Selected Quarterly Data - (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 31, 2015 |
Sep. 25, 2015 |
Jun. 26, 2015 |
Mar. 27, 2015 |
Dec. 31, 2014 |
Sep. 26, 2014 |
Jun. 27, 2014 |
Mar. 28, 2014 |
Dec. 31, 2015 |
Dec. 31, 2014 |
Dec. 31, 2013 |
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| Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Net sales | $ 1,061,464 | $ 969,144 | $ 1,025,375 | $ 911,070 | $ 1,206,356 | $ 1,164,453 | $ 1,199,336 | $ 1,054,331 | $ 3,967,053 | [1] | $ 4,624,476 | [1] | $ 4,207,209 | [1] | ||||||||||||
| Gross profit | 333,425 | 295,874 | 328,037 | 294,438 | 391,847 | 373,195 | 388,171 | 325,632 | 1,251,774 | 1,478,845 | 1,306,222 | |||||||||||||||
| Net income | 48,529 | [2] | 23,545 | 58,829 | 56,275 | 85,789 | [2] | 81,303 | 198,344 | [3] | 54,837 | 187,178 | 420,273 | 209,143 | ||||||||||||
| Net income available to Colfax Corporation common shareholders | $ 44,197 | [2] | $ 18,359 | $ 53,127 | $ 52,056 | $ 80,134 | [2] | $ 73,389 | $ 191,785 | [3] | $ 24,877 | [4] | $ 167,739 | $ 370,185 | $ 158,232 | |||||||||||
| Net income per share- basic | $ 0.36 | [2] | $ 0.15 | $ 0.43 | $ 0.42 | $ 0.65 | [2] | $ 0.59 | $ 1.55 | [3] | $ 0.22 | [4] | $ 1.35 | $ 3.06 | $ 1.56 | |||||||||||
| Net income per share- diluted | $ 0.36 | [2] | $ 0.15 | $ 0.42 | $ 0.42 | $ 0.64 | [2] | $ 0.59 | $ 1.53 | [3] | $ 0.22 | [4] | $ 1.34 | $ 3.02 | $ 1.54 | |||||||||||
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