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Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2016 | Nov. 30, 2015 | May 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2017
Recognized Identifiable Assets and Liabilities [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |
Pro forma effect of business acquisition |  |  |  |  | The pro forma effect of the ongoing operations for Waters Corporation, Rubotherm, MPE, the Malaysian sales and service distributor and ElectroForce, either individually or in the aggregate, as though these acquisitions had occurred at the beginning of the periods covered by this report was immaterial.
Rubotherm [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity | $ 6 |  |  |  |
Rubotherm [Member] | Cash Paid At Closing [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity | 5 |  |  |  |
Rubotherm [Member] | Cash Paid After Closing [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity | $ 1 |  |  |  |
MPE [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity |  | $ 12 |  |  |
Malaysia sales and service distributor [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity |  |  |  | $ 2 |
ElectroForce [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Cash consideration paid for acquired entity |  |  | $ 9 |  |

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- Definition Description of the pro forma information, nature of adjustments made to historical information to arrive at pro forma amounts, amounts excluded from pro forma information, any material-nonrecurring items included in the pro forma information and limitations of pro forma disclosures. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (h) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=79982066&loc=d3e1392-128463 + Details
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- Definition The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 13 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3213-108585 + Details
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