Emerson Electric (EMR) 10-K 19 Nov 14 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Billions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'	'
Document Type	'10-K	'	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'FY	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'EMERSON ELECTRIC CO	'	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000032604	'	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--09-30	'	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'Yes	'	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	693,634,810	'
Entity Public Float	'	'	$46.60

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Ear

Consolidated Statements Of Earnings (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'
Net sales	$24,537	$24,669	$24,412
Costs and expenses:	'	'	'
Cost of sales	14,379	14,717	14,644
Selling, general and administrative expenses	5,715	5,648	5,436
Goodwill impairment	508	528	592
Other deductions, net	393	362	401
Interest expense, net of interest income of: 2014, $24; 2013, $16; 2012, $17	194	218	224
Earnings before income taxes	3,348	3,196	3,115
Income taxes	1,164	1,130	1,091
Net earnings	2,184	2,066	2,024
Less: Noncontrolling interests in earnings of subsidiaries	37	62	56
Net earnings common stockholders	$2,147	$2,004	$1,968
Basic earnings per common share common stockholders	$3.05	$2.78	$2.68
Diluted earnings per common share common stockholders	$3.03	$2.76	$2.67

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Ear1

Consolidated Statements Of Earnings (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'
Interest income	$24	$16	$17

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income Statement (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Net earnings	$2,184	$2,066	$2,024
Foreign currency translation	-344	32	-206
Pension and postretirement	-54	521	-49
Cash flow hedges	1	-17	85
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	-397	536	-170
Comprehensive income	1,787	2,602	1,854
Less: Noncontrolling interests in comprehensive income of subsidiaries	34	56	55
Comprehensive income common stockholders	$1,753	$2,546	$1,799

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
ASSETS	'	'
Cash and equivalents	$3,149	$3,275
Receivables, less allowances of $114 in 2014 and $103 in 2013	5,019	4,808
Inventories	2,057	1,895
Other current assets	642	1,021
Total current assets	10,867	10,999
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,802	3,605
Other assets	'	'
Goodwill	7,182	7,509
Other intangible assets	1,689	1,672
Other	637	926
Total other assets	9,508	10,107
Total assets	24,177	24,711
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY	'	'
Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt	2,465	1,587
Accounts payable	2,951	2,725
Accrued expenses	2,876	3,184
Income taxes	162	129
Total current liabilities	8,454	7,625
Long-term debt	3,559	4,055
Other liabilities	1,997	2,313
Equity	'	'
Common stock, $0.50 par value per share; authorized, 1,200,000,000 shares; issued, 953,354,012 shares; outstanding, 696,605,222 shares in 2014 and 706,660,259 shares in 2013	477	477
Additional paid-in capital	161	352
Retained earnings	19,867	18,930
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-575	-189
Common stockholders' equity before treasury stock	19,930	19,570
Less: Cost of common stock in treasury, 256,748,790 shares in 2014 and 246,693,753 shares in 2013	9,811	8,985
Common stockholders' equity	10,119	10,585
Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries	48	133
Total equity	10,167	10,718
Total liabilities and equity	$24,177	$24,711

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivables	$114	$103
Common stock, par value per share	$0.50	$0.50
Common stock, shares authorized	1,200,000,000	1,200,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	953,354,012	953,354,012
Common stock, shares outstanding	696,605,222	706,660,259
Treasury stock, shares	256,748,790	246,693,753

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Equ

Consolidated Statements Of Equity (USD $)	Total	Common stock [Member]	Additional paid-in-capital [Member]	Retained earnings [Member]	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) [Member]	Treasury stock [Member]	Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries [Member]
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Stockholders' equity, Beginning balance at Sep. 30, 2011	'	'	$317	$17,310	($562)	($7,143)	$152
Statement [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock plans	'	'	16	'	'	'	'
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	'	'	-9	'	'	'	'
Net earnings common stockholders	1,968	'	'	1,968	'	'	'
Cash dividends (per share: 2014, $1.72; 2013, $1.64; 2012, $1.60)	'	'	'	-1,171	'	'	-56
Foreign currency translation	-206	'	'	'	-205	'	'
Pension and postretirement	-49	'	'	'	-49	'	'
Cash flow hedges and other	85	'	'	'	85	'	'
Purchases	'	'	'	'	'	-787	'
Issued under stock plans and other	'	'	'	'	'	48	'
Common stockholders' equity	10,295	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings	-56	'	'	'	'	'	56
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-170	'	'	'	'	'	-1
Purchases of noncontrolling interests	'	'	'	'	'	'	-4
Stockholders' equity, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2012	10,442	477	324	18,107	-731	-7,882	147
Statement [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock plans	'	'	37	'	'	'	'
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	'	'	-9	'	'	'	'
Net earnings common stockholders	2,004	'	'	2,004	'	'	'
Cash dividends (per share: 2014, $1.72; 2013, $1.64; 2012, $1.60)	'	'	'	-1,181	'	'	-69
Foreign currency translation	32	'	'	'	38	'	'
Pension and postretirement	521	'	'	'	521	'	'
Cash flow hedges and other	-17	'	'	'	-17	'	'
Purchases	'	'	'	'	'	-1,189	'
Issued under stock plans and other	'	'	'	'	'	86	'
Common stockholders' equity	10,585	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings	-62	'	'	'	'	'	62
Other comprehensive income (loss)	536	'	'	'	'	'	-6
Purchases of noncontrolling interests	'	'	'	'	'	'	-1
Stockholders' equity, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2013	10,718	477	352	18,930	-189	-8,985	133
Statement [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Stock plans	'	'	160	'	'	'	'
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	'	'	-351	'	'	'	'
Net earnings common stockholders	2,147	'	'	2,147	'	'	'
Cash dividends (per share: 2014, $1.72; 2013, $1.64; 2012, $1.60)	'	'	'	-1,210	'	'	-18
Foreign currency translation	-344	'	'	'	-333	'	'
Pension and postretirement	-54	'	'	'	-54	'	'
Cash flow hedges and other	1	'	'	'	1	'	'
Purchases	'	'	'	'	'	-971	'
Issued under stock plans and other	'	'	'	'	'	145	'
Common stockholders' equity	10,119	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings	-37	'	'	'	'	'	37
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-397	'	'	'	'	'	-3
Purchases of noncontrolling interests	'	'	'	'	'	'	-101
Stockholders' equity, Ending balance at Sep. 30, 2014	$10,167	$477	$161	$19,867	($575)	($9,811)	$48

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Equ1

Consolidated Statements Of Equity (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cash dividends (per share)	$0.43	$0.43	$0.43	$0.43	$0.41	$0.41	$0.41	$0.41	$1.72	$1.64	$1.60

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Cas

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating Activities [Abstract]	'	'	'
Net earnings	$2,184	$2,066	$2,024
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	831	819	823
Changes in operating working capital	114	42	-340
Pension funding	-130	-160	-163
Goodwill impairment, net of tax	508	496	528
Other, net	185	386	181
Net cash provided by operating activities	3,692	3,649	3,053
Investing activities	'	'	'
Capital expenditures	-767	-678	-665
Purchases of businesses, net of cash acquired	-610	-19	-187
Divestitures of businesses	363	3	125
Other, net	-145	-95	-79
Net cash used by investing activities	-1,159	-789	-806
Financing activities	'	'	'
Net increase in short-term borrowings	180	45	348
Proceeds from short-term borrowings greater than three months	2,952	1,530	0
Repayments of short-term borrowings greater than three months	-2,510	-1,201	0
Proceeds from long-term debt	1	496	4
Payments of long-term debt	-329	-521	-262
Dividends paid	-1,210	-1,181	-1,171
Purchases of common stock	-1,048	-1,110	-797
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	-574	-10	-14
Other, net	-21	19	-7
Net cash used by financing activities	-2,559	-1,933	-1,899
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and equivalents	-100	-19	-33
Increase (decrease) in cash and equivalents	-126	908	315
Beginning cash and equivalents	3,275	2,367	2,052
Ending cash and equivalents	3,149	3,275	2,367
Changes in operating working capital	'	'	'
Receivables	-263	-84	-536
Inventories	-132	83	-49
Other current assets	59	-32	19
Accounts payable	294	14	143
Accrued expenses	121	64	91
Income taxes	35	-3	-8
Total changes in operating working capital	$114	$42	($340)

