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Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill impairment | $ 0 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss | $ 862,000 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss | $ 0 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
Research and development costs | 2,700,000 us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense | 2,300,000 us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense | 2,100,000 us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Minimum percentage of ownership in investments for consolidation | 50.00%plpc_MinimumPercentageOfOwnershipInInvestmentsForConsolidation |  |
Advertising cost | 2,000,000 us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense | 2,000,000 us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense | 1,800,000 us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Aggregate foreign currency transaction gain and losses | (2,900,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax | (3,800,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax |
Land and Improvements [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 10 years |  |
Building [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 40 years |  |
Proxisafe [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Company acquired investment in Proxisafe Ltd | 25.93%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis = plpc_ProxisafeMember |  |
Minimum [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Amortization period of intangible assets | 1 year |  |
Minimum [Member] | Building Improvements [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 5 years |  |
Minimum [Member] | Machinery and Equipment [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 3 years |  |
Maximum [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Amortization period of intangible assets | 20 years |  |
Aggregate foreign currency transaction gain and losses |  |  | $ (100,000)us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyTransactionGainLossBeforeTax / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember
Maximum [Member] | Building Improvements [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 40 years |  |
Maximum [Member] | Machinery and Equipment [Member] |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |
Estimated useful lives of Property, Plant and Equipment | 10 years |  |

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- Definition Minimum percentage of ownership in investments for consolidation. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 720 -SubTopic 35 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420018&loc=d3e36677-107848 + Details
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- Definition The percentage of ownership of common stock or equity participation in the investee accounted for under the equity method of accounting. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 323 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6382943&loc=d3e33918-111571 + Details
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- Definition Useful life of finite-lived intangible assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount before tax of foreign currency transaction realized and unrealized gain (loss) recognized in the income statement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450189&loc=d3e30690-110894 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450222&loc=d3e30840-110895 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 830 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6450189&loc=d3e30700-110894 + Details
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- Definition Amount of loss from the write-down of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 28 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3602-108585 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13854-109267 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13777-109266 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (e) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
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- Definition Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 985 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6501960&loc=d3e128462-111756 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 730 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6420194&loc=d3e21568-108373 + Details
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