Information on Business Segments (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 1,169,355,000		$ 1,028,617,000		$ 923,353,000
Long-lived assets located in any one international country	1
Long-Lived Assets	862,700,000		910,300,000		918,700,000
Logistics and Manufacturing Services [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	492,900,000		443,900,000		428,300,000
Precision Components [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	687,500,000		595,900,000		501,500,000
Domestic [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	765,600,000		701,700,000		655,400,000
Long-Lived Assets	303,700,000		290,400,000		299,300,000
International [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	442,000,000	[1]	368,600,000	[1]	300,500,000	[1]
Long-Lived Assets	559,000,000	[2]	619,900,000	[2]	619,400,000	[2]
Other [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenues	(38,200,000)	[3]	(41,700,000)	[3]	(32,500,000)	[3]
Sales from international locations to domestic locations	49.00%
Long-Lived Assets	0		0		0
Singapore [Member] | Logistics and Manufacturing Services [Member] | Intangible Assets [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Disclosure on geographic areas, long-lived assets in foreign countries, exceed 10% of total Company long-lived assets	247,300,000
Switzerland [Member] | Precision Components [Member] | Goodwill And Property Plant And Equipment [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Disclosure on geographic areas, long-lived assets in foreign countries, exceed 10% of total Company long-lived assets	142,200,000
Sweden [Member] | Precision Components [Member] | Goodwill [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Disclosure on geographic areas, long-lived assets in foreign countries, exceed 10% of total Company long-lived assets	$ 87,500,000

[1] International sales derived from any one country did not exceed 10% of the Company’s total revenues

[2] Long-lived assets located in any one international country that exceeded 10% of the Company’s total long-lived assets as of December 31, 2011 were $247.3 million of intangible assets related to the RSPs recorded in Singapore, $142.2 million primarily related to goodwill and property, plant and equipment at the Hänggi division of the Precision Components segment located in Switzerland and $87.5 million primarily related to goodwill at the Stromsholmen division of the Precision Components segment located in Sweden

[3] “Other” revenues represent the elimination of intercompany sales between geographic locations, of which approximately 49% were sales from international locations to domestic locations