Summary_Of_Significant_Account

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Financial Statement Presentation
	The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
	(U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.
	Effective October 2013, the Company adopted revisions to ASC 220, Comprehensive Income, which require entities to disclose reclassifications into earnings from accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) and other current period activity. There is no change to the items reported in AOCI or when those items should be reclassified into earnings. The revisions did not materially impact the Company’s financial statements.
	Principles of Consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its controlled affiliates. Intercompany transactions, profits and balances are eliminated in consolidation. Investments of 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting shares of other entities are accounted for by the equity method. Investments in publicly-traded companies of less than 20 percent are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income. Investments in nonpublicly-traded companies of less than 20 percent are carried at cost.
	Foreign Currency Translation
	The functional currency for most of the Company's non-U.S. subsidiaries is the local currency. Adjustments resulting from translating local currency financial statements into U.S. dollars are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income.
	Cash Equivalents
	Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The majority of inventory is valued based on standard costs that approximate average costs, while the remainder is principally valued on a first-in, first-out basis. Cost standards are revised at the beginning of each fiscal year. The annual effect of resetting standards plus any operating variances incurred during each period are allocated between inventories and cost of sales. Following are the components of inventory as of September 30:
		2013		2014
	Finished products	$	678	741
	Raw materials and work in process	1,217		1,316
	Total inventories	$	1,895	2,057
	Fair Value Measurement
	ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, establishes a formal hierarchy and framework for measuring certain financial statement items at fair value, and requires disclosures about fair value measurements and the reliability of valuation inputs. Under ASC 820, measurement assumes the transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal or at least the most advantageous market for that asset or liability. Within the hierarchy, Level 1 instruments use observable market prices for the identical item in active markets and have the most reliable valuations. Level 2 instruments are valued through broker/dealer quotation or other approaches using market-observable inputs for similar items in active markets, including forward and spot prices, interest rates and volatilities. Level 3 instruments are valued using inputs not observable in an active market, such as company-developed future cash flow estimates, and are considered the least reliable. Valuations for all of the Company's financial instruments fall within Level 2. The fair value of the Company's long-term debt is Level 2, estimated using current interest rates and pricing from financial institutions and other market sources for debt with similar maturities and characteristics.
	Property, Plant And Equipment
	The Company records investments in land, buildings, and machinery and equipment at cost. Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method over estimated service lives, which for principal assets are 30 to 40 years for buildings and 8 to 12 years for machinery and equipment. Long-lived tangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Impairment losses are recognized based on estimated fair values if the sum of expected future undiscounted cash flows of the related assets is less than their carrying values. The components of property, plant and equipment as of September 30 follow:
		2013		2014
	Land	$	278	275
	Buildings	1,965		2,355
	Machinery and equipment	6,440		6,353
	Construction in progress	409		428
	Property, plant and equipment, at cost	9,092		9,411
	Less: Accumulated depreciation	5,487		5,609
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	3,605	3,802
	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
	Assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method and recorded at their respective fair values. Substantially all goodwill is assigned to the reporting unit that acquires a business. A reporting unit is an operating segment as defined in ASC 280, Segment Reporting, or a business one level below an operating segment if discrete financial information for that business unit is prepared and regularly reviewed by the segment manager. The Company conducts annual impairment tests of goodwill in the fourth quarter. If an initial assessment indicates it is more likely than not goodwill might be impaired, it is evaluated by comparing the reporting unit's estimated fair value to its carrying value. Goodwill is also tested for impairment between annual tests if events or circumstances indicate the fair value of a unit may be less than its carrying value. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value, impairment is recognized to the extent that recorded goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill. Estimated fair values of reporting units are Level 3 measures and are developed generally under an income approach that discounts estimated future cash flows using risk-adjusted interest rates.
	All of the Company's identifiable intangible assets are subject to amortization on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Identifiable intangibles consist of intellectual property such as patents and trademarks, customer relationships and capitalized software. Identifiable intangibles are also subject to evaluation for potential impairment if events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. See Note 6.
	Product Warranty
	Warranties vary by product line and are competitive for the markets in which the Company operates. Warranties generally extend for a period of one to two years from the date of sale or installation. Provisions for warranty are determined primarily based on historical warranty cost as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount per unit sold based on failure rates, adjusted for specific problems that may arise. Product warranty expense is less than 1 percent of sales.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company recognizes nearly all of its revenues through the sale of manufactured products and records the sale when products are shipped or delivered, and title passes to the customer with collection reasonably assured. In certain limited circumstances, revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method as performance occurs, or in accordance with ASC 985-605 related to software. Management believes that all relevant criteria and conditions are considered when recognizing revenue.
	Sales arrangements sometimes involve delivering multiple elements, including services such as installation. In these instances, the revenue assigned to each element is based on vendor-specific objective evidence, third-party evidence or a management estimate of the relative selling price. Revenue is recognized individually for delivered elements only if they have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis and the performance of the undelivered items is probable and substantially in the Company's control, or the undelivered elements are inconsequential or perfunctory and there are no unsatisfied contingencies related to payment. Approximately 10 percent of the Company's revenues arise from qualifying sales arrangements that include the delivery of multiple elements, principally in the Network Power and Process Management segments. The vast majority of these deliverables are tangible products, with a small portion attributable to installation, service or maintenance. Generally, contract duration is short term and cancellation, termination or refund provisions apply only in the event of contract breach, and have historically not been invoked.
	Derivatives and Hedging
	In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices due to its worldwide presence and diverse business profile. Emerson's foreign currency exposures relate to transactions denominated in currencies that differ from the functional currencies of its business units, primarily in euros, Mexican pesos, Canadian dollars and Singapore dollars. Primary commodity exposures are price fluctuations on forecasted purchases of copper and aluminum and related products. As part of the Company's risk management strategy, derivative instruments are selectively used in an effort to minimize the impact of these exposures. Foreign exchange forwards and options are utilized to hedge foreign currency exposures impacting sales or cost of sales transactions, firm commitments and the fair value of assets and liabilities, while swap and option contracts may be used to minimize the effect of commodity price fluctuations on the cost of sales. All derivatives are associated with specific underlying exposures and the Company does not hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. The duration of hedge positions is generally two years or less.
	All derivatives are accounted for under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and recognized at fair value. For derivatives hedging variability in future cash flows, the effective portion of any gain or loss is deferred in stockholders' equity and recognized when the underlying hedged transaction impacts earnings. The majority of the Company's derivatives that are designated as hedges and qualify for deferral accounting are cash flow hedges. For derivatives hedging the fair value of existing assets or liabilities, both the gain or loss on the derivative and the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item are recognized in earnings each period. Currency fluctuations on non-U.S. dollar obligations that have been designated as hedges of non-U.S. dollar net asset exposures are reported in equity. To the extent that any hedge is not fully effective at offsetting changes in the underlying hedged item, there could be a net earnings impact. The Company also uses derivatives to hedge economic exposures that do not receive deferral accounting under ASC 815. The underlying exposures for these hedges relate primarily to purchases of commodity-based components used in the Company's manufacturing processes, and the revaluation of certain foreign-currency-denominated assets and liabilities. Gains or losses from the ineffective portion of any hedge, as well as any gains or losses on derivative instruments not designated as hedges, are recognized in the income statement immediately.
	Counterparties to derivative arrangements are companies with high credit ratings and the Company has bilateral collateral arrangements with them for which credit rating-based posting thresholds vary depending on the arrangement. If credit ratings on the Company's debt fall below preestablished levels, counterparties can require immediate full collateralization on all instruments in net liability positions. No collateral was posted with counterparties and none was held by the Company at year end. The maximum collateral that could have been required was $10. The Company can also demand full collateralization of instruments in net asset positions should any of the Company's counterparties' credit ratings fall below certain thresholds. Risk from credit loss when derivatives are in asset positions is not considered material. The Company has master netting arrangements in place with its counterparties that allow the offsetting of certain derivative-related amounts receivable and payable when settlement occurs in the same period. Accordingly, counterparty balances are netted in the consolidated balance sheet and are reported in other current assets or accrued expenses as appropriate, depending on positions with counterparties as of the balance sheet date. See Note 7.
	Income Taxes
	The provision for income taxes is based on pretax income reported in the consolidated statements of earnings and tax rates currently enacted in each jurisdiction. Certain income and expense items are recognized in different time periods for financial reporting and income tax filing purposes, and deferred income taxes are provided for the effect of temporary differences. The Company also provides for U.S. federal income taxes, net of available foreign tax credits, on earnings intended to be repatriated from non-U.S. locations. No provision has been made for U.S. income taxes on approximately $7.1 billion of undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries as of September 30, 2014, as these earnings are considered permanently invested or otherwise indefinitely retained for continuing international operations. Recognition of U.S. taxes on undistributed non-U.S. earnings would be triggered by a management decision to repatriate those earnings, although there is no current intention to do so. Determination of the amount of taxes that might be paid on these undistributed earnings if eventually remitted is not practicable. See Note 13.

Weighted_Average_Common_Shares

Weighted Average Common Shares	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Weighted Average Common Shares [Abstract]	'
Weighted Average Common Shares	'
	WEIGHTED-AVERAGE COMMON SHARES
	Basic earnings per common share consider only the weighted-average of common shares outstanding while diluted earnings per common share also consider the dilutive effects of stock options and incentive shares. Options to purchase approximately 4.6 million, 0.6 million and 7.7 million shares of common stock were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, as the effect would have been antidilutive. Earnings allocated to participating securities were inconsequential for all years presented. Reconciliations of weighted-average shares for basic and diluted earnings per common share follow (shares in millions):
		2012	2013	2014
	Basic shares outstanding	730.6	717.7	700.2
	Dilutive shares	4	5.2	3.9
	Diluted shares outstanding	734.6	722.9	704.1

Acquisitions_And_Divestitures

Acquisitions And Divestitures	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Acquisitions And Divestitures [Abstract]	'
Acquisitions And Divestitures	'
	y acquired 100 percent of Virgo Valves and Controls Limited and Enardo Holdings, both in the Process Management final control business, during the first quarter of 2014. Virgo is a manufacturer of engineered valves and automation systems and Enardo is a manufacturer of tank and terminal safety equipment. Total cash paid for both businesses was approximately $506, net of cash acquired, and the Company also assumed $76 of debt. Combined sales for Virgo and Enardo in 2014 were $321. Goodwill of $323 (largely nondeductible) and identifiable intangible assets of $178, primarily customer relationships and patents and technology with weighted-average lives of approximately 12 years, were recognized from these transactions. The Company also acquired four other smaller businesses in 2014 for a total of approximately $104, net of cash acquired. Combined annual sales for these four businesses were approximately $55. These smaller acquisitions were complementary to the existing business portfolios. Valuations of certain acquired assets and liabilities are in-process and subject to refinement.
	In the second quarter of 2014, the Company acquired the remaining 44.5 percent noncontrolling interest in Appleton Group (formally EGS Electrical Group), which is reported in Industrial Automation, for $574. Full ownership provides growth opportunities in the oil and gas and chemicals end markets by leveraging the Company's Process Management and international distribution channels. The transaction reduced noncontrolling interests $101 and common stockholders equity $343, and increased deferred tax assets $130. The transaction does not affect consolidated results of operations other than eliminating the noncontrolling interest's share of future earnings and distributions from this business. Sales for this electrical distribution business were $542 in 2014.
	On November 22, 2013, the Company completed the divestiture of a 51 percent controlling interest in Artesyn and received proceeds of $264, net of working capital adjustment. The Company retained an interest with a fair value of approximately $60, determined using a Level 3 option pricing model. A tax benefit of $20 was recognized on completion of the transaction. Consolidated operating results for 2014 include sales of $146 and a net loss of $9 for this business through the closing date. As the Company retained a noncontrolling interest in this business, it was not classified as discontinued operations. Assets and liabilities held-for-sale at the closing date were: other current assets, $367 (accounts receivable, inventories, other); other assets, $212 (property plant and equipment, goodwill, other noncurrent assets); and accrued expenses, $255 (accounts payable and other liabilities). Prior to the divestiture, cash of $376 ($308, after tax provided for in fiscal 2013) was repatriated from this business. In fiscal 2013, the Company initiated the purchase of $600 of Emerson common stock in anticipation of the sale proceeds and the cash repatriation. The purchase of shares was completed in the first quarter of 2014. The Company recorded goodwill impairment charges in both 2013 and 2012, and income tax charges in 2013, related to this business. See Note 6.
	In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company sold its connectivity solutions business for $99 in cash, and recognized a slight gain. This business reported sales of $63 and net earnings of $3 in 2014. Connectivity solutions offered industry-leading fiber optic, radio-frequency and microwave-coaxial technologies that safeguard network reliability.
	In connection with its longer-term strategy to divest selected slower-growth businesses, management is considering strategic alternatives for the power transmission solutions business, and in the fourth quarter of 2014 received several nonbinding indications of interest. This business designs and manufactures market-leading couplings, bearings, conveying components and gearing and drive components, and provides supporting services and solutions. In 2014, this business contributed sales of $605 and earnings of $87 in Industrial Automation. As of September 30, 2014, this business had working capital of $155 and net other assets of $366, including net property, plant and equipment of $122 and goodwill of $223. The Company expects to make a decision and announce plans for this business within the next three months.
	The Company acquired 100 percent of Avtron Loadbank and a marine controls business during the second quarter of 2012. Avtron is a designer and manufacturer of high-quality load banks and testing systems for power equipment industries and is included in Network Power. The marine controls business supplies controls and software solutions for optimal operation of refrigerated sea containers and marine boilers and is included in Climate Technologies. In addition, the Company acquired two smaller businesses during 2012 in Process Management and Network Power. Total cash paid for all businesses was approximately $187, net of cash acquired of $5. Annualized sales for businesses acquired in 2012 were approximately $115. Goodwill of $94 (approximately $36 of which is tax deductible) and identifiable intangible assets of $82, primarily customer relationships and patents and technology with a weighted-average life of approximately 9 years, were recognized from these transactions.
	In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company sold its Knaack business unit for $114, resulting in an after-tax loss of $5 ($3 income tax benefit). Knaack had 2012 sales of $95 and net earnings of $7. Knaack, a leading provider of premium secure storage solutions for job sites and work vehicles, was reported in Commercial & Residential Solutions.
	The results of operations of the acquired businesses discussed above have been included in the Company's consolidated results of operations since the respective dates of acquisition.

Other_Deductions_Net

Other Deductions, Net	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Deductions, Net [Abstract]	'
Other Deductions, Net	'
	Other deductions, net are summarized as follows:
		2012			2013		2014
	Amortization of intangibles (intellectual property and customer relationships)	$	241		220		225
	Rationalization of operations	119			78		55
	Other	91			65		113
	Gains, net	(50		)	(1	)	—
	Total	$	401		362		393
	Other is composed of several items that are individually immaterial, including foreign currency transaction gains and losses, bad debt expense, equity investment income and losses, litigation and other items. Other increased in 2014 primarily due to the Company's $34 share of losses from its equity investment in Artesyn (principally restructuring costs), the impact of a $13 China research credit in 2013 and several other items. Reduced foreign currency transaction losses of $20 partially offset the increase. Other decreased in 2013 due to the research credit, lower foreign currency transaction losses and the comparative impact from a loss on the sale of the Knaack business in 2012. Gains, net in 2012 includes dumping duties of $43 collected from U.S. Customs.

