Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Financial Information by Reportable Segment and Product Line (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Summary of Financial Information by Reportable Segment and Product Line (Details) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2015
Feb. 28, 2014
Feb. 28, 2015
Segment
Feb. 28, 2014
Aug. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Number of reportable segments     3us-gaap_NumberOfReportableSegments    
Net sales $ 301,005us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 327,770us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 628,770us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet $ 667,326us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet  
Operating profit (Loss) (56,447)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss 38,981us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss (18,229)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss 82,628us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss  
Assets 1,636,819us-gaap_Assets   1,636,819us-gaap_Assets   1,856,879us-gaap_Assets
Industrial          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Net sales 96,489us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
93,571us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
198,902us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
192,212us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
 
Operating profit (Loss) 23,517us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
26,477us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
50,221us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
53,374us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
 
Assets 286,529us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
  286,529us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
  307,058us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_IndustrialMember
Energy          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Net sales 100,211us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
106,031us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
211,733us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
213,956us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
 
Operating profit (Loss) (75,673)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
9,504us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
(63,231)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
18,427us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
 
Assets 618,346us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
  618,346us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
  788,915us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EnergyMember
Engineered Solutions          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Net sales 104,305us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
128,168us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
218,135us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
261,158us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
 
Operating profit (Loss) 2,010us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
9,548us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
8,288us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
22,737us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
 
Assets 625,052us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
  625,052us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
  643,323us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_EngineeredSolutionsMember
Vehicle Systems          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Net sales 51,981us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_VehicleSystemsMember
67,278us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_VehicleSystemsMember
110,449us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_VehicleSystemsMember
138,927us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_VehicleSystemsMember
 
Other          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Net sales 52,324us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_OtherProductsMember
60,890us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_OtherProductsMember
107,686us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_OtherProductsMember
122,231us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_OtherProductsMember
 
General Corporate          
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]          
Operating profit (Loss) (6,301)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
(6,548)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
(13,507)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
(11,910)us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
 
Assets $ 106,892us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
  $ 106,892us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember
  $ 117,583us-gaap_Assets
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= atu_GeneralCoporateMember