Note 1 - General (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Conversion Number Of Shares Converted To Surviving Company (in Shares)	1
Provision for Doubtful Accounts	$ 100,000	$ 200,000	$ 100,000
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net	140,451,000	186,337,000
Concentration Risk, Sales Threshold Percentage Amount	10.00%
Cash, Uninsured Amount	31,500,000	29,200,000
Inventory Valuation Reserves	800,000	400,000
Research and Development Expense	7,736,000	7,046,000	8,578,000
Entec Composite Machines [Member] | Sales Revenue, Net [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	4.00%
Vestas Wind Systems [Member] | Sales Revenue, Net [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	44.00%	46.50%	28.10%
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net	61,800,000	86,600,000	42,700,000
Vestas Wind Systems [Member] | Accounts Receivable [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Gross	17,600,000	22,300,000
Saertex GMBH [Member] | Sales Revenue, Net [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			10.40%
Sales Revenue, Goods, Net			15,800,000
Zoltek Zrt. [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Assets, Net	$ 142,000,000
Zoltek Common Stock Outstanding Cash Conversion Price Per Share [Member]
Note 1 - General (Details) [Line Items]
Share Price (in Dollars per share)	$ 16.75