Rationalization_Of_Operations

Rationalization Of Operations	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]	'
Rationalization Of Operations	'
	RATIONALIZATION OF OPERATIONS
	Rationalization of operations expense reflects costs associated with the Company's efforts to continually improve operational efficiency and deploy assets globally to remain competitive on a worldwide basis. Each year the Company incurs costs to size its businesses to levels appropriate for current economic conditions and to improve its cost structure for future growth. Rationalization expenses result from numerous individual actions implemented across the Company's various operating units on an ongoing basis and include costs for moving facilities to best-cost locations, starting up plants after relocation or geographic expansion to serve local markets, exiting certain product lines, curtailing/downsizing operations because of changing economic conditions and other costs resulting from asset redeployment decisions. Shutdown costs include severance and benefits, stay bonuses, lease and contract termination costs and asset write-downs. In addition to the costs of moving fixed assets, start-up and moving costs include employee training and relocation. Vacant facility costs include security, maintenance, utilities and other costs.
	Rationalization expenses were $55, $78 and $119, respectively, for 2014, 2013 and 2012. The Company currently expects to incur 2015 rationalization expense of approximately $60, including costs to complete actions initiated before the end of 2014 and for actions anticipated to be approved and initiated during 2015.
	The change in the liability for rationalization of operations during the years ended September 30 follows:
		2013		Expense	Paid/Utilized	2014
	Severance and benefits	$	27	27	34	20
	Lease and other contract terminations	3		3	5	1
	Fixed asset write-downs	—		2	2	—
	Vacant facility and other shutdown costs	1		5	6	—
	Start-up and moving costs	1		18	18	1
	Total	$	32	55	65	22
		2012		Expense	Paid/Utilized	2013
	Severance and benefits	$	23	45	41	27
	Lease and other contract terminations	5		3	5	3
	Fixed asset write-downs	—		1	1	—
	Vacant facility and other shutdown costs	3		6	8	1
	Start-up and moving costs	1		23	23	1
	Total	$	32	78	78	32
	Rationalization of operations expense by business segment follows:
		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	19	15	17
	Industrial Automation	27		27	7
	Network Power	53		25	15
	Climate Technologies	11		3	14
	Commercial & Residential Solutions	9		8	2
	Total	$	119	78	55
	Expenses incurred during 2014, 2013 and 2012 include actions to exit 14, 13 and 20 production, distribution or office facilities, and eliminate approximately 2,000, 3,100 and 2,700 positions, respectively, as well as costs related to start up operations and facilities exited in previous periods. Costs largely relate to deployment of resources to higher growth regions and to directly serve local markets, and in 2014 were concentrated in Process Management, Network Power and Climate Technologies. The majority of costs have been incurred in Asia and Europe and to a lesser extent in North America. In 2013 and 2012, costs were concentrated in Network Power and Industrial Automation due to end market softness for those segments, including Artesyn, and acquisition integration activity in Network Power, and were primarily incurred in Europe, North America and Asia.

Goodwill_And_Other_Intangibles

Goodwill And Other Intangibles	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill And Other Intangibles	'
	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLES
	Purchases of businesses are accounted for under the acquisition method, with substantially all goodwill assigned to the reporting unit that acquires the business. Under an impairment test performed annually, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, impairment is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount of the unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of the goodwill. Fair values of reporting units are Level 3 measures which are estimated generally using an income approach that discounts future cash flows using risk-adjusted interest rates, as well as earnings multiples or other techniques as warranted. Fair values are subject to changes in underlying economic conditions. See Note 3 for further discussion of changes in goodwill related to acquisitions and divestitures.
	The Network Power Europe business, which comprises the 2010 Chloride acquisition and pre-existing businesses, was the focus of the fourth quarter 2014 impairment review. The business has not been able to meet it operating objectives due to a weak Western Europe economy, which had less than 1 percent GDP growth since the acquisition. The weak economic recovery and intense competitive/market pressures have negatively affected the profitability of the combined Emerson and Chloride European network power business. The economics for Europe are uncertain for 2015 and 2016 and the goodwill from the acquisition cannot be supported. A $508, $0.72 per share, noncash impairment charge was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2014. The charge was not deductible for tax purposes. This business provides uninterruptible power supplies, thermal management products, and data center services and solutions for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
	The Company had faced persistent challenges in the Artesyn business due to protracted weak demand, structural industry developments and increased competition. These challenges, including weakness in telecommunication and mobile device markets, continued into 2013 and sales and earnings were below expectations. In the third quarter of 2013, the Company recorded a noncash goodwill impairment charge of $503 ($475 after-tax, $0.65 per share). Income tax charges of $70 ($0.10 per share) for the anticipated repatriation of non-U.S. earnings from this business were also recorded in 2013. Additionally, in the fourth quarter the Company's goodwill impairment testing indicated that the carrying value of the connectivity solutions business in Network Power exceeded its fair value due to operating results not meeting forecasted expectations, resulting in a noncash charge to earnings of $25 ($21 after-tax, $0.03 per share). The Company divested both of these businesses in 2014. See Note 3.
	In the fourth quarter of 2012, the Company incurred an impairment charge for the Artesyn business and the DC power systems business, after goodwill impairment testing revealed that the carrying values of these businesses exceeded the fair values. These businesses had been unable to meet operating objectives and the Company anticipated that growth in sales and earnings would be slower than previously expected given the end market circumstances noted above. The carrying value of these businesses was reduced by a noncash charge to earnings totaling $592 ($528 after-tax, $0.72 per share).
	The change in the carrying value of goodwill by business segment follows. Cumulative pretax impairment charges in Network Power total $646 as of September 30, 2014.
		Process Management			Industrial Automation		Network Power		Climate Technologies		Commercial & Residential Solutions
													Total
	Balance, September 30, 2012	$	2,379		1,338		3,367		501		441		8,026
	Acquisitions	11											11
	Divestitures						(40	)			(2	)	(42	)
	Impairment						(528	)					(528	)
	Foreign currency	(7		)	14		33		2				42
	translation and other
	Balance, September 30, 2013	$	2,383		1,352		2,832		503		439		7,509
	Acquisitions	356					22						378
	Divestitures						(70	)					(70	)
	Impairment						(508	)					(508	)
	Foreign currency	(38		)	(23	)	(58	)	(3	)	(5	)	(127	)
	translation and other
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	2,701		1,329		2,218		500		434		7,182
	The gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization of identifiable intangible assets by major class follow:
		Customer Relationships					Intellectual Property				Capitalized Software				Total
		2013			2014		2013		2014		2013		2014		2013	2014
	Gross carrying amount	$	1,482		1,594		1,023		1,052		1,110		1,190		3,615	3,836
	Less: accumulated amortization	533			643		565		613		845		891		1,943	2,147
	Net carrying amount	$	949		951		458		439		265		299		1,672	1,689
	Total intangible asset amortization expense for 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $313, $298 and $318, respectively. Based on intangible asset balances as of September 30, 2014, amortization expense is expected to approximate $330 in 2015, $278 in 2016, $239 in 2017, $195 in 2018 and $163 in 2019.

Financial_Instruments

Financial Instruments	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Financial Instruments [Abstract]	'
Financial Instruments	'
	FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
	Hedging Activities
	As of September 30, 2014, the notional amount of foreign currency hedge positions was approximately $1.7 billion, while commodity hedge contracts totaled approximately 66 million pounds ($190) of copper and aluminum. All derivatives receiving deferral accounting are cash flow hedges. The majority of hedging gains and losses deferred as of September 30, 2014 are expected to be recognized over the next 12 months as the underlying forecasted transactions occur. Gains and losses on foreign currency derivatives reported in other deductions, net reflect hedges of balance sheet exposures that do not receive deferral accounting. Amounts included in earnings and other comprehensive income follow:
				Gain (Loss) to Earnings										Gain (Loss) to OCI
				2012				2013			2014			2012	2013		2014
		Location
	Commodity	Cost of sales		$	(42	)		(15	)		(12	)		43	(22	)	(16	)
	Foreign currency	Sales, cost of sales		8				24			10			58	4		15
	Foreign currency	Other deductions, net		45				(5	)		(3	)
	Total			$	11			4			(5	)		101	(18	)	(1	)
	Regardless of whether derivatives receive deferral accounting, the Company expects hedging gains or losses to be essentially offset by losses or gains on the related underlying exposures. The amounts ultimately recognized will differ from those presented above for open positions, which remain subject to ongoing market price fluctuations until settlement. Derivatives receiving deferral accounting are highly effective and no amounts were excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness. Hedge ineffectiveness was immaterial in 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	Fair Value Measurement
	The estimated fair value of long-term debt was $4,492 and $4,727, respectively, as of September 30, 2014 and 2013, which exceeded the carrying value by $411 and $405, respectively. As of September 30, 2014, the fair value of commodity contracts and foreign currency contracts was reported in other current assets and accrued expenses. Valuations of derivative contract positions as of September 30 follow:
			2013							2014
			Assets				Liabilities			Assets			Liabilities
	Foreign Currency		$	18			17			32			20
	Commodity		$	2			8			1			10

ShortTerm_Borrowings_And_Lines

Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit [Abstract]	'
Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit	'
	SHORT-TERM BORROWINGS AND LINES OF CREDIT
	Short-term borrowings and current maturities of long-term debt are as follows:
		2013		2014
	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	267	522
	Commercial paper	1,304		1,938
	Payable to banks	16		5
	Total	$	1,587	2,465
	Weighted-average interest rate for short-term borrowings at year end	0.20%		0.20%
	The Company routinely issues commercial paper as a source of short-term financing. In April 2014, the Company entered into a $3.5 billion five-year revolving backup credit facility with various banks, which replaced the December 2010 $2.75 billion facility. The credit facility is maintained to support general corporate purposes, including commercial paper borrowing. The Company has not incurred any borrowings under this or previous facilities. The credit facility contains no financial covenants and is not subject to termination based on a change of credit rating or material adverse changes. The facility is unsecured and may be accessed under various interest rate and currency denomination alternatives at the Company's option. Fees to maintain the facility are immaterial.

LongTerm_Debt

Long-Term Debt	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Long-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]	'
Long-Term Debt	'
	LONG-TERM DEBT
	The details of long-term debt follow:
		2013		2014
	5.625% notes due November 2013	$	250	—
	5.0% notes due December 2014	250		250
	4.125% notes due April 2015	250		250
	4.75% notes due October 2015	250		250
	5.125% notes due December 2016	250		250
	5.375% notes due October 2017	250		250
	5.25% notes due October 2018	400		400
	5.0% notes due April 2019	250		250
	4.875% notes due October 2019	500		500
	4.25% notes due November 2020	300		300
	2.625% notes due February 2023	500		500
	6.0% notes due August 2032	250		250
	6.125% notes due April 2039	250		250
	5.25% notes due November 2039	300		300
	Other	72		81
	Long-term debt	4,322		4,081
	Less: Current maturities	267		522
	Total, net	$	4,055	3,559
	Long-term debt maturing during each of the four years after 2015 is $304, $251, $251 and $651, respectively. Total interest paid on all debt was approximately $210, $226 and $234 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. During the year, the Company repaid $250 of 5.625% notes that matured in November 2013. In 2013, the Company repaid $250 of 4.625% notes that matured in October 2012 and $250 of 4.5% notes that matured in May 2013, and also issued $500 of 2.625% notes due February 2023.
	The Company maintains a universal shelf registration statement on file with the SEC under which it can issue debt securities, preferred stock, common stock, warrants, share purchase contracts or share purchase units without a predetermined limit. Securities can be sold in one or more separate offerings with the size, price and terms to be determined at the time of sale.

