Basis Of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2016
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet of Regal Beloit Corporation (the “Company”) as of January 2, 2016, which has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements, and (b) unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements as of October 1, 2016 and for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016 and October 3, 2015, have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading. It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2016. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial results have been made. Except as otherwise discussed, such adjustments consist of only those of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2016. The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company uses estimates in accounting for, among other items, allowance for doubtful accounts; excess and obsolete inventory; share-based compensation; acquisitions; product warranty obligations; pension and post retirement assets and liabilities; derivative fair values; goodwill and other asset impairments; health care reserves; retirement benefits; rebates and incentives; litigation claims and contingencies, including environmental matters; and income taxes. The Company accounts for changes to estimates and assumptions when warranted by factually based experience. The Company operates on a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Change in Accounting Principles As of the beginning of its fiscal year 2016, the Company changed its inventory valuation method for the US inventory of the recently acquired Power Transmission Solutions (“PTS”) business to the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method from the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. This change affected approximately 9% of the Company’s inventory. The Company believed this change in accounting principle is preferable under the circumstances because LIFO would better match current costs with current revenues since the cost of raw materials has been volatile in recent years, resulting in greater consistency in inventory costing across the organization since LIFO is the method used for the majority of the Company's other US inventory, and better aligns with how management assesses the performance of the business. Because this change in accounting principle was immaterial in all annual or interim prior periods, it was not applied retrospectively. The change did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016. Also, as of the beginning of its fiscal year 2016, the Company changed its method of calculating LIFO inventories, which represented approximately 51% of the Company’s inventory. The Company reduced the number of LIFO inventory pools to three to align with the Company’s reportable segments. Previously, the Company had 10 LIFO inventory pools, some of which crossed reportable segments. The Company believed this change in accounting principle is preferable under the circumstances because fewer pools will simplify the LIFO calculations, combine inventory items with similarities within a reportable segment, and better align with how management assesses the performance of the businesses. The Company determined that it had the data needed to apply this change in accounting principle prospectively as of the beginning of its fiscal year 2014, but that full retrospective application is impracticable because the data is not available to determine the cumulative effect of the change. Because the effect of applying the change prospectively as of the beginning of fiscal 2014 is immaterial in any annual or interim period in fiscal years 2014 or 2015, the Company applied this change in accounting principle prospectively from the first day of fiscal year 2016. New Accounting Standards In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No.2016-16, which removes the prohibition in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 740 against the immediate recognition of the current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Under the ASU, the selling (transferring) entity is required to recognize a current tax expense or benefit upon transfer of the asset. Similarly, the purchasing (receiving) entity is required to recognize a deferred tax asset or deferred tax liability, as well as the related deferred tax benefit or expense, upon receipt of the asset. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of a fiscal year for which neither the annual or interim (if applicable) financial statements have been issued. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force), The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. For public business entities, the standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, provided that all of the amendments are adopted in the same period. The guidance requires application using a retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016 the FASB issued Accounting ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The ASU includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. Implementation and administration may present challenges for companies with significant share-based payment activities and there are various transition methods. The Company is required to adopt the new requirements in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new requirements on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. The core principle of ASU 2016-02 is that an entity should recognize on its balance sheet assets and liabilities arising from a lease. In accordance with that principle, ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying leased asset for the lease term. The recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee will depend on the lease classification as a finance or operating lease. This new accounting guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 under a modified retrospective approach and early adoption is permitted. The Company has identified a six step process to successfully implement the new Lease standard - Form a task force to become experts and take the lead on understanding and implementing the new Lease standard; Update lease inventories; Decide on transition method; Review legal agreements and debt covenants; Consider IT needs; Discuss with stakeholders. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and has commenced the first step of identifying a task force to take the lead in implementing the new Lease standard. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The ASU is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract. ASU No. 2014-09 (and related updates) will become effective for the Company at the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the standard. The Company has identified a four step process to successfully implement the new Revenue standard - Complete accounting analysis; Identify system, process and control changes; Implement system, process and control changes; Test controls. The Company is currently in the process of completing the accounting analysis and assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which clarifies the guidance in Topic 606 on assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-12 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance in Topic 606. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-10 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends the principal-versus-agent implementation guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 (Topic 606). ASU No. 2016-08 clarifies the principal-versus-agent guidance in Topic 606 and requires an entity to determine whether the nature of its promise to provide goods or services to a customer is performed in a principal or agent capacity and to recognize revenue in a gross or net manner based on its principal/agent designation.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet of Regal Beloit Corporation (the “Company”) as of January 2, 2016, which has been derived from audited consolidated financial statements, and (b) unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements as of October 1, 2016 and for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016 and October 3, 2015, have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP"), have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, although the Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.

It is suggested that these condensed consolidated financial statements be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s 2015 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 2, 2016.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation of financial results have been made. Except as otherwise discussed, such adjustments consist of only those of a normal recurring nature. Operating results for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year ending December 31, 2016.

