Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016	Feb. 29, 2016	May 31, 2015	May 31, 2016	May 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 305,341		$ 320,100	$ 873,641	$ 948,870
Cost of products sold	197,815		201,540	566,524	593,573
Gross profit	107,526		118,560	307,117	355,297
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	70,120		69,569	210,202	227,809
Amortization of intangible assets	5,567		5,989	17,347	18,362
Restructuring charges	3,496		0	11,458	0
Impairment charges	0	$ 186,511	0	186,511	84,353
Operating profit (loss)	28,343		43,002	(118,401)	24,773
Financing costs, net	7,253		7,462	21,236	20,683
Intercompany (income) expense, net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income					0
Other expense (income), net	751		569	1,605	(489)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	20,339		34,971	(141,242)	4,579
Income tax (benefit) expense	(827)		(2,987)	(18,666)	6,785
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	21,166		37,958	(122,576)	(2,206)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0		0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	21,166		37,958	(122,576)	(2,206)
Comprehensive income (loss)	36,488		27,259	(142,339)	(132,616)
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	33,610		40,011	100,699	119,612
Cost of products sold	6,603		11,749	25,851	33,792
Gross profit	27,007		28,262	74,848	85,820
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	17,172		16,560	54,049	52,062
Amortization of intangible assets	318		318	954	954
Restructuring charges	100			1,057
Impairment charges				0	0
Operating profit (loss)	9,417		11,384	18,788	32,804
Financing costs, net	7,601		7,769	22,364	21,583
Intercompany (income) expense, net	(4,990)		(3,559)	(16,284)	(14,389)
Intercompany dividend income					(212)
Other expense (income), net	199		123	802	342
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	6,607		7,051	11,906	25,480
Income tax (benefit) expense	(929)		(11,957)	(1,986)	(8,133)
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	7,536		19,008	13,892	33,613
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	13,630		18,950	(136,468)	(35,819)
Net earnings (loss)	21,166		37,958	(122,576)	(2,206)
Comprehensive income (loss)	36,488		27,259	(142,339)	(132,616)
Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	62,534		58,896	188,333	207,162
Cost of products sold	43,381		40,360	132,711	145,800
Gross profit	19,153		18,536	55,622	61,362
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	13,606		11,228	41,113	45,062
Amortization of intangible assets	2,630		2,394	7,890	7,964
Restructuring charges	197			2,692
Impairment charges				49,012	20,249
Operating profit (loss)	2,720		4,914	(45,085)	(11,913)
Financing costs, net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany (income) expense, net	1,254		(1,187)	(1,478)	896
Intercompany dividend income					(243)
Other expense (income), net	13		27	44	(133)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,453		6,074	(43,651)	(12,433)
Income tax (benefit) expense	115		914	420	1,413
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	1,338		5,160	(44,071)	(13,846)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	10,382		12,757	(79,373)	(1,673)
Net earnings (loss)	11,720		17,917	(123,444)	(15,519)
Comprehensive income (loss)	25,205		13,244	(138,806)	(58,603)
Non-Guarantors
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	209,197		221,193	584,609	622,096
Cost of products sold	147,831		149,431	407,962	413,981
Gross profit	61,366		71,762	176,647	208,115
Selling, administrative and engineering expenses	39,342		41,781	115,040	130,685
Amortization of intangible assets	2,619		3,277	8,503	9,444
Restructuring charges	3,199			7,709
Impairment charges				137,499	64,104
Operating profit (loss)	16,206		26,704	(92,104)	3,882
Financing costs, net	(348)		(307)	(1,128)	(900)
Intercompany (income) expense, net	3,736		4,746	17,762	13,493
Intercompany dividend income					(31)
Other expense (income), net	539		419	759	(698)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	12,279		21,846	(109,497)	(7,982)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(13)		8,056	(17,100)	13,589
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	12,292		13,790	(92,397)	(21,571)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	239		(340)	236	177
Net earnings (loss)	12,531		13,450	(92,161)	(21,394)
Comprehensive income (loss)	14,148		7,930	(97,165)	(80,728)
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
Restructuring charges	0			0
Impairment charges				0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0		0	0	0
Financing costs, net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany (income) expense, net	0		0	0	0
Intercompany dividend income					486
Other expense (income), net	0		0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	0		0	0	(486)
Income tax (benefit) expense	0		0	0	(84)
Net earnings before equity in earnings of subsidiaries	0		0	0	(402)
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries	(24,251)		(31,367)	215,605	37,315
Net earnings (loss)	(24,251)		(31,367)	215,605	36,913
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (39,353)		$ (21,174)	$ 235,971	$ 139,331