Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits

Pension and other postretirement benefits expenses consisted of the following:



	Three months ended September 30,						Nine months ended September 30,
Pensions	2018			2017			2018			2017
Service cost	$	1,491		$	1,572		$	4,479		$	4,674
Interest cost	4,336			4,764			13,028			14,051
Expected return on plan assets	(7,615		)	(7,206		)	(22,392		)	(20,882		)
Amortization of prior service cost	141			110			422			330
Amortization of actuarial losses	2,879			2,703			8,719			7,846
Curtailment gain	—			—			—			(7,217		)
Settlement gain	—			298			—			(193		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,232		$	2,241		$	4,256		$	(1,391	)



	Three months ended September 30,					Nine months ended September 30,
Other Postretirement Benefits	2018		2017			2018		2017
Service cost	$	22	$	20		$	64	$	62
Interest cost	338		389			1,019		1,170
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	5		(17		)	15		(51		)
Amortization of actuarial losses	135		68			421		207
Net periodic benefit cost	$	500	$	460		$	1,519	$	1,388

In June 2017, the Company authorized the closure of its FOBOHA facility located in Muri, Switzerland which resulted in pension curtailment and settlement gains of $7,217 and $230, respectively. See Note 16 of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information related to the Closure.

The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in Other Expense (Income) on the Consolidated Statements of Income. The amended guidance related to the presentation of net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit cost (see Note 3) provides for a practical expedient that allows use of amounts disclosed in prior year filings for the prior year comparable periods as an estimation basis for applying the retrospective presentation requirements. The Company has elected to use this practical expedient.

The Company currently expects to contribute approximately $4,600 to certain of its defined benefit pension plans in 2018. No contributions to the U.S. qualified pension plans, specifically, are required, and the Company does not currently plan to make any discretionary contributions to such plans in 2018.