Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 28, 2014	Feb. 28, 2015	Feb. 28, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 301,005us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 327,770us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 628,770us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 667,326us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Cost of products sold	191,244us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold	203,323us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold	392,033us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold	411,099us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold
Gross profit	109,761us-gaap_GrossProfit	124,447us-gaap_GrossProfit	236,737us-gaap_GrossProfit	256,227us-gaap_GrossProfit
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	75,768	79,240	158,240	161,158
Amortization of intangible assets	6,087us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	6,226us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	12,373us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets	12,441us-gaap_AmortizationOfIntangibleAssets
Impairment charge	84,353us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	84,353us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges	0us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
Operating profit (loss)	(56,447)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	38,981us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	(18,229)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	82,628us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Financing costs, net	7,030us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense	6,262us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense	13,221us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense	13,012us-gaap_FinancingInterestExpense
Intercompany expense (income), net	0atu_IntercompanyExpenseIncomeNet	0atu_IntercompanyExpenseIncomeNet	0atu_IntercompanyExpenseIncomeNet	0atu_IntercompanyExpenseIncomeNet
Intercompany dividend income	0atu_IntercompanyDividend		0atu_IntercompanyDividend
Other income, net	(619)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	1,326us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	(1,058)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	2,467us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	(62,858)	31,393	(30,392)	67,149
Income tax expense	1,980us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	9,089us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	9,772us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	11,840us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Net earnings (loss) before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(64,838)	22,304	(40,164)	55,309
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0atu_EquityInEarningsOfSubsidiaries	0atu_EquityInEarningsOfSubsidiaries	0atu_EquityInEarningsOfSubsidiaries	0atu_EquityInEarningsOfSubsidiaries
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(64,838)	22,304	(40,164)	55,309
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0	19,088	0	22,120
Net earnings (loss)	(64,838)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	41,392us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	(40,164)us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	77,429us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Comprehensive (loss) income	(121,586)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax	45,789us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax	(159,875)us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax	98,829us-gaap_ComprehensiveIncomeNetOfTax
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	39,335	43,595	79,601	88,686
Cost of products sold	12,076	11,992	22,043	24,064
Gross profit	27,259	31,603	57,558	64,622
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	16,430	19,399	35,502	36,257
Amortization of intangible assets	318	318	636	636
Impairment charge	0		0
Operating profit (loss)	10,511	11,886	21,420	27,729
Financing costs, net	7,267	6,499	13,814	13,278
Intercompany expense (income), net	(5,098)	(12,153)	(10,830)	(17,150)
Intercompany dividend income	(212)		(212)
Other income, net	(246)	669	219	11,086
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	8,800	16,871	18,429	20,515
Income tax expense	1,514	4,885	3,824	5,893
Net earnings (loss) before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	7,286	11,986	14,605	14,622
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(72,124)	50,097	(54,769)	84,319
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations		62,083		98,941
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(20,691)		(21,512)
Net earnings (loss)	(64,838)	41,392	(40,164)	77,429
Comprehensive (loss) income	(121,586)	45,789	(159,875)	98,829
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	70,675	75,203	148,266	154,839
Cost of products sold	52,182	52,009	105,440	107,264
Gross profit	18,493	23,194	42,826	47,575
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	16,367	13,753	33,834	29,705
Amortization of intangible assets	2,785	2,576	5,570	5,151
Impairment charge	20,249		20,249
Operating profit (loss)	(20,908)	6,865	(16,827)	12,719
Financing costs, net	0	0	0	3
Intercompany expense (income), net	849	5,334	2,083	4,995
Intercompany dividend income	(243)		(243)
Other income, net	(64)	(125)	(160)	(418)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	(21,450)	1,656	(18,507)	8,139
Income tax expense	(207)	479	499	2,274
Net earnings (loss) before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(21,243)	1,177	(19,006)	5,865
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(28,577)	(23,996)	(14,430)	(10,663)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations		(22,819)		(4,798)
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		53,156		56,494
Net earnings (loss)	(49,820)	30,337	(33,436)	51,696
Comprehensive (loss) income	(65,247)	34,943	(71,847)	73,740
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	190,995	208,972	400,903	423,801
Cost of products sold	126,986	139,322	264,550	279,771
Gross profit	64,009	69,650	136,353	144,030
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	42,971	46,088	88,904	95,196
Amortization of intangible assets	2,984	3,332	6,167	6,654
Impairment charge	64,104		64,104
Operating profit (loss)	(46,050)	20,230	(22,822)	42,180
Financing costs, net	(237)	(237)	(593)	(269)
Intercompany expense (income), net	4,249	6,819	8,747	12,155
Intercompany dividend income	(31)		(31)
Other income, net	(309)	782	(1,117)	(8,201)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	(49,722)	12,866	(29,828)	38,495
Income tax expense	757	3,725	5,533	3,673
Net earnings (loss) before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(50,479)	9,141	(35,361)	34,822
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	323	867	517	4,067
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations		10,008		38,889
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		(13,377)		(12,862)
Net earnings (loss)	(50,156)	(3,369)	(34,844)	26,027
Comprehensive (loss) income	(65,507)	(5,804)	(88,657)	21,867
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of products sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Impairment charge	0		0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Financing costs, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income	486		486
Other income, net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	(486)	0	(486)	0
Income tax expense	(84)	0	(84)	0
Net earnings (loss) before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(402)	0	(402)	0
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	100,378	(26,968)	68,682	(77,723)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations		(26,968)		(77,723)
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes		0		0
Net earnings (loss)	99,976	(26,968)	68,280	(77,723)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ 130,754	$ (29,139)	$ 160,504	$ (95,607)

Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries.

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Intercompany Dividend

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Intercompany expense (income), net.

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Net earnings from continuing operations before equity in earnings of subsidiaries.

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Selling, administrative and engineering expenses

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Amount of write-down of assets recognized in the income statement. Includes, but is not limited to, losses from tangible assets, intangible assets and goodwill.

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Amount after tax of increase (decrease) in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from net income and other comprehensive income, attributable to parent entity. Excludes changes in equity resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners.

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Total costs related to goods produced and sold during the reporting period.

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This element represents interest incurred for borrowed money which was used to produce goods or render services.

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Aggregate revenue less cost of goods and services sold or operating expenses directly attributable to the revenue generation activity.

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Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent. Also defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests.

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Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

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Amount of income (loss) from a disposal group, net of income tax, reported as a separate component of income before extraordinary items after deduction or consideration of the amount allocable to noncontrolling interests. Includes, net of tax, income (loss) from operations during the phase-out period, gain (loss) on disposal, provision (or any reversals of earlier provisions) for loss on disposal, and adjustments of a prior period gain (loss) on disposal.

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Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

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The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

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The net result for the period of deducting operating expenses from operating revenues.

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The net amount of other income and expense amounts, the components of which are not separately disclosed on the income statement, resulting from ancillary business-related activities (that is, excluding major activities considered part of the normal operations of the business) also known as other nonoperating income (expense) recognized for the period. Such amounts may include: (a) dividends, (b) interest on securities, (c) net gains or losses on securities, (d) unusual costs, (e) gains or losses on foreign exchange transactions, and (f) miscellaneous other income and expense items.

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Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

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