Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Oct. 01, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Materion Corporation and its subsidiaries (referred to herein as the Company, our, we, or us) contain all of the adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods reported. All adjustments were of a normal and recurring nature. Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the 2021 consolidated financial statement presentation.These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The interim period results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.
Business Combinations	Business Combinations: The Company records assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition at their respective fair values. Any intangible assets acquired in a business combination are recognized and reported apart from goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess purchase price over the fair value of the tangible net assets and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Acquisition-related expenses are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.
Change in Accounting Principle	Change in Accounting Principle: During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company elected to change its method for valuing its inventories at locations that previously used the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method to the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The Company believes that the FIFO method is preferable as it improves comparability with its most similar peers, it more closely resembles the physical flow of its inventory (i.e., it provides better matching of revenues and expenses), and it results in uniformity across a significant majority of the Company’s inventory. The effects of the change in accounting principle from LIFO to FIFO were retrospectively applied. As a result of the retrospective application of the change in accounting principle, certain financial statement line items in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of September 25, 2020 and the consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020 were adjusted as necessary. For further information, refer to the Company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
New Pronouncements Adopted/New Accounting Guidance Issued and Not Yet Adopted	New Pronouncements Adopted: In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing various exceptions, such as the exception to the incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation when there is a loss from continuing operations and income or a gain from other items. The amendments in this update also simplify the accounting for income taxes related to income-based franchise taxes and require that an entity reflect enacted tax laws or rates in the annual effective tax rate computation in the interim period that includes the enactment date. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2021. The adoption did not materially impact the Company's financial statements or disclosures. New Accounting Guidance Issued and Not Yet Adopted: In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This guidance is intended to provide temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the U.S. GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burden related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. This guidance is available immediately and may be implemented in any period prior to the guidance expiration on December 31, 2022. The Company is currently assessing which of its various contracts will require an update for a new reference rate, and will determine the timing for implementation of this guidance at the completion of that analysis.No other recently issued or effective ASUs had, or are expected to have, a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.
Revenue Recognition	Net sales consist primarily of revenue from the sale of precious and non-precious specialty metals, beryllium and copper-based alloys, beryllium composites, and other products into numerous end markets. The Company requires an agreement with a customer that creates enforceable rights and performance obligations. The Company generally recognizes revenue, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled, upon satisfaction of a performance obligation, by transferring control over a product to the customer. Control over the product is generally transferred to the customer when the Company has a present right to payment, the customer has legal title, the customer has physical possession, the customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership, and/or the customer has accepted the product. Transaction Price Allocated to Future Performance Obligations: Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requires that the Company disclose the aggregate amount of transaction price that is allocated to performance obligations that have not yet been satisfied at October 1, 2021. Remaining performance obligations include non-cancelable purchase orders and customer contracts. The guidance provides certain practical expedients that limit this requirement. As such, the Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less.

Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Oct. 01, 2021

Basis of Presentation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements of Materion Corporation and its subsidiaries (referred to herein as the Company, our, we, or us) contain all of the adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods reported. All adjustments were of a normal and recurring nature. Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the 2021 consolidated financial statement presentation.These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The interim period results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.

Business Combinations

Business Combinations: The Company records assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the date of acquisition at their respective fair values. Any intangible assets acquired in a business combination are recognized and reported apart from goodwill. Goodwill represents the excess purchase price over the fair value of the tangible net assets and intangible assets acquired in a business combination. Acquisition-related expenses are recognized separately from the business combination and are expensed as incurred.

Change in Accounting Principle

Change in Accounting Principle: During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company elected to change its method for valuing its inventories at locations that previously used the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method to the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The Company believes that the FIFO method is preferable as it improves comparability with its most similar peers, it more closely resembles the physical flow of its inventory (i.e., it provides better matching of revenues and expenses), and it results in uniformity across a significant majority of the Company’s inventory. The effects of the change in accounting principle from LIFO to FIFO were retrospectively applied. As a result of the retrospective application of the change in accounting principle, certain financial statement line items in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of September 25, 2020 and the consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for the three and nine months ended September 25, 2020 were adjusted as necessary. For further information, refer to the Company's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

New Pronouncements Adopted/New Accounting Guidance Issued and Not Yet Adopted

New Pronouncements Adopted: In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes, which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing various exceptions, such as the exception to the incremental approach for intra-period tax allocation when there is a loss from continuing operations and income or a gain from other items. The amendments in this update also simplify the accounting for income taxes related to income-based franchise taxes and require that an entity reflect enacted tax laws or rates in the annual effective tax rate computation in the interim period that includes the enactment date. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2021. The adoption did not materially impact the Company's financial statements or disclosures.

New Accounting Guidance Issued and Not Yet Adopted: In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting. This guidance is intended

to provide temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the U.S. GAAP guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burden related to the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates. This guidance is available immediately and may be implemented in any period prior to the guidance expiration on December 31, 2022. The Company is currently assessing which of its various contracts will require an update for a new reference rate, and will determine the timing for implementation of this guidance at the completion of that analysis.No other recently issued or effective ASUs had, or are expected to have, a material effect on the Company's results of operations, financial condition, or liquidity.

Revenue Recognition

Net sales consist primarily of revenue from the sale of precious and non-precious specialty metals, beryllium and copper-based alloys, beryllium composites, and other products into numerous end markets. The Company requires an agreement with a customer that creates enforceable rights and performance obligations. The Company generally recognizes revenue, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which it expects to be entitled, upon satisfaction of a performance obligation, by transferring control over a product to the customer. Control over the product is generally transferred to the customer when the Company has a present right to payment, the customer has legal title, the customer has physical possession, the customer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership, and/or the customer has accepted the product. Transaction Price Allocated to Future Performance Obligations: Accounting Standards Codification 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, requires that the Company disclose the aggregate amount of transaction price that is allocated to performance obligations that have not yet been satisfied at October 1, 2021. Remaining performance obligations include non-cancelable purchase orders and customer contracts. The guidance provides certain practical expedients that limit this requirement. As such, the Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for contracts with an original expected length of one year or less.