Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011 Y	Dec. 31, 2010
Retirement and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Period for which the discount rate has declined (in years)	3
Expected decline in discount rate in 2012 (as a percent)	0.50%
Multi-Employer Plan
Minimum percentage of the Plan's total contributions contributed by the entity		5.00%
Expected increase in the company's contribution	$ 0.1
Expected contribution in 2012	$ 1.0
U.S. Retirement Savings Plan
U.S. retirement saving plan
Maximum percentage of employee's annual compensation allowed as contribution to individual 401(k) retirement saving account (as a percent)	75.00%
Employer contribution as a percentage of employee contribution (as a percent)	50.00%
Maximum employer matching contribution as a percentage of employee's annual compensation (as a percent)	3.00%
U.S. Retirement Savings Plan \| Minimum
U.S. retirement saving plan
Additional employer contribution as a percentage of eligible income depending on employee's age (as a percent)	2.00%
Maximum employer contribution to individual 401(k) retirement saving account, after additional contribution (as a percent)	5.00%
U.S. Retirement Savings Plan \| Maximum
U.S. retirement saving plan
Additional employer contribution as a percentage of eligible income depending on employee's age (as a percent)	4.00%
Maximum employer contribution to individual 401(k) retirement saving account, after additional contribution (as a percent)	7.00%
UK Defined Contribution Pension Plan
U.S. retirement saving plan
Percentage of pensionable salary that eligible employees can elect to contribute under the first option	3.00%
Percentage of pensionable salary that eligible employees can elect to contribute under the second option	5.00%
Percentage of pensionable salary that eligible employees can elect to contribute under the third option	7.00%
Company's contribution under the first option (as a percent)	5.00%
Company's contribution under the second option (as a percent)	9.00%
Company's contribution under the third option (as a percent)	13.00%

Represents the expected decline in the discount rate used to calculate the benefit obligations in the next fiscal year.

No definition available.

Name:	hxl_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedDeclineDiscountRateUsedCalculatingBenefitObligation
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the period for which the discount rate had declined.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedBenefitPlanPeriodOfDeclineDiscountRateUsedCalculatingBenefitObligation
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employee gross pay, by the terms of the plan that the employer may contribute to a defined contribution plan under the first option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanAnnualContributionPerEmployeePercentageUnderOptionOne
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employee gross pay, by the terms of the plan that the employer may contribute to a defined contribution plan under the third option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanAnnualContributionPerEmployeePercentageUnderOptionThree
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employee gross pay, by the terms of the plan that the employer may contribute to a defined contribution plan under the second option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanAnnualContributionPerEmployeePercentageUnderOptionTwo
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For defined contribution plans, this element represent the maximum percentage of employee's annual compensation allowed as contribution to individual 401(k) retirement saving account.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanEmployeeContributionAsPercentageOfAnnualCompensationMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer will contribute a matching contribution to the defined contribution plan under the first option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentageUnderOptionOne
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer will contribute a matching contribution to the defined contribution plan under the third option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentageUnderOptionThree
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of employees' gross pay for which the employer will contribute a matching contribution to the defined contribution plan under the second option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentageUnderOptionTwo
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For defined contribution plans, this element represents the maximum employer contribution to individual 401(k) retirement saving account, low end of range.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumPercentageOfParticipantContribution
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For defined contribution plans, this element represents the maximum employer matching contribution as a percentage of employee's annual compensation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumPercentageOfParticipantContributionEligibleForEmployerContributionMatch
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For defined contribution plans, this element represents the additional employer contribution as a percentage of eligible income depending on employee's age.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanPercentageOfEmployerAdditionalContributionDependentOfEmployeeAge
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

For defined contribution plans, this element represent the employer contribution as a percentage of employee contribution.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_DefinedContributionPlanPercentageOfEmployerContributionForUptoThreePercentOfParticipantContribution
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of increase (decrease) in the employer's contribution to the multiemployer plan.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_MultiemployerPlanExpectedContributionsIncreaseDecreaseInNextFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The employer's best estimate, as soon as it can be reasonably determined, of contributions expected to be paid to the multiemployer plan during the next fiscal year beginning from the date of the latest statement of financial position.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_MultiemployerPlanExpectedContributionsInNextFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the minimum percentage of contributions made under a collective bargaining arrangement to all contributions required of an employer related to a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute, where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hxl_MultiemployerPlansCollectiveBargainingArrangementPercentageOfEmployersContributionsByParentMinimum
Namespace Prefix:	hxl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPensionPlansAndDefinedBenefitPostretirementPlansDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPensionAndOtherPostretirementPlansDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlansAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration