Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies General: The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation. During 2011, the Company identified certain immaterial prior period errors which were corrected for in the current year aggregating $3,722, net of tax, of which $2,107 negatively impacted pre-tax income from continuing operations and $1,615 negatively impacted income taxes from continuing operations. The most significant items included a $1,941 pretax adjustment related to previously unrecorded rebates at one of the business units within Precision Components and a $1,793 adjustment related to tax expense adjustments related to prior years. Management evaluated these items in relation to the current periods in which they were corrected, as well as the periods in which they originated, and concluded that such items are immaterial, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to the quarterly and annual financial statements. Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated. During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company completed the sale of its Barnes Distribution Europe businesses (the "BDE" business). The BDE business is comprised of the Company's European KENT, Toolcom and BD France distribution businesses that were reported within the Company's Logistics and Manufacturing Services segment. The results of these operations are segregated and presented as discontinued operations in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 2 of the Consolidated Financial Statements. All previously reported financial information has been adjusted on a retrospective basis to reflect the discontinued operations. Revenue recognition: Sales and related cost of sales are recognized when products are shipped or delivered to customers depending upon when title and risk of loss have passed. In the aerospace manufacturing businesses, the Company recognizes revenue based on the units-of-delivery method in accordance with accounting standards related to accounting for performance of construction-type and certain production-type contracts. Operating expenses: The Company includes manufacturing labor, material, manufacturing overhead and costs of its distribution network within cost of sales. Other costs, including selling personnel costs and commissions, and other general and administrative costs of the Company are included within selling and administrative expenses. Depreciation and amortization expense is allocated between cost of sales and selling and administrative expenses. Cash and cash equivalents: Cash in excess of operating requirements is invested in short-term, highly liquid, income-producing investments. All highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less are considered cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost which approximates fair value. Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of cost, determined on a first-in, first-out basis, or market. Loss provisions, if any, on aerospace contracts are established when estimable. Loss provisions are based on the projected excess of manufacturing costs over the net revenues of the products or group of related products under contract. Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is recorded over estimated useful lives, ranging from 20 to 50 years for buildings, three to five years for computer equipment, four to 12 years for machinery and equipment and 12 to 17 years for furnaces and boilers. The straight-line method of depreciation was adopted for all property, plant and equipment placed in service after March 31, 1999. For property, plant and equipment placed into service prior to April 1, 1999, depreciation is calculated using accelerated methods. Goodwill: Goodwill represents the excess purchase cost over the fair value of net assets of companies acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is considered an indefinite-lived asset. Goodwill is subject to impairment testing in accordance with accounting standards governing such on an annual basis or more frequently if an event or change in circumstances indicates that the fair value of a reporting unit has been reduced below its carrying value. Based on this assessment performed in the second quarter of each year, there was no goodwill impairment. See Note 5 of the Consolidated Financial Statements as the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge related to the sale of the BDE business. Revenue Sharing Programs (RSPs): The Company, through its aerospace aftermarket business, participates in aftermarket RSPs under which the Company receives an exclusive right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program. As consideration, the Company has paid participation fees, which are recorded as long-lived intangible assets, and are recognized as a reduction of sales over the estimated useful life of the related engine programs which range up to 30 years. The Company records amortization of the related long-lived intangible asset as sales dollars are being earned based on a proportional sales dollar method. Specifically, this method amortizes each intangible asset as a reduction to revenue based on the proportion of sales under a program in a given period to the estimated aggregate sales dollars over the life of that program. This method reflects the pattern in which economic benefits are realized. The recoverability of each intangible asset is subject to significant estimates about future revenues related to the program’s aftermarket parts. The Company evaluates these intangible assets for impairment and updates amortization rates on an agreement by agreement basis. The intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. Annually, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of these assets to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining periods of amortization. Management updates revenue projections, which includes comparing actual experience against projected revenue and industry projections. The potential exists that actual revenues will not meet expectations due to a change in market conditions. A shortfall in future revenues may indicate a triggering event requiring an impairment test of the intangible asset or require the Company to accelerate amortization expense prospectively dependent on the level of the shortfall. The Company has not identified any impairment of these intangible assets. Derivatives: Accounting standards related to the accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities require that all derivative instruments be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. Foreign currency contracts may qualify as fair value hedges of unrecognized firm commitments, cash flow hedges of recognized assets and liabilities or anticipated transactions, or a hedge of a net investment. Changes in the fair market value of derivatives that qualify as fair value hedges or cash flow hedges are recorded directly to earnings or accumulated other non-owner changes to equity, depending on the designation. Amounts recorded to accumulated other non-owner changes to equity are reclassified to earnings in a manner that matches the earnings impact of the hedged transaction. Any ineffective portion, or amounts related to contracts that are not designated as hedges, are recorded directly to earnings. The Company’s policy for classifying cash flows from derivatives is to report the cash flows consistent with the underlying hedged item. Foreign currency: Assets and liabilities of international operations are translated at year-end rates of exchange; revenues and expenses are translated at average rates of exchange. The resulting translation gains or losses are reflected in accumulated other non-owner changes to equity within stockholders’ equity. Net foreign currency transaction losses of $224, $1,670 and $1,379 were included in other expense (income), net in the consolidated statements of income in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

General: The preparation of consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts to conform to the current year presentation.

