Long-Term Debt and Credit Arrangements (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 EUR (€)	Aug. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 Foreign Tranche [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 Malaysian Ringgit Tranche [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 Outstanding Letters of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2011 Outstanding Letters of Credit [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 Borrowings [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2011 Borrowings [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2012 Euro Notes [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2011 Euro Notes [Member] USD ($)
Short-term and Long-term Debt and Credit Arrangements
Senior notes, LIBOR plus 80 bps, due 2013	$ 30,000,000		$ 0
Notes payable and other, due within one year	5,411,000		11,550,000
Short-term debt	35,411,000		11,550,000
Revolving credit loan, LIBOR plus applicable spread, due 2016	117,000,000		85,000,000
Euro notes, 4.485%, due 2016	57,130,000		69,098,000
Senior notes, LIBOR plus 80 bps, due 2013	0		30,000,000
Capital leases and other long-term debt	336,000		500,000
Long-term debt	174,466,000		184,598,000
Revolving Facility maximum borrowing capacity	300,000,000		300,000,000	45,000,000	5,000,000
Revolving Facility additional borrowing capacity	150,000,000
Revolving Facility amount outstanding						1,700,000	1,900,000	117,000,000	85,000,000
Senior Notes variable interest rate	LIBOR plus 80 bps	LIBOR plus 80 bps
Euro Senior Notes		50,300,000
Fixed interest rate on long-term debt										4.485%
Notes payable amount outstanding										60,300,000	72,700,000
Pledge of subsidiary capital stock	65.00%	65.00%
Weighted average interest rate of short-term debt	1.80%	1.80%	5.60%
Short-term interest bearing debt			8,500,000
Foreign uncollateralized short-term lines of credit	48,098,000		65,436,000
Total gross available funds from credit lines and notes	348,098,000		365,436,000
Credit Facility	181,299,000		213,121,000
Foreign uncollateralized short-term lines of credit	43,752,000		58,437,000
Total net available funds from credit lines and notes	225,051,000		271,558,000
Credit lines and notes, amount outstanding less letters of credit	121,300,000		92,000,000
Fiscal 2013	35,411,000
2014	3,303,000
2015	3,250,000
2016	167,838,000
2017	$ 40,000