Retirement_Plans

Retirement Plans	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Retirement Plans	'
	RETIREMENT PLANS
	Retirement plans expense includes the following components:
		U.S. Plans										Non-U.S. Plans
		2012				2013			2014			2012			2013			2014
	Defined benefit plans:
	Service cost (benefits earned during the period)	$	55			70			59			27			31			32
	Interest cost	172				167			182			50			46			53
	Expected return on plan assets	(275		)		(280	)		(286	)		(43	)		(50	)		(58	)
	Net amortization and other	168				226			153			19			18			18
	Net periodic pension expense	120				183			108			53			45			45
	Defined contribution plans	103				113			119			59			63			59
	Total retirement plans expense	$	223			296			227			112			108			104
	The decline in net periodic pension expense in 2014 is attributable to a higher interest rate assumption than in 2013 and favorable pension asset investment performance. Pension expense increased in 2013 primarily due to a lower interest rate assumption. For defined contribution plans, the Company makes cash contributions based on plan requirements, which are expensed as incurred. The Company has two small businesses that participate in multiemployer pension plans. Such participation is insignificant individually and in total. Cash contributed was inconsequential in all years. The Company could potentially incur immaterial liabilities upon withdrawal from these plans, although it has no intention to do so. Additionally, as with participation in any multiemployer plan, there is a theoretical but remote possibility the Company could incur material liabilities should all other participating employers be unable to fund their obligations.
	Details of the changes in the actuarial present value of the projected benefit obligation and the fair value of plan assets for defined benefit pension plans follow:
		U.S. Plans							Non-U.S. Plans
		2013				2014			2013			2014
	Projected benefit obligation, beginning	$	4,203			3,863			1,143			1,269
	Service cost	70				59			31			32
	Interest cost	167				182			46			53
	Actuarial (gain) loss	(403		)		415			85			89
	Benefits paid	(176		)		(188	)		(46	)		(47	)
	Foreign currency translation and other	2				5			10			(66	)
	Projected benefit obligation, ending	$	3,863			4,336			1,269			1,330
	Fair value of plan assets, beginning	$	3,719			4,112			809			899
	Actual return on plan assets	454				461			86			106
	Employer contributions	113				85			47			45
	Benefits paid	(176		)		(188	)		(46	)		(47	)
	Foreign currency translation and other	2				3			3			(15	)
	Fair value of plan assets, ending	$	4,112			4,473			899			988
	Net amount recognized in the balance sheet	$	249			137			(370	)		(342	)
	Location of net amount recognized in the balance sheet:
	Noncurrent asset	$	435			344			3			33
	Current liability	$	(10	)		(10	)		(10	)		(8	)
	Noncurrent liability	$	(176	)		(197	)		(363	)		(367	)
	Net amount recognized in the balance sheet	249				137			(370	)		(342	)
	Pretax accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(871	)		(961	)		(343	)		(346	)
	Approximately $193 of the $1,307 of pretax losses deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at September 30, 2014, will be amortized to expense in 2015. As of September 30, 2014, U.S. pension plans were overfunded by $137 and non-U.S. plans were underfunded by $342. The U.S. funded status includes unfunded plans totaling $182 and the non-U.S. status includes unfunded plans totaling $218.
	As of the September 30, 2014 and 2013 measurement dates, the plans' total accumulated benefit obligation was $5,277 and $4,782, respectively. Also as of the measurement dates, the total projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets for individual plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets were $1,028, $928 and $455, respectively, for 2014, and $978, $887 and $464, respectively, for 2013.
	Future benefit payments by U.S. plans are estimated to be $197 in 2015, $207 in 2016, $217 in 2017, $227 in 2018, $237 in 2019 and $1,304 in total over the five years 2020 through 2024. Based on foreign currency exchange rates as of September 30, 2014, future benefit payments by non-U.S. plans are estimated to be $48 in 2015, $50 in 2016, $56 in 2017, $58 in 2018, $60 in 2019 and $346 in total over the five years 2020 through 2024. The Company expects to contribute approximately $60 to its retirement plans in 2015.
	The weighted-average assumptions used in the valuation of pension benefits follow:
		U.S. Plans									Non-U.S. Plans
		2012			2013			2014			2012			2013			2014
	Net pension expense
	Discount rate	4.75	%		4	%		4.75	%		5.2	%		4.1	%		4.2	%
	Expected return on plan assets	7.75	%		7.75	%		7.5	%		5.9	%		5.5	%		6.6	%
	Rate of compensation increase	3	%		3.25	%		3.25	%		3.5	%		3.4	%		3.2	%
	Benefit obligations
	Discount rate	4	%		4.75	%		4.25	%		4.1	%		4.2	%		3.6	%
	Rate of compensation increase	3.25	%		3.25	%		3.25	%		3.4	%		3.2	%		3.4	%
	The discount rate for the U.S. retirement plans was 4.25 percent as of September 30, 2014. An actuarially developed, company-specific yield curve is used to determine the discount rate. The expected return on plan assets assumption is determined by reviewing the investment returns of the plans for the past 10 years plus longer-term historical returns of an asset mix approximating the Company's asset allocation targets, and periodically comparing these returns to expectations of investment advisors and actuaries to determine whether long-term future returns are expected to differ significantly from the past. Defined benefit pension plan expense for 2015 is expected to be approximately $165, versus $153 in 2014.
	The Company's asset allocations at September 30, 2014 and 2013, and weighted-average target allocations follow:
		U.S. Plans								Non-U.S. Plans
		2013			2014			Target		2013			2014			Target
	Equity securities	66	%		65	%		60-70%		56	%		55	%		50-60%
	Debt securities	26			26			25-35		30			32			25-35
	Other	8			9			10-Mar		14			13			20-Oct
	Total	100	%		100	%		100%		100	%		100	%		100%
	The primary objective for the investment of pension assets is to secure participant retirement benefits by earning a reasonable rate of return. Plan assets are invested consistent with the provisions of the prudence and diversification rules of ERISA and with a long-term investment horizon. The Company continuously monitors the value of assets by class and routinely rebalances to remain within target allocations. The strategy for equity assets is to minimize concentrations of risk by investing primarily in companies in a diversified mix of industries worldwide, while targeting neutrality in exposure to market capitalization levels, growth versus value profile, global versus regional markets, fund types and fund managers. The approach for bonds emphasizes investment-grade corporate and government debt with maturities matching a portion of the longer duration pension liabilities. The bonds strategy also includes a high-yield element which is generally shorter in duration. For diversification, a small portion of U.S. plan assets is allocated to private equity partnerships and real asset fund investments, providing opportunities for above market returns. Leveraging techniques are not used and the use of derivatives in any fund is limited and inconsequential.
	The fair values of defined benefit pension assets as of September 30, organized by asset class and by the fair value hierarchy of ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, follow:
		Level 1				Level 2			Level 3			Total			%
	2014
	U.S. equities	$	1,097			535			184			1,816			33	%
	International equities	589				767			—			1,356			25	%
Emerging market equities	—				279			—			279			5	%
Corporate bonds	—				594			—			594			11	%
Government bonds	2				720			—			722			13	%
High-yield bonds	—				181			—			181			3	%
Other	209				180			124			513			10	%
Total	$	1,897			3,256			308			5,461			100	%
2013
U.S. equities	$	1,078			560			121			1,759			35	%
International equities	563				632			—			1,195			24	%
Emerging market equities	—				263			—			263			5	%
Corporate bonds	—				524			—			524			10	%
Government bonds	22				614			—			636			13	%
High-yield bonds	—				159			—			159			3	%
Other	178				168			129			475			10	%
Total	$	1,841			2,920			250			5,011			100	%
Asset Classes
U.S. equities reflects companies domiciled in the U.S., including multinational companies. International equities is comprised of companies domiciled in developed nations outside the U.S. Emerging market equities is comprised of companies domiciled in portions of Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Corporate bonds represents investment-grade debt of issuers primarily from the U.S. Government bonds includes investment-grade instruments issued by federal, state and local governments, primarily in the U.S. High-yield bonds includes noninvestment-grade debt from a diverse group of developed market issuers. Other includes cash, interests in mixed asset funds investing in commodities, natural resources, agriculture, real estate and infrastructure funds, life insurance contracts (U.S.), and shares in certain general investment funds of financial institutions or insurance arrangements (non-U.S.) that typically ensure no market losses or provide for a small minimum return guarantee.
Fair Value Hierarchy Categories
Valuations of Level 1 assets for all classes are based on quoted closing market prices from the principal exchanges where the individual securities are traded. Cash is valued at cost, which approximates fair value. Equity securities categorized as Level 2 assets are primarily nonexchange-traded commingled or collective funds where the underlying securities have observable prices available from active markets. Valuation is based on the net asset value of fund units held as derived from the fair value of the underlying assets. Debt securities categorized as Level 2 assets are generally valued based on independent broker/dealer bids or by comparison to other debt securities having similar durations, yields and credit ratings. Other Level 2 assets are valued based on a net asset value of fund units held, which is derived from either market-observed pricing for the underlying assets or broker/dealer quotation. U.S. equity securities classified as Level 3 are fund investments in private companies. Valuation techniques and inputs for these assets include discounted cash flow analysis, earnings multiple approaches, recent transactions, transferability restrictions, prevailing discount rates, volatilities, credit ratings and other factors. In the Other class, interests in mixed assets funds are Level 2, and U.S. life insurance contracts and non-U.S. general fund investments and insurance arrangements are Level 3.
Details of the changes in value for Level 3 assets follow:
	2013				2014
Level 3, beginning	$	250			250
Gains (Losses) on assets held	25				(18	)
Gains (Losses) on assets sold	(22		)		21
Purchases, sales and settlements, net	(3		)		55
Level 3, ending	$	250			308

Postretirement_Plans

Postretirement Plans	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Postemployment Benefits [Abstract]	'
Postretirement Plans	'
	POSTRETIREMENT PLANS
	The Company sponsors unfunded postretirement benefit plans (primarily health care) for certain U.S. retirees and their dependents. The components of net postretirement benefits expense for the years ended September 30 follow:
		2012			2013		2014
	Service cost	$	2		2		1
	Interest cost	16			12		11
	Net amortization	(11		)	(13	)	(21	)
	Net postretirement expense	$	7		1		(9	)
	Details of the changes in actuarial present value of accumulated postretirement benefit obligations follow:
		2013			2014
	Benefit obligation, beginning	$	367		278
	Service cost	2			1
	Interest cost	12			11
	Actuarial (gain) loss	(83		)	(12	)
	Benefits paid	(20		)	(17	)
	Plan amendments	—			(13	)
	Benefit obligation, ending (recognized in balance sheet)	$	278		248
	As of September 30, 2014 there were $172 of deferred actuarial gains in accumulated other comprehensive income, of which approximately $22 will be amortized into earnings in 2015. The assumed discount rates used in measuring the benefit obligations as of September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, were 3.75 percent, 4.00 percent and 3.25 percent, respectively. The assumed health care cost trend rate for 2015 is 6.5 percent declining to 5.0 percent in 2018, and for 2014 was 7.0 percent declining to 5.0 percent in 2018. A one percentage point increase or decrease in the assumed health care cost trend rate for each year would have an inconsequential impact on postretirement benefits expense and the benefit obligation. The Company estimates that future health care benefit payments will be $22 per year for 2015 through 2019 and $94 in total over the five years 2020 through 2024.