During 2011, the Company identified certain immaterial prior period errors which were corrected for in the current year aggregating $3,722, net of tax, of which $2,107 negatively impacted pre-tax income from continuing operations and $1,615 negatively impacted income taxes from continuing operations. The most significant items included a $1,941 pretax adjustment related to previously unrecorded rebates at one of the business units within Precision Components and a $1,793 adjustment related to tax expense adjustments related to prior years. Management evaluated these items in relation to the current periods in which they were corrected, as well as the periods in which they originated, and concluded that such items are immaterial, both quantitatively and qualitatively, to the quarterly and annual financial statements.

Consolidation: The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and all of its subsidiaries. Intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated.

During the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company completed the sale of its Barnes Distribution Europe businesses (the "BDE" business). The BDE business is comprised of the Company's European KENT, Toolcom and BD France distribution businesses that were reported within the Company's Logistics and Manufacturing Services segment. The results of these operations are segregated and presented as discontinued operations in the consolidated financial statements. See Note 2 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

All previously reported financial information has been adjusted on a retrospective basis to reflect the discontinued operations.

Revenue recognition: Sales and related cost of sales are recognized when products are shipped or delivered to customers depending upon when title and risk of loss have passed. In the aerospace manufacturing businesses, the Company recognizes revenue based on the units-of-delivery method in accordance with accounting standards related to accounting for performance of construction-type and certain production-type contracts.

Operating expenses: The Company includes manufacturing labor, material, manufacturing overhead and costs of its distribution network within cost of sales. Other costs, including selling personnel costs and commissions, and other general and administrative costs of the Company are included within selling and administrative expenses. Depreciation and amortization expense is allocated between cost of sales and selling and administrative expenses.

Cash and cash equivalents: Cash in excess of operating requirements is invested in short-term, highly liquid, income-producing investments. All highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less are considered cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are carried at cost which approximates fair value.

Inventories: Inventories are valued at the lower of cost, determined on a first-in, first-out basis, or market. Loss provisions, if any, on aerospace contracts are established when estimable. Loss provisions are based on the projected excess of manufacturing costs over the net revenues of the products or group of related products under contract.

Property, plant and equipment: Property, plant and equipment is stated at cost. Depreciation is recorded over estimated useful lives, ranging from 20 to 50 years for buildings, three to five years for computer equipment, four to 12 years for machinery and equipment and 12 to 17 years for furnaces and boilers. The straight-line method of depreciation was adopted for all property, plant and equipment placed in service after March 31, 1999. For property, plant and equipment placed into service prior to April 1, 1999, depreciation is calculated using accelerated methods.

Goodwill: Goodwill represents the excess purchase cost over the fair value of net assets of companies acquired in business combinations. Goodwill is considered an indefinite-lived asset. Goodwill is subject to impairment testing in accordance with accounting standards governing such on an annual basis or more frequently if an event or change in circumstances indicates that the fair value of a reporting unit has been reduced below its carrying value. Based on this assessment performed in the second quarter of each year, there was no goodwill impairment. See Note 5 of the Consolidated Financial Statements as the Company recorded a goodwill impairment charge related to the sale of the BDE business.

Revenue Sharing Programs (RSPs): The Company, through its aerospace aftermarket business, participates in aftermarket RSPs under which the Company receives an exclusive right to supply designated aftermarket parts over the life of the related aircraft engine program. As consideration, the Company has paid participation fees, which are recorded as long-lived intangible assets, and are recognized as a reduction of sales over the estimated useful life of the related engine programs which range up to 30 years. The Company records amortization of the related long-lived intangible asset as sales dollars are being earned based on a proportional sales dollar method. Specifically, this method amortizes each intangible asset as a reduction to revenue based on the proportion of sales under a program in a given period to the estimated aggregate sales dollars over the life of that program. This method reflects the pattern in which economic benefits are realized.

The recoverability of each intangible asset is subject to significant estimates about future revenues related to the program’s aftermarket parts. The Company evaluates these intangible assets for impairment and updates amortization rates on an agreement by agreement basis. The intangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that their carrying amount may not be recoverable. Annually, the Company evaluates the remaining useful life of these assets to determine whether events and circumstances warrant a revision to the remaining periods of amortization. Management updates revenue projections, which includes comparing actual experience against projected revenue and industry projections. The potential exists that actual revenues will not meet expectations due to a change in market conditions. A shortfall in future revenues may indicate a triggering event requiring an impairment test of the intangible asset or require the Company to accelerate amortization expense prospectively dependent on the level of the shortfall. The Company has not identified any impairment of these intangible assets.

Derivatives: Accounting standards related to the accounting for derivative instruments and hedging activities require that all derivative instruments be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. Foreign currency contracts may qualify as fair value hedges of unrecognized firm commitments, cash flow hedges of recognized assets and liabilities or anticipated transactions, or a hedge of a net investment. Changes in the fair market value of derivatives that qualify as fair value hedges or cash flow hedges are recorded directly to earnings or accumulated other non-owner changes to equity, depending on the designation. Amounts recorded to accumulated other non-owner changes to equity are reclassified to earnings in a manner that matches the earnings impact of the hedged transaction. Any ineffective portion, or amounts related to contracts that are not designated as hedges, are recorded directly to earnings. The Company’s policy for classifying cash flows from derivatives is to report the cash flows consistent with the underlying hedged item.

Foreign currency: Assets and liabilities of international operations are translated at year-end rates of exchange; revenues and expenses are translated at average rates of exchange. The resulting translation gains or losses are reflected in accumulated other non-owner changes to equity within stockholders’ equity. Net foreign currency transaction losses of $224, $1,670 and $1,379 were included in other expense (income), net in the consolidated statements of income in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.