Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	May. 31, 2015	Feb. 28, 2015	May. 31, 2014	May. 31, 2015	May. 31, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 320,100		$ 378,187	$ 948,870	$ 1,045,513
Cost of products sold	201,540		229,637	593,573	640,737
Gross profit	118,560		148,550	355,297	404,776
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	69,569		83,498	227,809	244,655
Amortization of intangible assets	5,989		6,272	18,362	18,713
Impairment charge	0	$ 84,353	0	84,353	0
Operating profit	43,002		58,780	24,773	141,408
Financing costs, net	7,462		5,932	20,683	18,944
Intercompany expense (income), net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income				0
Other (income) expense, net	569		620	(489)	3,087
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	34,971		52,228	4,579	119,377
Income tax expense (benefit)	(2,987)		1,671	6,785	13,511
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	37,958		50,557	(2,206)	105,866
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0		0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	37,958		50,557	(2,206)	105,866
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes	0		0	0	22,120
Net earnings (loss)	37,958		50,557	(2,206)	127,986
Comprehensive (loss) income	27,259		50,729	(132,616)	149,558
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	40,011		54,219	119,612	142,905
Cost of products sold	11,749		14,841	33,792	38,905
Gross profit	28,262		39,378	85,820	104,000
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	16,560		21,554	52,062	57,811
Amortization of intangible assets	318		318	954	954
Impairment charge				0
Operating profit	11,384		17,506	32,804	45,235
Financing costs, net	7,769		6,122	21,583	19,400
Intercompany expense (income), net	(3,559)		(5,620)	(14,389)	(22,770)
Intercompany dividend income				(212)
Other (income) expense, net	123		1,597	342	12,683
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	7,051		15,407	25,480	35,922
Income tax expense (benefit)	(11,957)		(9,755)	(8,133)	(3,862)
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	19,008		25,162	33,613	39,784
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	18,950		25,395	(35,819)	109,714
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations					149,498
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes					(21,512)
Net earnings (loss)	37,958		50,557	(2,206)	127,986
Comprehensive (loss) income	27,259		50,729	(132,616)	149,558
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	58,896		84,870	207,162	239,709
Cost of products sold	40,360		58,152	145,800	165,416
Gross profit	18,536		26,718	61,362	74,293
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	11,228		16,128	45,062	45,833
Amortization of intangible assets	2,394		2,575	7,964	7,726
Impairment charge				20,249
Operating profit	4,914		8,015	(11,913)	20,734
Financing costs, net	0		0	0	3
Intercompany expense (income), net	(1,187)		560	896	5,555
Intercompany dividend income				(243)
Other (income) expense, net	27		23	(133)	(395)
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	6,074		7,432	(12,433)	15,571
Income tax expense (benefit)	914		2,306	1,413	4,580
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	5,160		5,126	(13,846)	10,991
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	12,757		20,151	(1,673)	9,488
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations					20,479
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes					56,494
Net earnings (loss)	17,917		25,277	(15,519)	76,973
Comprehensive (loss) income	13,244		25,621	(58,603)	99,361
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	221,193		239,098	622,096	662,899
Cost of products sold	149,431		156,644	413,981	436,416
Gross profit	71,762		82,454	208,115	226,483
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	41,781		45,816	130,685	141,011
Amortization of intangible assets	3,277		3,379	9,444	10,033
Impairment charge				64,104
Operating profit	26,704		33,259	3,882	75,439
Financing costs, net	(307)		(190)	(900)	(459)
Intercompany expense (income), net	4,746		5,060	13,493	17,215
Intercompany dividend income				(31)
Other (income) expense, net	419		(1,000)	(698)	(9,201)
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	21,846		29,389	(7,982)	67,884
Income tax expense (benefit)	8,056		9,120	13,589	12,793
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	13,790		20,269	(21,571)	55,091
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(340)		683	177	4,750
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations					59,841
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes					(12,862)
Net earnings (loss)	13,450		20,952	(21,394)	46,979
Comprehensive (loss) income	7,930		20,970	(80,728)	42,837
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
Operating profit	0		0	0	0
Financing costs, net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany expense (income), net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income				486
Other (income) expense, net	0		0	0	0
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes	0		0	(486)	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0		0	(84)	0
Net earnings before equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	0		0	(402)	0
Equity in earnings (loss) of subsidiaries	(31,367)		(46,229)	37,315	(123,952)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations					(123,952)
Earnings from discontinued operations, net of income taxes					0
Net earnings (loss)	(31,367)		(46,229)	36,913	(123,952)
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ (21,174)		$ (46,591)	$ 139,331	$ (142,198)