Business Segments and Major Customer Information - Segment Reporting Information (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2018		Jan. 31, 2017		Jan. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				$ 377,317,000		$ 277,395,000		$ 258,229,000
Operating income(f)				59,170,000		28,413,000		4,391,000
Assets				326,803,000		301,509,000		298,688,000
Capital expenditures				12,011,000		4,796,000		13,046,000
Depreciation and amortization				14,802,000		15,436,000		17,136,000
Goodwill impairment loss				0		0		11,497,000
Long-lived asset impairment loss				259,000		87,000		3,826,000
Cost of Sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory write-down				0		2,278,000		0
Pre-contract deferred costs written off				0		0		2,933,000
Operating Income (Loss)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment loss				0		0		11,497,000
Vista Research | Cost of Sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Reduction in fair value of contingent consideration liability								2,273,000
Engineered Films | Hurricane Recovery Film
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				24,225,000
Engineered Films | CLI
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				13,088,000
Aerostar | Cost of Sales | Radar Inventory
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory write-down		$ 2,278,000
Vista Research | Cost of Sales
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Pre-contract deferred costs written off			$ 2,933,000
Vista Research | Cost of Sales | Radar Inventory
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Inventory write-down						2,278,000
Corporate & Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income(f)	[1]			(23,553,000)		(19,624,000)		(17,110,000)
Assets	[2],[3]			72,704,000		76,843,000		65,624,000
Capital expenditures				2,051,000		464,000		661,000
Depreciation and amortization				1,290,000		1,308,000		1,676,000
Vista Reporting Unit
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived asset impairment loss			3,813,000			3,826,000		3,826,000
Vista Reporting Unit | Operating Income (Loss)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment loss			$ 11,497,000					11,497,000
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				377,317,000		277,395,000		258,229,000
Operating income(f)				82,723,000	[4]	48,037,000	[1]	21,501,000	[1]
Assets				254,099,000		224,666,000		233,064,000
Capital expenditures				9,960,000		4,332,000		12,385,000
Depreciation and amortization				13,512,000		14,128,000		15,460,000
Operating Segments | Applied Technology
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				124,688,000		105,217,000		92,599,000
Operating income(f)				31,257,000	[4]	26,643,000	[4]	18,319,000	[1],[5]
Assets	[3]			66,555,000		67,911,000		65,490,000
Capital expenditures				1,489,000		1,017,000		664,000
Depreciation and amortization				3,365,000		3,828,000		4,428,000
Gain on disposal of assets						160,000		611,000
Operating Segments | Engineered Films
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				213,298,000	[6]	138,855,000		129,465,000
Operating income(f)				47,324,000	[4]	22,966,000	[1]	17,892,000	[1]
Assets	[3]			168,797,000		133,309,000		134,942,000
Capital expenditures				8,128,000		2,768,000		10,780,000
Depreciation and amortization				8,761,000		8,580,000		7,735,000
Operating Segments | Aerostar
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				39,915,000		34,113,000		36,368,000
Operating income(f)	[1]			4,122,000		(1,560,000)	[7]	(14,801,000)	[8]
Assets	[3]			22,127,000		23,515,000		32,689,000
Capital expenditures				343,000		547,000		941,000
Depreciation and amortization				1,386,000		1,720,000		3,297,000
Operating Segments | Vista Reporting Unit
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Pre-contract deferred costs written off								2,933,000
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income(f)	[1]			20,000		(12,000)		91,000
Assets				(3,380,000)		(69,000)		(57,000)
Intersegment Eliminations | Applied Technology
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				0		(1,000)		(8,000)
Intersegment Eliminations | Engineered Films
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				(584,000)		(789,000)		(195,000)
Intersegment Eliminations | Aerostar
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales				$ 0		$ 0		$ 0

[1] At the segment level, operating income does not include an allocation of general and administrative expenses and, as a result, general and administrative expenses are reported as "Operating (loss) from administrative expenses" in Corporate & Other.

[2] Assets are principally cash, investments, deferred taxes, and other receivables.

[3] Certain facilities owned by the Company are shared by more than one reporting segment. All facilities are reported as an asset based on the segment that acquired the asset as we believe this better reflects total assets of the business segment. Expenses and costs related to these facilities including depreciation expense, are allocated and reported in each reporting segment's operating income for each fiscal year presented.

[4] (f) At the segment level, operating income does not include an allocation of general and administrative expenses.

[5] The fiscal year ended January 31, 2016 includes gains of $611 on disposal of assets related to the exit of contract manufacturing operations.

[6] Fiscal year 2018 sales include $13,088 in net sales related to the CLI asset acquisition further described in Note 6 "Acquisitions of and Investments in Businesses and Technologies", and $24,225 of recovery film sales related to the hurricane recovery effort.

[7] The fiscal year 2017 includes inventory write-downs of $2,278 for Vista as a result of discontinuing sales activities for a specific radar product line within its business

[8] The fiscal year ended January 31, 2016 includes pre-contract cost write-offs of $2,933, a goodwill impairment loss of $11,497, a long-lived asset impairment loss of $3,826, and a $2,273 reduction of an acquisition-related contingent liability for Vista as a result of lower financial expectations for net sales and operating income. These items are further described in Note 7 "Goodwill, Long-Lived Assets, and Other Charges ".