Summary of Fair Values of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed Purchase Price Allocation (Details) $ in Thousands, € in Millions, £ in Millions					12 Months Ended
	May 01, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 03, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 10, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 10, 2017 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	May 01, 2018 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jul. 03, 2017 EUR (€)	Jan. 10, 2017 GBP (£)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill					$ 217,662		$ 210,988
Total purchase price paid by Novanta					$ 33,500
Zettlex Holdings Limited
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash	$ 3,776
Accounts receivable	2,237
Inventories	928
Property, plant and equipment	2,590
Intangible assets	14,585
Goodwill	11,790
Other assets	145
Total assets acquired	36,051
Accounts payable	509
Accrued expenses and other liabilities	1,035
Deferred tax liabilities	2,481
Total liabilities assumed	4,025
Total assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed	32,026					£ 23.3
Less: cash acquired	3,776
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired	$ 28,250
World of Medicine GmbH
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash		$ 1,400
Accounts receivable		11,807
Inventories		14,549
Property, plant and equipment		21,940
Intangible assets		59,732
Goodwill		55,632
Other assets		2,660
Total assets acquired		167,720
Accounts payable		4,398
Other liabilities		8,681
Deferred tax liabilities		19,707
Total liabilities assumed		32,786
Total assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed		134,934						€ 118.1
Less: cash acquired		1,400
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired		$ 133,534
Laser Quantum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash			$ 15,343
Accounts receivable			2,739
Inventories			6,264
Property, plant and equipment			2,286
Intangible assets			38,955
Goodwill			31,168
Other assets			717
Total assets acquired			97,472
Accounts payable			796
Other liabilities			2,068
Deferred tax liabilities			7,337
Total liabilities assumed			10,201
Total assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed			87,271
Less: fair value of equity interest previously held by Novanta			34,637
Less: fair value of noncontrolling interest			21,582						£ 17.7
Total purchase price paid by Novanta			31,052	£ 25.5
Less: cash acquired			15,343
Total purchase price, net of cash acquired			15,709
ThingMagic
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Inventories			1,832
Intangible assets			7,423
Goodwill			9,929
Total assets acquired			19,184
Other liabilities			95
Total liabilities assumed			95
Total assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed			$ 19,089