Contingent_Liabilities_and_Com

Contingent Liabilities and Commitments	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure	'
	CONTINGENT LIABILITIES AND COMMITMENTS
	Emerson is a party to a number of pending legal proceedings and claims, including those involving general and product liability and other matters, several of which claim substantial amounts of damages. The Company accrues for such liabilities when it is probable that future costs (including legal fees and expenses) will be incurred and such costs can be reasonably estimated. Accruals are based on developments to date; management's estimates of the outcomes of these matters; the Company's experience in contesting, litigating and settling similar matters; and any related insurance coverage. Although it is not possible to predict the ultimate outcome of these matters, the Company historically has been largely successful in defending itself against claims and suits that have been brought against it, and will continue to defend itself vigorously in all such matters. While the Company believes a material adverse impact is unlikely, given the inherent uncertainty of litigation, a remote possibility exists that a future development could have a material adverse impact on the Company. Two subsidiaries of the Company have unrelated judgments against them totaling $50 which, based on their merits, are expected to be overturned.
	On October 22, 2012, Invensys Systems, Inc. filed a suit for patent infringement against the Company and its wholly-owned indirect subsidiary, Micro Motion, Inc., in the Eastern District of Texas captioned Invensys Systems, Inc. v. Emerson Electric Co. and Micro Motion, Inc., USA. The complaint alleges infringement on Invensys patents by Micro Motion's Coriolis flowmeter "Enhanced Core Processors." The Invensys suit seeks damages of $182 and an injunction preventing the Company and Micro Motion from engaging in future infringement. The Company has filed a petition seeking a ruling that the Invensys patents are invalid. It is too early in the litigation to assess any potential financial impact. The Company and Micro Motion believe that the Invensys claims are without merit and that they have strong defenses to the claims, and intend to aggressively defend the suit.
	The Company enters into certain indemnification agreements in the ordinary course of business in which the indemnified party is held harmless and is reimbursed for losses incurred from claims by third parties, usually up to a prespecified limit. In connection with divestitures of certain assets or businesses, the Company often provides indemnities to the buyer with respect to certain matters including, as examples, environmental or unidentified tax liabilities related to periods prior to the disposition. Because of the uncertain nature of the indemnities, the maximum liability cannot be quantified. As such, contingent liabilities are recorded when they are both probable and reasonably estimable. Historically, payments under indemnity arrangements have been inconsequential.
	At September 30, 2014, there were no known contingent liabilities (including guarantees, pending litigation, taxes and other claims) that management believes will be material in relation to the Company's financial statements, nor were there any material commitments outside the normal course of business.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	INCOME TAXES
	Pretax earnings from continuing operations consist of the following:
		2012				2013			2014
	United States	$	1,742			1,724			2,096
	Non-U.S.	1,373				1,472			1,252
	Total pretax earnings from continuing operations	$	3,115			3,196			3,348
	The principal components of income tax expense follow:
		2012				2013			2014
	Current:
	Federal	$	750			704			742
	State and local	61				60			59
	Non-U.S.	466				480			516
	Deferred:
	Federal	(129		)		(56	)		(129	)
	State and local	(4		)		2			(5	)
	Non-U.S.	(53		)		(60	)		(19	)
	Income tax expense	$	1,091			1,130			1,164
	Reconciliations of the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to the Company's effective tax rate follow:
		2012			2013			2014
	Federal statutory rate	35	%		35	%		35	%
	State and local taxes, net of federal tax benefit	1.3			1.3			1
	Non-U.S. rate differential	(4.0	)		(4.8	)		(4.2	)
	Non-U.S. tax holidays	(1.7	)		(1.8	)		(1.1	)
	U.S. manufacturing deduction	(1.4	)		(1.6	)		(1.5	)
	Goodwill impairment	4.6			4.8			5.3
	Artesyn repatriation	—			2.2			—
	Other	1.2			0.2			0.3
	Effective income tax rate	35	%		35.3	%		34.8	%
	Non-U.S. tax holidays reduce tax rates in certain foreign jurisdictions and are expected to expire over the next three years.
	Following are changes in unrecognized tax benefits before considering recoverability of any cross-jurisdictional tax credits (federal, state and non-U.S.) and temporary differences. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits is not expected to change significantly within the next 12 months.
		2013				2014
	Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning	$	157			127
	Additions for current year tax positions	8				9
	Additions for prior year tax positions	14				25
	Reductions for prior year tax positions	(26		)		(19	)
	Reductions for settlements with tax authorities	(4		)		(4	)
	Reductions for expiration of statutes of limitations	(22		)		(18	)
	Unrecognized tax benefits, ending	$	127			120
	If none of the unrecognized tax benefits shown is ultimately paid, the tax provision and the calculation of the effective tax rate would be favorably impacted by $80. The Company accrues interest and penalties related to income taxes in income tax expense. Total interest and penalties recognized were $3, $(6) and $(1) in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of September 30, 2014 and 2013, total accrued interest and penalties were $25 and $27, respectively.
	The U.S. is the major jurisdiction for which the Company files income tax returns. Examinations by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service are substantially complete through 2009. The status of state and non-U.S. tax examinations varies due to the numerous legal entities and jurisdictions in which the Company operates.
	The principal items that gave rise to deferred income tax assets and liabilities follow:
		2013				2014
	Deferred tax assets:
	Net operating losses and tax credits	$	231			238
	Accrued liabilities	262				311
	Postretirement and postemployment benefits	102				93
	Employee compensation and benefits	256				196
	Pensions	—				28
	Other	124				137
	Total	$	975			1,003
	Valuation allowances	$	(131	)		(154	)
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Intangibles	$	(780	)		(649	)
	Pensions	(38		)		—
	Property, plant and equipment	(255		)		(258	)
	Other	(158		)		(98	)
	Total	$	(1,231	)		(1,005	)
	Net deferred income tax liability	$	(387	)		(156	)
	Current deferred tax assets, net were $354 as of September 30, 2014 and 2013, and noncurrent deferred tax liabilities, net were $510 and $741, respectively. Total income taxes paid were approximately $1,310, $1,270 and $1,300 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Approximately half of the $238 of net operating losses and tax credits can be carried forward indefinitely, while the remainder expire over varying periods.

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]	'
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
	The Company's stock-based compensation plans include stock options, performance shares, restricted stock and restricted stock units. Although the Company has discretion, shares distributed under these plans are issued from treasury stock.
	Stock Options
	The Company's stock option plans permit key officers and employees to purchase common stock at specified prices, which are equal to 100 percent of the closing market price of the Company's stock on the date of grant. Options generally vest one-third in each of the three years subsequent to grant and expire 10 years from the date of grant. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the vesting period based on the number of options expected to vest. As of September 30, 2014, 14.4 million options were available for grant under the plans.
	Changes in shares subject to options during the year ended September 30, 2014 follow (shares in thousands):
		Weighted- Average Exercise Price Per Share			Shares		Total		Average Remaining Life (Years)
							Intrinsic Value of Shares
	Beginning of year	$	47.03		11,674
	Options granted	$	65.07		4,931
	Options exercised	$	41.29		(2,420	)
	Options canceled	$	59.09		(277	)
	End of year	$	54.19		13,908		$	130	6.4
	Exercisable at end of year	$	48.51		8,407		$	120	4.7
	The weighted-average grant date fair value per option was $14.83, $10.12 and $7.53 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Cash received for option exercises was $77 in 2014, $104 in 2013 and $42 in 2012. The total intrinsic value of options exercised in 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $61, $66 and $38, respectively, while the tax benefit realized by the Company from tax deductions related to option exercises was $14, $7 and $11, respectively.
	The grant date fair value of options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The weighted-average assumptions used in valuations for 2014, 2013 and 2012 are: risk-free interest rate, based on U.S. Treasury yields, 2.0 percent, 1.2 percent and 1.3 percent; dividend yield, 2.6 percent, 3.2 percent and 3.7 percent; and expected volatility, based on historical volatility, 28 percent, 28 percent and 27 percent. The expected life of each option awarded is seven years based on historical experience and expected future exercise patterns.
	Performance Shares, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units
	The Company's incentive shares plans include performance shares awards which distribute the value of common stock to key management employees subject to certain operating performance conditions and other restrictions. The form of distribution is primarily shares of common stock with a portion in cash. Compensation expense for performance shares is recognized over the service period based on the number of shares ultimately expected to be earned. Performance shares awards are accounted for as liabilities in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, with compensation expense adjusted at the end of each reporting period to reflect the change in fair value of the awards.
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company achieved the performance objectives at the 93 percent level for performance shares awarded primarily in 2010, resulting in the rights to 4,837,739 common shares vesting and becoming available for distribution. Of these, 2,902,647 shares were distributed in early 2014 as follows: 1,582,608 issued as shares, 1,125,122 withheld for income taxes, and the value of 194,917 paid in cash. The remaining 1,920,398 shares were distributed at the end of 2014 to employees who provided one additional year of service as follows: 1,199,535 issued as shares, 704,495 withheld for income taxes, and the value of 16,368 paid in cash. There were 14,694 shares canceled and not distributed. As of September 30, 2014, the rights to receive a maximum of 5,866,840 common shares awarded primarily in 2013 were outstanding, contingent on the Company achieving its performance objectives through 2016 and the provision of additional service by employees.
	Incentive shares plans also include restricted stock awards which involve distribution of common stock to key management employees subject to cliff vesting at the end of service periods ranging from three to ten years. The fair value of restricted stock awards is determined based on the average of the high and low market prices of the Company's common stock on the date of grant, with compensation expense recognized ratably over the applicable service period. In 2014, 10,000 shares of restricted stock vested as a result of participants fulfilling the applicable service requirements. Consequently, 6,709 shares were issued while 3,291 shares were withheld for income taxes in accordance with minimum withholding requirements. As of September 30, 2014, there were 1,302,500 shares of unvested restricted stock outstanding.
	Changes in shares outstanding but not yet earned under incentive shares plans during the year ended
	September 30, 2014 follow:
	(shares in thousands)	Shares		Average Grant Date
				Fair Value Per Share
	Beginning of year	11,231		$	43.86
	Granted	246		$	65.15
	Earned/vested	(4,833	)	$	39.52
	Canceled	(240	)	$	47.48
	End of year	6,404		$	47.81
	The total fair value of shares vested under incentive shares plans was $315, $19 and $15, respectively, in 2014, 2013 and 2012, of which $134, $8 and $6, respectively, was paid in cash, primarily for tax withholding. As of September 30, 2014, 4.3 million shares remained available for award under incentive shares plans.
	Total compensation expense for stock options and incentive shares was $143, $221 and $100, for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The decrease in expense for 2014 is due to a reduced impact from performance shares plans overlap in the current year and the comparative benefit of a slightly lower stock price, partially offset by a stock option award in 2014. The increase in 2013 reflects the overlap of two performance shares plans (2010 awards for performance through 2013 and 2013 awards for performance through 2016) and a large increase in the stock price during the year. Income tax benefits recognized in the income statement for these compensation arrangements during 2014, 2013 and 2012 were $39, $68 and $28, respectively. As of September 30, 2014, total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested shares awarded under these plans was $243, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.3 years.
	In addition to the employee stock option and incentive shares plans, in 2014 the Company awarded 17,676 shares of restricted stock and 3,928 restricted stock units under the restricted stock plan for nonmanagement directors. As of September 30, 2014, 248,146 shares were available for issuance under this plan.

Common_and_Preferred_Stock

Common and Preferred Stock	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Class of Stock Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Common and Preferred Stock	'
	COMMON AND PREFERRED STOCK
	At September 30, 2014, 38.7 million shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the Company's
	stock-based compensation plans. During 2014, 14.8 million common shares were purchased and 4.7 million treasury shares were reissued. In 2013, 20.3 million common shares were purchased and 2.9 million treasury shares were reissued.
	At September 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company had 5.4 million shares of $2.50 par value preferred stock authorized, with none issued.

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	'
	ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
	Activity in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common stockholders is shown below:
		2012			2013		2014
	Foreign currency translation, beginning	$	671		466		504
	Purchase of noncontrolling interest	—			—		8
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(205		)	38		(341	)
	Foreign currency translation, ending	466			504		171
	Pension and postretirement, beginning	(1,164		)	(1,213	)	(692	)
	Actuarial gains (losses) deferred during the period,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $81; 2013, $(233); 2014, $87	(160		)	375		(152	)
	Amortization of deferred losses into earnings,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $(62); 2013, $(85); 2014, $(52)	111			146		98
	Pension and postretirement, ending	(1,213		)	(692	)	(746	)
	Cash flow hedges, beginning	(69		)	16		(1	)
	Gains (losses) deferred during the period,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $(37); 2013, $7; 2014, $0	64			(11	)	(1	)
	Reclassification of (gains) losses to sales and cost of
	sales, net of taxes of: 2012, $(13); 2013, $3; 2014, $0	21			(6	)	2
	Cash flow hedges, ending	16			(1	)	—
	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(731	)	(189	)	(575	)

