of banks with outstanding working capital loans \| Banks	3
Minimum interest rate	10.40%
Maximum interest rate	20.80%
Astec Brazil Working Capital Loans [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Maturity date	Dec. 31, 2016
Astec Brazil Working Capital Loans [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Maturity date	Apr. 30, 2024
Astec Brazil Equipment Financing [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Term loan	5 years
Number of banks with outstanding working capital loans \| Banks	2
Minimum interest rate	3.50%
Maximum interest rate	16.30%
Astec Brazil Working Capital Loans and Equipment Financing [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Current maturities of long-term debt	$ 4,662
Long-term debt	$ 6,261
South American Prime Rate [Member] \| Osborn [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.25%
Wells Fargo [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Borrowings outstanding	$ 0
Amount of letters of credit outstanding	17,569
Line of credit, additional borrowing capacity	$ 82,431
Term loan	5 years
Maturity date	Apr. 30, 2017
Interest rate at period end	1.19%
Wells Fargo [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Amount of credit facility	$ 100,000
Sub-limit for letters of credit	25,000
Wells Fargo [Member] \| Astec Brazil Working Capital Loans [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Contingent liabilities for letters of credit issued on behalf of foreign subsidiaries	$ 11,874
Wells Fargo [Member] \| LIBOR [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Additional rate over base, percentage	0.75%
Unused facility fee as a percentage of line of credit	0.175%
Equipment Financing Loans [Member] \| Astec Brazil [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Borrowings outstanding	$ 1,421
Equipment Financing Loans [Member] \| Astec Brazil [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Maturity date	Sep. 30, 2018
Equipment Financing Loans [Member] \| Astec Brazil [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt [Line Items]
Maturity date	Apr. 30, 2020

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit issued on behalf of foreign subsidiaries.

No definition available.

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Additional borrowing capacity under the credit facility due to a new amended and restated credit agreement between the Company and the Wells Fargo.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The additional percentage interest rate above the base rate of LIBOR, Prime or whatever the base rate is based on.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Refers to banks with outstanding working capital loans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Performance bank guarantee issued by foreign subsidiaries banks to foreign subsidiaries customers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum dollar amount of letters of credit that can be issued against the primary line of credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The under utilized credit facility resulting in the unused facility fee, stated as a percentage.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Percentage points added to the reference rate to compute the variable rate on the debt instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Maximum contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Minimum contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-SubTopic 10
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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))
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- Definition

Period of time between issuance and maturity of debt instrument, in PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The total amount of the contingent obligation under letters of credit outstanding as of the reporting date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current and noncurrent portions of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.16)
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Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19, 20, 22
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- Definition

Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
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- Definition

The effective interest rate at the end of the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
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-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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- Definition

Amount of borrowing capacity currently available under the credit facility (current borrowing capacity less the amount of borrowings outstanding).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
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- Definition

The fee, expressed as a percentage of the line of credit facility, for available but unused credit capacity under the credit facility.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Carrying amount of long-term debt, net of unamortized discount or premium, including current and noncurrent amounts. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 20, 22
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- Definition

Amount of long-term debt, after unamortized discount or premium, scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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