Reportable Business Segments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 item	Sep. 30, 2011
Reportable Business Segments
Number of reportable business segments			2
Segment reporting information
Net sales - external	$ 1,103,376	$ 1,032,754	$ 3,146,087	$ 2,991,077
Segment operating income	215,670	186,059	607,125	587,018
Total
Segment reporting information
Net sales - external	1,103,376	1,032,754	3,146,087	2,991,077
Net sales - intersegment	5,497	7,857	17,933	21,600
Segment operating income	233,214	215,485	657,793	629,936
Interconnect Products and Assemblies
Segment reporting information
Net sales - external	1,033,309	957,153	2,926,834	2,778,418
Net sales - intersegment	1,434	1,818	3,429	4,801
Segment operating income	224,517	205,611	627,962	603,103
Cable Products
Segment reporting information
Net sales - external	70,067	75,601	219,253	212,659
Net sales - intersegment	4,063	6,039	14,504	16,799
Segment operating income	$ 8,697	$ 9,874	$ 29,831	$ 26,833

Number of operating segments. An operating segment is a component of an enterprise: (a) that engages in business activities from which it may earn revenues and incur expenses (including revenues and expenses relating to transactions with other components of the same enterprise), (b) whose operating results are regularly reviewed by the enterprise's chief operating decision maker to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and (c) for which discrete financial information is available. An operating segment may engage in business activities for which it has yet to earn revenues, for example, start-up operations may be operating segments before earning revenues.

No definition available.

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- Definition

The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

+ References

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- Definition

Amount of revenue from transactions with other operating segments of the same entity.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 131

-Paragraph 27

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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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- Definition

Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: 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(a))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6880815&loc=d3e20235-122688

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

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

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