Business_Segments_Information

Business Segments Information	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Business Segments Information	'
	BUSINESS SEGMENTS INFORMATION
	The Company designs and manufactures products bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in a wide range of industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world. The business segments of the Company are organized primarily by the nature of the products and services they sell.
	The Process Management segment provides systems and software, measurement and analytical instrumentation, valves, actuators and regulators, services and solutions and reliability consulting including digital plant architecture that allows communication of devices with centralized systems, to provide precision measurement, control, monitoring, asset optimization and plant safety and reliability for plants that produce power or process fluids or items such as petroleum, chemicals, food and beverages, pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals and municipal water supplies. The Industrial Automation segment provides low, medium and high voltage alternators and other power generation equipment, commercial and industrial motors and drives, power transmission and materials handling equipment, materials joining and precision cleaning products, fluid power and control mechanisms and electrical distribution equipment which are used in a wide variety of manufacturing operations to provide integrated manufacturing solutions to customers. The Network Power segment designs, manufactures, installs and maintains power systems for telecommunications networks, data centers and other critical applications, including power conditioning and uninterruptible power systems, thermal management, critical power systems, integrated data center control devices, software, monitoring and 24-hour service. The Climate Technologies segment supplies compressors, temperature sensors and controls, thermostats, flow controls and remote monitoring technology and services to all elements of the climate control industry, including residential heating and cooling, commercial air conditioning, commercial and industrial refrigeration and marine controls. The Commercial & Residential Solutions segment provides tools for professionals and homeowners, home and commercial storage systems and appliance solutions. The principal distribution method for each segment is direct sales forces, although the Company also uses independent sales representatives and distributors. Due to its global presence, certain of the Company's international operations are subject to risks such as significant currency exchange rate fluctuations, restrictions on the movement of funds and potential nationalization of operations.
	The primary income measure used for assessing segment performance and making operating decisions is earnings before interest and income taxes. Intersegment selling prices approximate market prices. Accounting method differences between segment reporting and the consolidated financial statements are primarily management fees allocated to segments based on a percentage of sales and the accounting for pension and other retirement plans. Corporate and other includes stock compensation expense, and goodwill impairment charges when applicable. Corporate assets are primarily comprised of cash and equivalents, investments and certain fixed assets. Summarized below is information about the Company's operations by business segment and by geography. See Notes 3 through 6.
	Business Segments
		Sales							Earnings							Total Assets
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	7,899		8,610		9,189		$	1,599		1,809		1,918		$	6,607	6,878	7,771
	Industrial Automation	5,188			4,885		4,990		871			777		802		3,619		3,606	3,574
	Network Power	6,399			6,155		5,073		624			554		459		7,212		6,603	5,233
	Climate Technologies	3,766			3,876		4,109		668			716		737		2,260		2,245	2,378
	Commercial &
	Residential Solutions	1,877			1,865		1,924		396			404		424		1,155		1,153	1,152
		25,129			25,391		25,285		4,158			4,260		4,340		20,853		20,485	20,108
	Differences in
	accounting methods								226			221		252
	Corporate and other (a)								(1,045		)	(1,067	)	(1,050	)	2,965		4,226	4,069
	Sales eliminations/Interest	(717		)	(722	)	(748	)	(224		)	(218	)	(194	)
	Total	$	24,412		24,669		24,537		$	3,115		3,196		3,348		$	23,818	24,711	24,177
	(a) Corporate and other includes pretax goodwill impairment charges of $508 , $528 and $592 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Corporate and other also includes stock compensation expense, which increased $121 in 2013 and decreased $78 in 2014. See Note 14.
		Intersegment							Depreciation							Capital Expenditures
		Sales							and Amortization
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	13		6		8		$	198		201		249		$	228	276	300
	Industrial Automation	619			631		664		138			145		145		134		124	123
	Network Power	38			39		27		256			238		198		101		88	68
	Climate Technologies	45			44		47		133			130		132		106		100	145
	Commercial &
	Residential Solutions	2			2		2		53			53		52		46		40	49
	Corporate and other								45			52		55		50		50	82
	Total	$	717		722		748		$	823		819		831		$	665	678	767
	Geographic Information
		Sales by Destination							Property, Plant and Equipment
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014
	United States and Canada	$	10,980		10,964		11,262		$	1,918		1,969		2,036
	Asia	5,790			5,888		5,483		592			518		602
	Europe	4,946			4,841		4,815		689			772		803
	Latin America	1,430			1,555		1,508		293			308		306
	Middle East/Africa	1,266			1,421		1,469		17			38		55
	Total	$	24,412		24,669		24,537		$	3,509		3,605		3,802
	Sales in the U.S. were $10,310, $10,000 and $10,036 for 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively, while Asia includes sales in China of $2,853, $3,122 and $3,012 in those years. Assets located in the U.S. were $2,022 in 2014, $1,952 in 2013 and $1,900 in 2012.

Other_Financial_Data

Other Financial Data	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Other Financial Data	'
	OTHER FINANCIAL DATA
	Items reported in earnings during the years ended September 30 include the following:
		2012			2013		2014
	Research and development expense	$	547		576		541
	Depreciation expense	$	505		521		518
	Rent expense	$	395		414		411
	The Company leases certain facilities, transportation and office equipment, and various other items under operating lease agreements. Minimum annual rentals under noncancelable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, will approximate $270 in 2015, $193 in 2016, $131 in 2017, $82 in 2018 and $52 in 2019.
	At September 30, 2014 and 2013, other assets included $377 and $438 of pension assets, respectively.  Artesyn assets classified as held-for-sale at September 30, 2013 were $408 in other current assets and $190 in noncurrent assets.
	Items reported in accrued expenses include the following:
		2013			2014
	Employee compensation	$	650		705
	Customer advanced payments	$	402		455
	Product warranty	$	183		193
	Other liabilities are summarized as follows:
		2013			2014
	Pension plans	$	539		564
	Deferred income taxes	823			572
	Postretirement plans, excluding current portion	263			233
	Other	688			628
	Total	$	2,313		1,997
	Other operating cash flow is comprised of the following:
		2012			2013		2014
	Pension expense	$	173		228		153
	Stock compensation expense	100			221		143
	Deferred income taxes and other	(92		)	(63	)	(111	)
	Total	$	181		386		185

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio

Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Quarterly Financial Information	'
	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (UNAUDITED)
		First Quarter			Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter		Full Year
		2013		2014	2013	2014	2013	2014	2013	2014	2013	2014
	Net sales	$	5,553	5,606	5,960	5,812	6,344	6,312	6,812	6,807	24,669	24,537
	Gross profit	$	2,207	2,236	2,373	2,395	2,568	2,638	2,804	2,889	9,952	10,158
	Net earnings common stockholders	$	454	462	561	547	194	728	795	410	2,004	2,147
	Net earnings per common share:
	Basic	$	0.63	0.65	0.77	0.78	0.27	1.03	1.11	0.59	2.78	3.05
	Diluted	$	0.62	0.65	0.77	0.77	0.27	1.03	1.1	0.58	2.76	3.03
	Dividends per common share	$	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	1.64	1.72
	Common stock prices:
	High	$	53.62	70.66	58.67	70.29	59.44	69.94	66.79	68.23	66.79	70.66
	Low	$	47.1	62.73	53.83	62.25	53.09	64.7	54.55	60.85	47.1	60.85
	Earnings per share are computed independently each period; as a result, the quarterly amounts may not sum to the calculated annual figure.
	Net earnings and diluted earnings per share include a goodwill impairment charge of $508 and $0.72 per share in the fourth quarter of 2014, and goodwill impairment and income tax charges of $508 and $0.70 per share in the third quarter of 2013 and $58 and $0.08 per share in the fourth quarter of 2013.
	Emerson Electric Co. common stock (symbol EMR) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Stock Exchange.

Summary_Of_Significant_Account1

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policy)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Financial Statement Presentation	'
	Financial Statement Presentation
	The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles
	(U.S. GAAP) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures. Actual results could differ from these estimates. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with current year presentation.
	Effective October 2013, the Company adopted revisions to ASC 220, Comprehensive Income, which require entities to disclose reclassifications into earnings from accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) and other current period activity. There is no change to the items reported in AOCI or when those items should be reclassified into earnings. The revisions did not materially impact the Company’s financial statements.
Principles Of Consolidation	'
	of Consolidation
	The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its controlled affiliates. Intercompany transactions, profits and balances are eliminated in consolidation. Investments of 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting shares of other entities are accounted for by the equity method. Investments in publicly-traded companies of less than 20 percent are carried at fair value, with changes in fair value reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income. Investments in nonpublicly-traded companies of less than 20 percent are carried at cost.
Foreign Currency Translation	'
	Foreign Currency Translation
	The functional currency for most of the Company's non-U.S. subsidiaries is the local currency. Adjustments resulting from translating local currency financial statements into U.S. dollars are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive income.
Cash Equivalents	'
	Equivalents
	Cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less.
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. The majority of inventory is valued based on standard costs that approximate average costs, while the remainder is principally valued on a first-in, first-out basis. Cost standards are revised at the beginning of each fiscal year. The annual effect of resetting standards plus any operating variances incurred during each period are allocated between inventories and cost of sales. Following are the components of inventory as of September 30:
		2013		2014
	Finished products	$	678	741
	Raw materials and work in process	1,217		1,316
	Total inventories	$	1,895	2,057
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurement
	ASC 820, Fair Value Measurement, establishes a formal hierarchy and framework for measuring certain financial statement items at fair value, and requires disclosures about fair value measurements and the reliability of valuation inputs. Under ASC 820, measurement assumes the transaction to sell an asset or transfer a liability occurs in the principal or at least the most advantageous market for that asset or liability. Within the hierarchy, Level 1 instruments use observable market prices for the identical item in active markets and have the most reliable valuations. Level 2 instruments are valued through broker/dealer quotation or other approaches using market-observable inputs for similar items in active markets, including forward and spot prices, interest rates and volatilities. Level 3 instruments are valued using inputs not observable in an active market, such as company-developed future cash flow estimates, and are considered the least reliable. Valuations for all of the Company's financial instruments fall within Level 2. The fair value of the Company's long-term debt is Level 2, estimated using current interest rates and pricing from financial institutions and other market sources for debt with similar maturities and characteristics.
Property, Plant And Equipment	'
	Property, Plant And Equipment
	The Company records investments in land, buildings, and machinery and equipment at cost. Depreciation is computed principally using the straight-line method over estimated service lives, which for principal assets are 30 to 40 years for buildings and 8 to 12 years for machinery and equipment. Long-lived tangible assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in business circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Impairment losses are recognized based on estimated fair values if the sum of expected future undiscounted cash flows of the related assets is less than their carrying values. The components of property, plant and equipment as of September 30 follow:
		2013		2014
	Land	$	278	275
	Buildings	1,965		2,355
	Machinery and equipment	6,440		6,353
	Construction in progress	409		428
	Property, plant and equipment, at cost	9,092		9,411
	Less: Accumulated depreciation	5,487		5,609
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	3,605	3,802
Goodwill And Other Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
	Assets and liabilities acquired in business combinations are accounted for using the acquisition method and recorded at their respective fair values. Substantially all goodwill is assigned to the reporting unit that acquires a business. A reporting unit is an operating segment as defined in ASC 280, Segment Reporting, or a business one level below an operating segment if discrete financial information for that business unit is prepared and regularly reviewed by the segment manager. The Company conducts annual impairment tests of goodwill in the fourth quarter. If an initial assessment indicates it is more likely than not goodwill might be impaired, it is evaluated by comparing the reporting unit's estimated fair value to its carrying value. Goodwill is also tested for impairment between annual tests if events or circumstances indicate the fair value of a unit may be less than its carrying value. If the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value, impairment is recognized to the extent that recorded goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill. Estimated fair values of reporting units are Level 3 measures and are developed generally under an income approach that discounts estimated future cash flows using risk-adjusted interest rates.
	All of the Company's identifiable intangible assets are subject to amortization on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Identifiable intangibles consist of intellectual property such as patents and trademarks, customer relationships and capitalized software. Identifiable intangibles are also subject to evaluation for potential impairment if events or circumstances indicate the carrying amount may not be recoverable. See Note 6.
Product Warranty	'
	Product Warranty
	Warranties vary by product line and are competitive for the markets in which the Company operates. Warranties generally extend for a period of one to two years from the date of sale or installation. Provisions for warranty are determined primarily based on historical warranty cost as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount per unit sold based on failure rates, adjusted for specific problems that may arise. Product warranty expense is less than 1 percent of sales.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company recognizes nearly all of its revenues through the sale of manufactured products and records the sale when products are shipped or delivered, and title passes to the customer with collection reasonably assured. In certain limited circumstances, revenue is recognized using the percentage-of-completion method as performance occurs, or in accordance with ASC 985-605 related to software. Management believes that all relevant criteria and conditions are considered when recognizing revenue.
	Sales arrangements sometimes involve delivering multiple elements, including services such as installation. In these instances, the revenue assigned to each element is based on vendor-specific objective evidence, third-party evidence or a management estimate of the relative selling price. Revenue is recognized individually for delivered elements only if they have value to the customer on a stand-alone basis and the performance of the undelivered items is probable and substantially in the Company's control, or the undelivered elements are inconsequential or perfunctory and there are no unsatisfied contingencies related to payment. Approximately 10 percent of the Company's revenues arise from qualifying sales arrangements that include the delivery of multiple elements, principally in the Network Power and Process Management segments. The vast majority of these deliverables are tangible products, with a small portion attributable to installation, service or maintenance. Generally, contract duration is short term and cancellation, termination or refund provisions apply only in the event of contract breach, and have historically not been invoked.
Derivatives And Hedging	'
	Derivatives and Hedging
	In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and commodity prices due to its worldwide presence and diverse business profile. Emerson's foreign currency exposures relate to transactions denominated in currencies that differ from the functional currencies of its business units, primarily in euros, Mexican pesos, Canadian dollars and Singapore dollars. Primary commodity exposures are price fluctuations on forecasted purchases of copper and aluminum and related products. As part of the Company's risk management strategy, derivative instruments are selectively used in an effort to minimize the impact of these exposures. Foreign exchange forwards and options are utilized to hedge foreign currency exposures impacting sales or cost of sales transactions, firm commitments and the fair value of assets and liabilities, while swap and option contracts may be used to minimize the effect of commodity price fluctuations on the cost of sales. All derivatives are associated with specific underlying exposures and the Company does not hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. The duration of hedge positions is generally two years or less.
	All derivatives are accounted for under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and recognized at fair value. For derivatives hedging variability in future cash flows, the effective portion of any gain or loss is deferred in stockholders' equity and recognized when the underlying hedged transaction impacts earnings. The majority of the Company's derivatives that are designated as hedges and qualify for deferral accounting are cash flow hedges. For derivatives hedging the fair value of existing assets or liabilities, both the gain or loss on the derivative and the offsetting loss or gain on the hedged item are recognized in earnings each period. Currency fluctuations on non-U.S. dollar obligations that have been designated as hedges of non-U.S. dollar net asset exposures are reported in equity. To the extent that any hedge is not fully effective at offsetting changes in the underlying hedged item, there could be a net earnings impact. The Company also uses derivatives to hedge economic exposures that do not receive deferral accounting under ASC 815. The underlying exposures for these hedges relate primarily to purchases of commodity-based components used in the Company's manufacturing processes, and the revaluation of certain foreign-currency-denominated assets and liabilities. Gains or losses from the ineffective portion of any hedge, as well as any gains or losses on derivative instruments not designated as hedges, are recognized in the income statement immediately.
	Counterparties to derivative arrangements are companies with high credit ratings and the Company has bilateral collateral arrangements with them for which credit rating-based posting thresholds vary depending on the arrangement. If credit ratings on the Company's debt fall below preestablished levels, counterparties can require immediate full collateralization on all instruments in net liability positions. No collateral was posted with counterparties and none was held by the Company at year end. The maximum collateral that could have been required was $10. The Company can also demand full collateralization of instruments in net asset positions should any of the Company's counterparties' credit ratings fall below certain thresholds. Risk from credit loss when derivatives are in asset positions is not considered material. The Company has master netting arrangements in place with its counterparties that allow the offsetting of certain derivative-related amounts receivable and payable when settlement occurs in the same period. Accordingly, counterparty balances are netted in the consolidated balance sheet and are reported in other current assets or accrued expenses as appropriate, depending on positions with counterparties as of the balance sheet date. See Note 7.
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	The provision for income taxes is based on pretax income reported in the consolidated statements of earnings and tax rates currently enacted in each jurisdiction. Certain income and expense items are recognized in different time periods for financial reporting and income tax filing purposes, and deferred income taxes are provided for the effect of temporary differences. The Company also provides for U.S. federal income taxes, net of available foreign tax credits, on earnings intended to be repatriated from non-U.S. locations. No provision has been made for U.S. income taxes on approximately $7.1 billion of undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries as of September 30, 2014, as these earnings are considered permanently invested or otherwise indefinitely retained for continuing international operations. Recognition of U.S. taxes on undistributed non-U.S. earnings would be triggered by a management decision to repatriate those earnings, although there is no current intention to do so. Determination of the amount of taxes that might be paid on these undistributed earnings if eventually remitted is not practicable. See Note 13.

