BUSINESS SEGMENT INFORMATION (Schedule Of Net Sales And Earnings Before Income Tax) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 128,941us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 124,762us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 249,488us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	$ 249,212us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Consolidated EBIT	14,004	13,868	28,975	28,300
Less: Interest expense	(213)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(654)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(408)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet	(1,346)us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Earnings before income taxes	13,791	13,214	28,567	26,954
Filtration [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	58,428	58,397	105,940	113,875
Consolidated EBIT	12,051	10,100	19,127	19,584
Test [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	42,084	41,025	81,504	80,503
Consolidated EBIT	3,467	3,533	7,262	7,108
Utility Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	28,429	25,340	62,044	54,834
Consolidated EBIT	4,855	5,518	14,833	13,165
Corporate [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Consolidated EBIT	$ (6,369)	$ (5,283)	$ (12,247)	$ (11,557)

Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income or expense before Income or Loss from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(1)(i))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations (before interest income and interest expense) attributable to the economic entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses from ongoing operations, after income or loss from equity method investments, but before interest income, interest expense, income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeInterestExpenseInterestIncomeIncomeTaxesExtraordinaryItemsNoncontrollingInterestsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net amount of operating interest income (expense).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 225

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-04.10)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879574&loc=d3e536633-122882

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph 10

-Article 9

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestIncomeExpenseNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26872669&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 03

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ese_FiltrationFluidFlowMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ese_RFShieldingAndTestMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=ese_UtilitySolutionsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: