Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
		Oct. 31, 2015		Jul. 31, 2015	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2015		Oct. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 67,611			$ 91,292	$ 205,402		$ 288,287
Operating income		(9,823)			10,159	3,820		37,387
Administrative and general expenses		(3,802)			(4,935)	(13,322)		(15,690)
Goodwill impairment loss		11,497			0	11,497		0
Long-lived asset impairment loss		3,813			0	3,813		0
Applied Technology Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		21,344			33,161	74,165		115,696
Operating income	[1]	3,299			6,447	16,081		31,132
Gain on disposal of asset		0				611
Goodwill impairment loss						0
Engineered Films [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		36,919			41,249	104,029		125,755
Operating income		6,145			5,486	15,981		17,165
Goodwill impairment loss						0
Aerostar Division [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		9,456			19,257	27,338		56,179
Operating income		(15,474)	[2]		3,027	(15,013)	[2]	4,666
Goodwill impairment loss						0
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	[3]	(108)			(2,375)	(130)		(9,343)
Operating income	[3]	9			134	93		114
Corporate Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income		(6,021)			$ 15,094	17,142		$ 53,077
Cost of Sales [Member] | Vista Research [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Reduction in fair value of contingent consideration liability						2,273
Cost of Sales [Member] | Vista Research [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Pre-contract deferred costs written off		2,933				2,933
Pre-contract costs deferred to inventory		858		$ 2,075
Reduction in fair value of contingent consideration liability		2,273
Operating Income (Loss) [Member] | Vista Research [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment loss		$ 11,497				11,497
Long-lived asset impairment loss						$ 3,813

[1] (b) Includes gains of $611 for the nine-month period ended October 31, 2015 on disposal of assets related to the exit of contract manufacturing operations.

[2] (c) The three- and nine-month periods ended October 31, 2015 include pre-contract cost write-offs of $2,933 (which is comprised of $2,075 of costs capitalized as of July 31, 2015 and additional costs of $858 capitalized during August and September 2015), a goodwill impairment loss of $11,497, a long-lived asset impairment loss of $3,813, and a reduction of $2,273 of an acquisition-related contingent liability for Vista as a result of changes in expected sales and cash flows.

[3] (a) Fiscal 2016 intersegment sales were primarily sales from Engineered Films to Aerostar. Fiscal 2015 intersegment sales were comprised primarily of contract manufacturing sales from Aerostar to Applied Technology.