Summary_Of_Significant_Account2

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies Components of Inventory and Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventory and property plant and equipment disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Inventory	'
		2013		2014
	Finished products	$	678	741
	Raw materials and work in process	1,217		1,316
	Total inventories	$	1,895	2,057
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
		2013		2014
	Land	$	278	275
	Buildings	1,965		2,355
	Machinery and equipment	6,440		6,353
	Construction in progress	409		428
	Property, plant and equipment, at cost	9,092		9,411
	Less: Accumulated depreciation	5,487		5,609
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	3,605	3,802

Weighted_Average_Common_Shares1

Weighted Average Common Shares (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Weighted Average Common Shares [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Basic And Diluted Earnings Per Common Share Reconciliation	'
		2012	2013	2014
	Basic shares outstanding	730.6	717.7	700.2
	Dilutive shares	4	5.2	3.9
	Diluted shares outstanding	734.6	722.9	704.1

Other_Deductions_Net_Tables

Other Deductions, Net (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Deductions, Net [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Other Deductions, Net	'
	Other deductions, net are summarized as follows:
		2012			2013		2014
	Amortization of intangibles (intellectual property and customer relationships)	$	241		220		225
	Rationalization of operations	119			78		55
	Other	91			65		113
	Gains, net	(50		)	(1	)	—
	Total	$	401		362		393

Rationalization_Of_Operations_

Rationalization Of Operations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Change In Liability For Rationalization Of Operations	'
		2012		Expense	Paid/Utilized	2013
	Severance and benefits	$	23	45	41	27
	Lease and other contract terminations	5		3	5	3
	Fixed asset write-downs	—		1	1	—
	Vacant facility and other shutdown costs	3		6	8	1
	Start-up and moving costs	1		23	23	1
	Total	$	32	78	78	32
		2013		Expense	Paid/Utilized	2014
	Severance and benefits	$	27	27	34	20
	Lease and other contract terminations	3		3	5	1
	Fixed asset write-downs	—		2	2	—
	Vacant facility and other shutdown costs	1		5	6	—
	Start-up and moving costs	1		18	18	1
	Total	$	32	55	65	22
Schedule Of Rationalization Of Operations By Segment	'
		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	19	15	17
	Industrial Automation	27		27	7
	Network Power	53		25	15
	Climate Technologies	11		3	14
	Commercial & Residential Solutions	9		8	2
	Total	$	119	78	55

Goodwill_And_Other_Intangibles1

Goodwill And Other Intangibles (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Change In Carry Amount Of Goodwill By Business Segment	'
		Process Management			Industrial Automation		Network Power		Climate Technologies		Commercial & Residential Solutions
													Total
	Balance, September 30, 2012	$	2,379		1,338		3,367		501		441		8,026
	Acquisitions	11											11
	Divestitures						(40	)			(2	)	(42	)
	Impairment						(528	)					(528	)
	Foreign currency	(7		)	14		33		2				42
	translation and other
	Balance, September 30, 2013	$	2,383		1,352		2,832		503		439		7,509
	Acquisitions	356					22						378
	Divestitures						(70	)					(70	)
	Impairment						(508	)					(508	)
	Foreign currency	(38		)	(23	)	(58	)	(3	)	(5	)	(127	)
	translation and other
	Balance, September 30, 2014	$	2,701		1,329		2,218		500		434		7,182
Schedule Of Gross Carrying Amount And Accumulated Amortization Of Identifiable Intangible Assets By Major Class	'
		Customer Relationships					Intellectual Property				Capitalized Software				Total
		2013			2014		2013		2014		2013		2014		2013	2014
	Gross carrying amount	$	1,482		1,594		1,023		1,052		1,110		1,190		3,615	3,836
	Less: accumulated amortization	533			643		565		613		845		891		1,943	2,147
	Net carrying amount	$	949		951		458		439		265		299		1,672	1,689

Financial_Instruments_Tables

Financial Instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Financial Instruments [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Amounts Included In Earnings And Other Comprehensive Income	'
				Gain (Loss) to Earnings										Gain (Loss) to OCI
				2012				2013			2014			2012	2013		2014
		Location
	Commodity	Cost of sales		$	(42	)		(15	)		(12	)		43	(22	)	(16	)
	Foreign currency	Sales, cost of sales		8				24			10			58	4		15
	Foreign currency	Other deductions, net		45				(5	)		(3	)
	Total			$	11			4			(5	)		101	(18	)	(1	)
Schedule Of Fair Values Of Derivative Contracts Outstanding	'
			2013							2014
			Assets				Liabilities			Assets			Liabilities
	Foreign Currency		$	18			17			32			20
	Commodity		$	2			8			1			10

ShortTerm_Borrowings_And_Lines1

Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Short-Term Debt And Current Maturities Of Long-Term Debt	'
		2013		2014
	Current maturities of long-term debt	$	267	522
	Commercial paper	1,304		1,938
	Payable to banks	16		5
	Total	$	1,587	2,465
	Weighted-average interest rate for short-term borrowings at year end	0.20%		0.20%

LongTerm_Debt_Tables

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Long-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Long-Term Debt	'
		2013		2014
	5.625% notes due November 2013	$	250	—
	5.0% notes due December 2014	250		250
	4.125% notes due April 2015	250		250
	4.75% notes due October 2015	250		250
	5.125% notes due December 2016	250		250
	5.375% notes due October 2017	250		250
	5.25% notes due October 2018	400		400
	5.0% notes due April 2019	250		250
	4.875% notes due October 2019	500		500
	4.25% notes due November 2020	300		300
	2.625% notes due February 2023	500		500
	6.0% notes due August 2032	250		250
	6.125% notes due April 2039	250		250
	5.25% notes due November 2039	300		300
	Other	72		81
	Long-term debt	4,322		4,081
	Less: Current maturities	267		522
	Total, net	$	4,055	3,559

Retirement_Plans_Tables

Retirement Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Retirement Plans Expense	'
		U.S. Plans										Non-U.S. Plans
		2012				2013			2014			2012			2013			2014
	Defined benefit plans:
	Service cost (benefits earned during the period)	$	55			70			59			27			31			32
	Interest cost	172				167			182			50			46			53
	Expected return on plan assets	(275		)		(280	)		(286	)		(43	)		(50	)		(58	)
	Net amortization and other	168				226			153			19			18			18
	Net periodic pension expense	120				183			108			53			45			45
	Defined contribution plans	103				113			119			59			63			59
	Total retirement plans expense	$	223			296			227			112			108			104
Reconciliations Of Actuarial Present Value Of Projected Benefit Obligations And Fair Value Of Plan Assets For Defined Benefit Pension Plans	'
		U.S. Plans							Non-U.S. Plans
		2013				2014			2013			2014
	Projected benefit obligation, beginning	$	4,203			3,863			1,143			1,269
	Service cost	70				59			31			32
	Interest cost	167				182			46			53
	Actuarial (gain) loss	(403		)		415			85			89
	Benefits paid	(176		)		(188	)		(46	)		(47	)
	Foreign currency translation and other	2				5			10			(66	)
	Projected benefit obligation, ending	$	3,863			4,336			1,269			1,330
	Fair value of plan assets, beginning	$	3,719			4,112			809			899
	Actual return on plan assets	454				461			86			106
	Employer contributions	113				85			47			45
	Benefits paid	(176		)		(188	)		(46	)		(47	)
	Foreign currency translation and other	2				3			3			(15	)
	Fair value of plan assets, ending	$	4,112			4,473			899			988
	Net amount recognized in the balance sheet	$	249			137			(370	)		(342	)
	Location of net amount recognized in the balance sheet:
	Noncurrent asset	$	435			344			3			33
	Current liability	$	(10	)		(10	)		(10	)		(8	)
	Noncurrent liability	$	(176	)		(197	)		(363	)		(367	)
	Net amount recognized in the balance sheet	249				137			(370	)		(342	)
	Pretax accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(871	)		(961	)		(343	)		(346	)
Schedule Of Weighted-Average Assumptions Used In Valuations Of Pension Benefits	'
		U.S. Plans									Non-U.S. Plans
		2012			2013			2014			2012			2013			2014
	Net pension expense
	Discount rate	4.75	%		4	%		4.75	%		5.2	%		4.1	%		4.2	%
	Expected return on plan assets	7.75	%		7.75	%		7.5	%		5.9	%		5.5	%		6.6	%
	Rate of compensation increase	3	%		3.25	%		3.25	%		3.5	%		3.4	%		3.2	%
	Benefit obligations
	Discount rate	4	%		4.75	%		4.25	%		4.1	%		4.2	%		3.6	%
	Rate of compensation increase	3.25	%		3.25	%		3.25	%		3.4	%		3.2	%		3.4	%
Schedule Of Asset Allocations And Weighted-Average Target Allocations	'
		U.S. Plans								Non-U.S. Plans
		2013			2014			Target		2013			2014			Target
	Equity securities	66	%		65	%		60-70%		56	%		55	%		50-60%
	Debt securities	26			26			25-35		30			32			25-35
	Other	8			9			10-Mar		14			13			20-Oct
	Total	100	%		100	%		100%		100	%		100	%		100%
Schedule Of Fair Values Of Defined Benefit Plan Assets Organized By Asset Class And Fair Value Hierarchy Of ASC 820	'
		Level 1				Level 2			Level 3			Total			%
	2014
	U.S. equities	$	1,097			535			184			1,816			33	%
	International equities	589				767			—			1,356			25	%
	Emerging market equities	—				279			—			279			5	%
	Corporate bonds	—				594			—			594			11	%
	Government bonds	2				720			—			722			13	%
	High-yield bonds	—				181			—			181			3	%
	Other	209				180			124			513			10	%
	Total	$	1,897			3,256			308			5,461			100	%
	2013
	U.S. equities	$	1,078			560			121			1,759			35	%
	International equities	563				632			—			1,195			24	%
	Emerging market equities	—				263			—			263			5	%
	Corporate bonds	—				524			—			524			10	%
	Government bonds	22				614			—			636			13	%
	High-yield bonds	—				159			—			159			3	%
	Other	178				168			129			475			10	%
	Total	$	1,841			2,920			250			5,011			100	%
Reconciliation Of Change In Value For Level 3 Assets	'
		2013				2014
	Level 3, beginning	$	250			250
	Gains (Losses) on assets held	25				(18	)
	Gains (Losses) on assets sold	(22		)		21
	Purchases, sales and settlements, net	(3		)		55
	Level 3, ending	$	250			308

