Income Taxes - Significant Components of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities
Postretirement benefits	$ 1,953	$ 1,877
Inventory reserves	1,567us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory	1,934us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsInventory
Loss carry-forwards	23,095	36,373
Credit carry-forwards	16,903	15,028
Nondeductible accruals	6,336	6,126
Research expenditures	30,088	28,606
Prepaid charges	45cts_DeferredTaxAssetsPrepaidExpenses	727cts_DeferredTaxAssetsPrepaidExpenses
Foreign exchange loss	1,009
Other	4,102us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther	5,476us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther
Gross deferred tax assets	85,098us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	96,147us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross
Depreciation	11,073cts_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDepreciation	11,168cts_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesDepreciation
Pensions	9,462cts_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPensionCost	19,177cts_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesPensionCost
Unrealized foreign exchange gain		350
Subsidiaries' unremitted earnings		2,774
Other		696us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther
Gross deferred tax liabilities	20,535us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities	34,165us-gaap_DeferredIncomeTaxLiabilities
Net deferred tax assets	64,563	61,982
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance	(12,938)	(14,323)
Total net deferred tax assets	$ 51,625us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet	$ 47,659us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet

Deferred Tax Assets Liabilities Before Valuation Allowance

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Deferred tax assets non deductible accruals.

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Deferred tax assets prepaid expenses.

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Deferred Tax Assets Research And Development

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Deferred tax liabilities depreciation.

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Deferred Tax Liabilities Pension Cost

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from inventory.

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Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards, net of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible operating loss carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences not separately disclosed.

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The tax effect as of the balance sheet date of the amount of future tax deductions arising from all unused tax credit carryforwards which have been reduced by a valuation allowance.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from postretirement benefits.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from unrealized losses on foreign currency transactions.

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Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences not separately disclosed.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from undistributed earnings of subsidiaries and other recognized entities not within the country of domicile of the entity.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from unrealized gains on foreign currency transactions.

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