Segment and Geographic Area Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Business Segments - (Details) [Abstract]
Number of market-focused segments									4
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 739,204,000	$ 712,705,000	$ 699,871,000	$ 645,309,000	$ 679,479,000	$ 605,088,000	$ 567,104,000	$ 534,441,000	$ 2,797,089,000	$ 2,386,112,000	$ 2,049,668,000
Operating profit	187,354,000	167,215,000	163,970,000	142,000,000	166,158,000	128,233,000	119,187,000	100,716,000	660,539,000	514,294,000	395,396,000
Assets:
Capital expenditures									40,702,000	28,591,000	25,885,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Net sales	739,204,000	712,705,000	699,871,000	645,309,000	679,479,000	605,088,000	567,104,000	534,441,000	2,797,089,000	2,386,112,000	2,049,668,000
Export sales from the United States $									410,000,000	358,000,000	301,000,000
Minimum percent of total sales generated in Canada									5.00%
United States[Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									2,138,877,000	1,883,999,000	1,613,713,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Sales to unaffiliated customers									1,985,756,000	1,758,797,000	1,526,390,000
Sales between geographic areas									153,121,000	125,202,000	87,323,000
Net sales									2,138,877,000	1,883,999,000	1,613,713,000
Long-lived assets									135399	104147	124382
Canada [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.1400
Non-U.S. [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									1,040,916,000	801,580,000	649,371,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Sales to unaffiliated customers									811,333,000	627,315,000	523,278,000
Sales between geographic areas									229,583,000	174,265,000	126,093,000
Net sales									1,040,916,000	801,580,000	649,371,000
Long-lived assets									35729	29834	28922
Europe [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.2400
Eliminations [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									(382,704,000)	(299,467,000)	(213,416,000)
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Sales to unaffiliated customers									0	0	0
Sales between geographic areas									(382,704,000)	(299,467,000)	(213,416,000)
Net sales									(382,704,000)	(299,467,000)	(213,416,000)
Long-lived assets									-	-	0
Asia [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.3400
Middle East [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.1300
Rest of the World [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.0900
South America [Member]
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Export sales from the United States %									0.0600
Industrial Technology [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									737,356,000	607,564,000	536,219,000
Operating profit									208,188,000	162,009,000	123,959,000
Assets:
Operating assets	219,180,000				179,458,000				219,180,000	179,458,000	165,651,000
Intangible assets, net	597,769,000				610,542,000				597,769,000	610,542,000	635,147,000
Other	27,376,000				47,451,000				27,376,000	47,451,000	(51,000)
Capital expenditures									11,153,000	8,849,000	13,977,000
Depreciation and other amortization									23,119,000	23,660,000	24,636,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Net sales									737,356,000	607,564,000	536,219,000
Industrial Technology [Member] | Canada [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									64,864,000	44,678,000	40,121,000
Industrial Technology [Member] | Europe [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									110,656,000	91,815,000	79,000,000
Industrial Technology [Member] | Asia [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									67,093,000	49,232,000	41,364,000
Industrial Technology [Member] | Middle East [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									3,964,000	2,805,000	4,040,000
Industrial Technology [Member] | Rest of the World [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									33,721,000	22,328,000	12,256,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									597,802,000	503,897,000	440,919,000
Operating profit									157,960,000	120,427,000	92,788,000
Assets:
Operating assets	194,527,000				166,554,000				194,527,000	166,554,000	166,461,000
Intangible assets, net	535,606,000				518,849,000				535,606,000	518,849,000	532,022,000
Other	58,714,000				76,686,000				58,714,000	76,686,000	8,016,000
Capital expenditures									6,889,000	3,466,000	3,185,000
Depreciation and other amortization									18,177,000	18,472,000	18,736,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Net sales									597,802,000	503,897,000	440,919,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member] | Canada [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									39,547,000	27,360,000	25,746,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member] | Europe [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									148,767,000	135,019,000	118,770,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member] | Asia [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									118,565,000	100,094,000	85,323,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member] | Middle East [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									44,792,000	34,912,000	28,121,000
Energy Systems And Controls [Member] | Rest of the World [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									63,064,000	55,280,000	48,657,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									610,617,000	548,718,000	354,776,000
Operating profit									148,376,000	130,558,000	74,183,000
Assets:
Operating assets	176,893,000				170,955,000				176,893,000	170,955,000	172,805,000
Intangible assets, net	971,584,000				791,611,000				971,584,000	791,611,000	787,884,000
Other	35,916,000				24,694,000				35,916,000	24,694,000	7,219,000
Capital expenditures									12,498,000	7,269,000	2,126,000
Depreciation and other amortization									34,224,000	27,991,000	16,691,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Net sales									610,617,000	548,718,000	354,776,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member] | Canada [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									21,127,000	15,306,000	7,251,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member] | Europe [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									162,725,000	126,116,000	98,328,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member] | Asia [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									86,807,000	79,343,000	65,687,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member] | Middle East [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									5,062,000	5,853,000	2,162,000
Medical and Scientific Imaging [Member] | Rest of the World [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									17,194,000	15,169,000	9,424,000
RF Technology [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Net sales									851,314,000	725,933,000	717,754,000
Operating profit									202,877,000	150,711,000	154,430,000
Assets:
Operating assets	237,719,000				256,016,000				237,719,000	256,016,000	238,249,000
Intangible assets, net	1,855,609,000				1,911,291,000				1,855,609,000	1,911,291,000	1,302,279,000
Other	(104,869,000)				(91,099,000)				(104,869,000)	(91,099,000)	(27,825,000)
Capital expenditures									9,634,000	8,976,000	6,291,000
Depreciation and other amortization									64,329,000	52,709,000	43,183,000
Schedule of Entity Wide Information About Geographic Areas [Line Items]
Net sales									851,314,000	725,933,000	717,754,000
RF Technology [Member] | Canada [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									40,636,000	35,270,000	30,184,000
RF Technology [Member] | Europe [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									88,741,000	64,605,000	48,849,000
RF Technology [Member] | Asia [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									8,833,000	5,389,000	6,157,000
RF Technology [Member] | Middle East [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									28,406,000	22,387,000	28,316,000
RF Technology [Member] | Rest of the World [Member]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries [Line Items]
Entity-Wide Disclosure on Geographic Areas, Revenue from External Customers Attributed to Individual Foreign Countries									9,790,000	10,542,000	11,042,000
Corporate [Member]
Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Line Items]
Operating profit									(56,862,000)	(49,411,000)	(49,964,000)
Assets:
Operating assets	19,824,000				17,517,000				19,824,000	17,517,000	13,894,000
Other	418,000				(94,237,000)				418,000	(94,237,000)	(33,281,000)
Capital expenditures									528,000	31,000	306,000
Depreciation and other amortization									$ 294,000	$ 189,000	$ 202,000