SELECTED FINANCIAL STATEMENT INFORMATION (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2011

Selected Financial Statement Information (Tables) [Abstract]

Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Table Text Block]

Accounts Receivable

	As of October 31,
	2011			2010
Accounts receivable	$	109,081,000		$	94,283,000
Less:  Allowance for doubtful accounts		(2,667,000	)		(2,468,000	)
Accounts receivable, net	$	106,414,000		$	91,815,000

Costs And Estimated Earnings On Uncompleted Percentage Of Completion Contracts [Table Text Block]

Costs and Estimated Earnings on Uncompleted Percentage-of-Completion Contracts

	As of October 31,
	2011			2010
Costs incurred on uncompleted contracts	$	4,443,000		$	6,323,000
Estimated earnings		4,206,000			7,603,000
		8,649,000			13,926,000
Less:  Billings to date		(4,876,000	)		(8,967,000	)
	$	3,773,000		$	4,959,000
Included in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets under the following captions:
Accounts receivable, net (costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings)	$	3,773,000		$	5,135,000
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings)		—			(176,000	)
	$	3,773,000		$	4,959,000

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

Inventories

	As of October 31,
	2011			2010
Finished products	$	86,487,000		$	72,263,000
Work in process		19,708,000			13,739,000
Materials, parts, assemblies and supplies		52,173,000			46,918,000
Contracts-in-process		8,291,000			5,295,000
Less: Billings to date		(1,692,000	)		—
Inventories, net of valuation reserves	$	164,967,000		$	138,215,000

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

Property, Plant and Equipment

	As of October 31,
	2011			2010
Land	$	3,825,000		$	3,656,000
Buildings and improvements		46,892,000			38,772,000
Machinery, equipment and tooling		94,297,000			85,095,000
Construction in progress		3,671,000			6,319,000
		148,685,000			133,842,000
Less:  Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(81,611,000	)		(74,839,000	)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	67,074,000		$	59,003,000

Schedule Of Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities [Table Text Block]

Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities

	As of October 31,
	2011		2010
Accrued employee compensation and related payroll taxes	$	39,330,000	$	26,556,000
Accrued customer rebates and credits		9,595,000		9,230,000
Accrued additional purchase consideration		11,016,000		4,104,000
Other		16,435,000		12,211,000
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$	76,376,000	$	52,101,000