Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Gardner Denver, Inc. and its majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as "Gardner Denver" or the "Company"). All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation. The financial information presented as of any date other than December 31, 2011 has been prepared from the books and records of the Company without audit. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the complete consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Gardner Denver's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. The results of operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The balance sheet at December 31, 2011 has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. Other than as specifically indicated in these "Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements" included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company has not materially changed its significant accounting policies from those disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011. New Accounting Standards Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income ("ASU 2011-05"). This update requires that the components of net income, the components of other comprehensive income and the total of comprehensive income be presented as a single continuous financial statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. The option of presenting other comprehensive income in the statement of stockholders' equity is eliminated. This update also requires the presentation on the face of the financial statements of reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statements where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. In November 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, which defers the effective date of presentation requirements included in ASU 2011-05 related to reclassification adjustments. ASU 2011-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. A separate statement of comprehensive income has been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of the adoption of this update. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment ("ASU 2011-08"). ASU 2011-08 amends existing guidance by giving an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. If an entity determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the performance of the two-step goodwill impairment test, as currently prescribed by ASC Topic 350, is required. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this update did not have a significant effect on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210) — Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities ("ASU 2011-11"). This update requires the following new disclosures related to recognized financial instruments (and derivatives) subject to master netting arrangements or similar agreements: (i) the gross amounts of recognized financial assets and liabilities, (ii) the amounts offset under current GAAP, (iii) the net amounts presented in the balance sheet, (iv) the amounts subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement that were not included in (ii), and (v) the net amount representing the difference between (iii) and (iv). The update also requires qualitative disclosures related to counterparties, setoff rights, and terms of enforceable master netting arrangements and related agreements depending on their effect or potential effect on the entity's financial position. The new disclosures will enable financial statement users to compare balance sheets prepared under GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), which are subject to different offsetting models. ASU 2011-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company does not currently expect that the adoption of this update in the first quarter of 2013 will have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Gardner Denver, Inc. and its majority-owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to herein as "Gardner Denver" or the "Company"). All intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

The financial information presented as of any date other than December 31, 2011 has been prepared from the books and records of the Company without audit. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, the condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements.

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the complete consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in Gardner Denver's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

The results of operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. The balance sheet at December 31, 2011 has been derived from the audited financial statements as of that date but does not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements.

Other than as specifically indicated in these "Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements" included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the Company has not materially changed its significant accounting policies from those disclosed in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

New Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income ("ASU 2011-05"). This update requires that the components of net income, the components of other comprehensive income and the total of comprehensive income be presented as a single continuous financial statement or in two separate but consecutive statements. The option of presenting other comprehensive income in the statement of stockholders' equity is eliminated. This update also requires the presentation on the face of the financial statements of reclassification adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statements where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. In November 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-12, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05, which defers the effective date of presentation requirements included in ASU 2011-05 related to reclassification adjustments. ASU 2011-05 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. A separate statement of comprehensive income has been included in the condensed consolidated financial statements as a result of the adoption of this update.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-08, Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment ("ASU 2011-08"). ASU 2011-08 amends existing guidance by giving an entity the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. The more-likely-than-not threshold is defined as having a likelihood of more than 50 percent. If an entity determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then the performance of the two-step goodwill impairment test, as currently prescribed by ASC Topic 350, is required. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this update did not have a significant effect on the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-11, Balance Sheet (Topic 210) — Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities ("ASU 2011-11"). This update requires the following new disclosures related to recognized financial instruments (and derivatives) subject to master netting arrangements or similar agreements: (i) the gross amounts of recognized financial assets and liabilities, (ii) the amounts offset under current GAAP, (iii) the net amounts presented in the balance sheet, (iv) the amounts subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement that were not included in (ii), and (v) the net amount representing the difference between (iii) and (iv). The update also requires qualitative disclosures related to counterparties, setoff rights, and terms of enforceable master netting arrangements and related agreements depending on their effect or potential effect on the entity's financial position. The new disclosures will enable financial statement users to compare balance sheets prepared under GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), which are subject to different offsetting models. ASU 2011-11 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company does not currently expect that the adoption of this update in the first quarter of 2013 will have a significant effect on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.