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, which require the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Company uses estimates in accounting for, among other items, allowance for doubtful accounts; excess and obsolete inventory; share-based compensation; acquisitions; product warranty obligations; pension and post retirement assets and liabilities; derivative fair values; goodwill and other asset impairments; health care reserves; retirement benefits; rebates and incentives; litigation claims and contingencies, including environmental matters; and income taxes. The Company accounts for changes to estimates and assumptions when warranted by factually based experience.

The Company operates on a 52/53 week fiscal year ending on the Saturday closest to December 31.

Change in Accounting Principles

As of the beginning of its fiscal year 2016, the Company changed its inventory valuation method for the US inventory of the recently acquired Power Transmission Solutions (“PTS”) business to the last-in, first-out ("LIFO") method from the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. This change affected approximately 9% of the Company’s inventory. The Company believed this change in accounting principle is preferable under the circumstances because LIFO would better match current costs with current revenues since the cost of raw materials has been volatile in recent years, resulting in greater consistency in inventory costing across the organization since LIFO is the method used for the majority of the Company's other US inventory, and better aligns with how management assesses the performance of the business. Because this change in accounting principle was immaterial in all annual or interim prior periods, it was not applied retrospectively. The change did not have a material impact on the condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine months ended October 1, 2016.

Also, as of the beginning of its fiscal year 2016, the Company changed its method of calculating LIFO inventories, which represented approximately 51% of the Company’s inventory. The Company reduced the number of LIFO inventory pools to three to align with the Company’s reportable segments. Previously, the Company had 10 LIFO inventory pools, some of which crossed reportable segments. The Company believed this change in accounting principle is preferable under the circumstances because fewer pools will simplify the LIFO calculations, combine inventory items with similarities within a reportable segment, and better align with how management assesses the performance of the businesses. The Company determined that it had the data needed to apply this change in accounting principle prospectively as of the beginning of its fiscal year 2014, but that full retrospective application is impracticable because the data is not available to determine the cumulative effect of the change. Because the effect of applying the change prospectively as of the beginning of fiscal 2014 is immaterial in any annual or interim period in fiscal years 2014 or 2015, the Company applied this change in accounting principle prospectively from the first day of fiscal year 2016.

New Accounting Standards

In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No.2016-16, which removes the prohibition in Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 740 against the immediate recognition of the current and deferred income tax effects of intra-entity transfers of assets other than inventory. Under the ASU, the selling (transferring) entity is required to recognize a current tax expense or benefit upon transfer of the asset. Similarly, the purchasing (receiving) entity is required to recognize a deferred tax asset or deferred tax liability, as well as the related deferred tax benefit or expense, upon receipt of the asset. For public business entities, the ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption is permitted for all entities as of the beginning of a fiscal year for which neither the annual or interim (if applicable) financial statements have been issued. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force), The new guidance is intended to reduce diversity in practice in how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. For public business entities, the standard is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted, provided that all of the amendments are adopted in the same period. The guidance requires application using a retrospective transition method. The Company is currently assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016 the FASB issued Accounting ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation—Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The ASU includes multiple provisions intended to simplify various aspects of the accounting for share-based payments. Implementation and administration may present challenges for companies with significant share-based payment activities and there are various transition methods. The Company is required to adopt the new requirements in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new requirements on its consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. The core principle of ASU 2016-02 is that an entity should recognize on its balance sheet assets and liabilities arising from a lease. In accordance with that principle, ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee recognize a liability to make lease payments (the lease liability) and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying leased asset for the lease term. The recognition, measurement, and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee will depend on the lease classification as a finance or operating lease. This new accounting guidance is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 under a modified retrospective approach and early adoption is permitted. The Company has identified a six step process to successfully implement the new Lease standard - Form a task force to become experts and take the lead on understanding and implementing the new Lease standard; Update lease inventories; Decide on transition method; Review legal agreements and debt covenants; Consider IT needs; Discuss with stakeholders. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and has commenced the first step of identifying a task force to take the lead in implementing the new Lease standard.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. The ASU is based on the principle that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to fulfill a contract.

ASU No. 2014-09 (and related updates) will become effective for the Company at the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach for the adoption of the standard. The Company has identified a four step process to successfully implement the new Revenue standard - Complete accounting analysis; Identify system, process and control changes; Implement system, process and control changes; Test controls. The Company is currently in the process of completing the accounting analysis and assessing the impact that this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, which clarifies the guidance in Topic 606 on assessing collectibility, presentation of sales taxes, noncash consideration, and completed contracts and contract modifications at transition. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-12 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies the identification of performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance in Topic 606. The amendments in ASU No. 2016-10 do not change the core principles of the guidance in Topic 606.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net), which amends the principal-versus-agent implementation guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 (Topic 606). ASU No. 2016-08 clarifies the principal-versus-agent guidance in Topic 606 and requires an entity to determine whether the nature of its promise to provide goods or services to a customer is performed in a principal or agent capacity and to recognize revenue in a gross or net manner based on its principal/agent designation.