Restructuring and Impairment Charges (Additional Information) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Defined benefit pension plan settlement charge	$ 5,200,000
Restructuring and impairment charges		5,390,000		10,376,000		14,082,000
Restructuring charges						15,900,000
Restructuring charges recorded in cost of sales		0		368,000		1,847,000
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment, net		69,000		7,000		2,804,000
Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from the sale of property, plant and equipment, net								1,500,000
Facility book value								1,800,000
Building selling costs						100,000
High Performance Foams [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		0		1,345,000		2,188,000
High Performance Foams [Member] | Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		0		0		1,442,000
Accelerated depreciation		0		0		764,000
Fixed asset disposal charges		0	[1]	0	[1]	79,000	[1]		100,000	400,000
Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						1,400,000
Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Asset Impairments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Impairment of investments		0		0		264,000
Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		0		0		149,000
Advanced Connectivity Solutions [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		0		802,000		2,915,000
Advanced Connectivity Solutions [Member] | Contract Termination [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						2,900,000
Other [Member] | Asset Impairments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		0		0		356,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and impairment charges				5,700,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and impairment charges				4,200,000
Restructuring charges						7,100,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | Defined Benefit Plan, Curtailment Charge [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and impairment charges				1,500,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | Early Retirement Program [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						1,600,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | Special Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						5,500,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | High Performance Foams [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						2,200,000
Streamlining and restructuring related activites [Member] | Other [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						300,000
Curamik finishing operations relocated to Hungary [Member] | Curamik Electronics Solutions [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						3,800,000
Curamik finishing operations relocated to Hungary [Member] | Curamik Electronics Solutions [Member] | Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Accelerated depreciation						400,000
Bremen facility shut-down [Member] | High Performance Foams [Member] | Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges									900,000
Bremen facility shut-down [Member] | High Performance Foams [Member] | Asset Impairments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Accelerated depreciation									800,000
Bremen facility shut-down [Member] | High Performance Foams [Member] | Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						3,300,000			1,400,000
Restricted cash						1,000,000
Bremen facility shut-down [Member] | High Performance Foams [Member] | Inventory Valuation Reserve [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges									200,000
Shutdown of Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Facility Closing [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Accelerated depreciation						500,000
Shutdown of Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Power Distribution Systems [Member] | Other Restructuring [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges						100,000
Solicore, Inc. [Member] | Asset Impairments [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring and impairment charges		$ 200,000		$ 4,600,000

[1] In the first quarter of 2012, we signed an agreement to sell our facility in Richmond, Virginia for $1.5 million. This facility had a book value of approximately $1.8 million prior to the signing of the agreement, and we recorded an impairment charge of approximately $0.4 million as of December 31, 2011, which represented the write down to the selling price minus approximately $0.1 million of estimated selling costs. The transaction closed in the second quarter of 2012.