Postretirement_Plans_Tables

Postretirement Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Postemployment Benefits [Abstract]	'
Components Of Net Postretirement Benefits Expense	'
		2012			2013		2014
	Service cost	$	2		2		1
	Interest cost	16			12		11
	Net amortization	(11		)	(13	)	(21	)
	Net postretirement expense	$	7		1		(9	)
Reconciliations Of Actuarial Present Value Of Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligations	'
		2013			2014
	Benefit obligation, beginning	$	367		278
	Service cost	2			1
	Interest cost	12			11
	Actuarial (gain) loss	(83		)	(12	)
	Benefits paid	(20		)	(17	)
	Plan amendments	—			(13	)
	Benefit obligation, ending (recognized in balance sheet)	$	278		248

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Pretax Earnings From Continuing Operations	'
		2012				2013			2014
	United States	$	1,742			1,724			2,096
	Non-U.S.	1,373				1,472			1,252
	Total pretax earnings from continuing operations	$	3,115			3,196			3,348
Schedule Of Principal Components Of Income Tax Expense	'
		2012				2013			2014
	Current:
	Federal	$	750			704			742
	State and local	61				60			59
	Non-U.S.	466				480			516
	Deferred:
	Federal	(129		)		(56	)		(129	)
	State and local	(4		)		2			(5	)
	Non-U.S.	(53		)		(60	)		(19	)
	Income tax expense	$	1,091			1,130			1,164
Schedule Of Reconciliations Of U.S. Federal Statutory Tax Rate	'
		2012			2013			2014
	Federal statutory rate	35	%		35	%		35	%
	State and local taxes, net of federal tax benefit	1.3			1.3			1
	Non-U.S. rate differential	(4.0	)		(4.8	)		(4.2	)
	Non-U.S. tax holidays	(1.7	)		(1.8	)		(1.1	)
	U.S. manufacturing deduction	(1.4	)		(1.6	)		(1.5	)
	Goodwill impairment	4.6			4.8			5.3
	Artesyn repatriation	—			2.2			—
	Other	1.2			0.2			0.3
	Effective income tax rate	35	%		35.3	%		34.8	%
Schedule Of Unrecognized Tax Benefits	'
		2013				2014
	Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning	$	157			127
	Additions for current year tax positions	8				9
	Additions for prior year tax positions	14				25
	Reductions for prior year tax positions	(26		)		(19	)
	Reductions for settlements with tax authorities	(4		)		(4	)
	Reductions for expiration of statutes of limitations	(22		)		(18	)
	Unrecognized tax benefits, ending	$	127			120
Schedule Of Deferred Income Tax Assets And Liabilities	'
		2013				2014
	Deferred tax assets:
	Net operating losses and tax credits	$	231			238
	Accrued liabilities	262				311
	Postretirement and postemployment benefits	102				93
	Employee compensation and benefits	256				196
	Pensions	—				28
	Other	124				137
	Total	$	975			1,003
	Valuation allowances	$	(131	)		(154	)
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Intangibles	$	(780	)		(649	)
	Pensions	(38		)		—
	Property, plant and equipment	(255		)		(258	)
	Other	(158		)		(98	)
	Total	$	(1,231	)		(1,005	)
	Net deferred income tax liability	$	(387	)		(156	)

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Changes In Shares Subject To Option	'
		Weighted- Average Exercise Price Per Share			Shares		Total		Average Remaining Life (Years)
							Intrinsic Value of Shares
	Beginning of year	$	47.03		11,674
	Options granted	$	65.07		4,931
	Options exercised	$	41.29		(2,420	)
	Options canceled	$	59.09		(277	)
	End of year	$	54.19		13,908		$	130	6.4
	Exercisable at end of year	$	48.51		8,407		$	120	4.7
Schedule Of Changes In Incentive Awards Outstanding	'
	(shares in thousands)	Shares		Average Grant Date
				Fair Value Per Share
	Beginning of year	11,231		$	43.86
	Granted	246		$	65.15
	Earned/vested	(4,833	)	$	39.52
	Canceled	(240	)	$	47.48
	End of year	6,404		$	47.81

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	'
	Activity in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to common stockholders is shown below:
		2012			2013		2014
	Foreign currency translation, beginning	$	671		466		504
	Purchase of noncontrolling interest	—			—		8
	Other comprehensive income (loss)	(205		)	38		(341	)
	Foreign currency translation, ending	466			504		171
	Pension and postretirement, beginning	(1,164		)	(1,213	)	(692	)
	Actuarial gains (losses) deferred during the period,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $81; 2013, $(233); 2014, $87	(160		)	375		(152	)
	Amortization of deferred losses into earnings,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $(62); 2013, $(85); 2014, $(52)	111			146		98
	Pension and postretirement, ending	(1,213		)	(692	)	(746	)
	Cash flow hedges, beginning	(69		)	16		(1	)
	Gains (losses) deferred during the period,
	net of taxes of: 2012, $(37); 2013, $7; 2014, $0	64			(11	)	(1	)
	Reclassification of (gains) losses to sales and cost of
	sales, net of taxes of: 2012, $(13); 2013, $3; 2014, $0	21			(6	)	2
	Cash flow hedges, ending	16			(1	)	—
	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	$	(731	)	(189	)	(575	)

Business_Segments_Information_

Business Segments Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Results Of Operations By Business Segments	'
		Sales							Earnings							Total Assets
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	7,899		8,610		9,189		$	1,599		1,809		1,918		$	6,607	6,878	7,771
	Industrial Automation	5,188			4,885		4,990		871			777		802		3,619		3,606	3,574
	Network Power	6,399			6,155		5,073		624			554		459		7,212		6,603	5,233
	Climate Technologies	3,766			3,876		4,109		668			716		737		2,260		2,245	2,378
	Commercial &
	Residential Solutions	1,877			1,865		1,924		396			404		424		1,155		1,153	1,152
		25,129			25,391		25,285		4,158			4,260		4,340		20,853		20,485	20,108
	Differences in
	accounting methods								226			221		252
	Corporate and other (a)								(1,045		)	(1,067	)	(1,050	)	2,965		4,226	4,069
	Sales eliminations/Interest	(717		)	(722	)	(748	)	(224		)	(218	)	(194	)
	Total	$	24,412		24,669		24,537		$	3,115		3,196		3,348		$	23,818	24,711	24,177
	(a) Corporate and other includes pretax goodwill impairment charges of $508 , $528 and $592 in 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Corporate and other also includes stock compensation expense, which increased $121 in 2013 and decreased $78 in 2014. See Note 14.
Business Segments Financial Information	'
		Intersegment							Depreciation							Capital Expenditures
		Sales							and Amortization
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014		2012		2013	2014
	Process Management	$	13		6		8		$	198		201		249		$	228	276	300
	Industrial Automation	619			631		664		138			145		145		134		124	123
	Network Power	38			39		27		256			238		198		101		88	68
	Climate Technologies	45			44		47		133			130		132		106		100	145
	Commercial &
	Residential Solutions	2			2		2		53			53		52		46		40	49
	Corporate and other								45			52		55		50		50	82
	Total	$	717		722		748		$	823		819		831		$	665	678	767
Financial Information By Geographic Area	'
		Sales by Destination							Property, Plant and Equipment
		2012			2013		2014		2012			2013		2014
	United States and Canada	$	10,980		10,964		11,262		$	1,918		1,969		2,036
	Asia	5,790			5,888		5,483		592			518		602
	Europe	4,946			4,841		4,815		689			772		803
	Latin America	1,430			1,555		1,508		293			308		306
	Middle East/Africa	1,266			1,421		1,469		17			38		55
	Total	$	24,412		24,669		24,537		$	3,509		3,605		3,802

Other_Financial_Data_Tables

Other Financial Data (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Other Items Reported In Earnings	'
		2012			2013		2014
	Research and development expense	$	547		576		541
	Depreciation expense	$	505		521		518
	Rent expense	$	395		414		411
Accrued Expenses	'
		2013			2014
	Employee compensation	$	650		705
	Customer advanced payments	$	402		455
	Product warranty	$	183		193
Other Liabilities	'
		2013			2014
	Pension plans	$	539		564
	Deferred income taxes	823			572
	Postretirement plans, excluding current portion	263			233
	Other	688			628
	Total	$	2,313		1,997
Other Operating Cash Flow	'
		2012			2013		2014
	Pension expense	$	173		228		153
	Stock compensation expense	100			221		143
	Deferred income taxes and other	(92		)	(63	)	(111	)
	Total	$	181		386		185

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio1

Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Quarterly Financial Information	'
		First Quarter			Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter		Full Year
		2013		2014	2013	2014	2013	2014	2013	2014	2013	2014
	Net sales	$	5,553	5,606	5,960	5,812	6,344	6,312	6,812	6,807	24,669	24,537
	Gross profit	$	2,207	2,236	2,373	2,395	2,568	2,638	2,804	2,889	9,952	10,158
	Net earnings common stockholders	$	454	462	561	547	194	728	795	410	2,004	2,147
	Net earnings per common share:
	Basic	$	0.63	0.65	0.77	0.78	0.27	1.03	1.11	0.59	2.78	3.05
	Diluted	$	0.62	0.65	0.77	0.77	0.27	1.03	1.1	0.58	2.76	3.03
	Dividends per common share	$	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	0.41	0.43	1.64	1.72
	Common stock prices:
	High	$	53.62	70.66	58.67	70.29	59.44	69.94	66.79	68.23	66.79	70.66
	Low	$	47.1	62.73	53.83	62.25	53.09	64.7	54.55	60.85	47.1	60.85

Summary_Of_Significant_Account3

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Investments in publicly-traded companies carried at fair value if ownership is less than percent threshold	20.00%	'
Investments in nonpublicly-traded companies carried at cost if ownership is less than percent threshold	20.00%	'
Finished products	$741	$678
Raw materials and work in process	1,316	1,217
Total inventories	2,057	1,895
Land	275	278
Buildings	2,355	1,965
Machinery and equipment	6,353	6,440
Construction in progress	428	409
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	9,411	9,092
Less: Accumulated depreciation	5,609	5,487
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,802	3,605
Percentage of revenue from multiple deliverable arrangements	10.00%	'
Collateral balance posted	0	'
Collateral held from counterparties	0	'
Collateral balance could have been required to post	10	'
Undistributed earnings of non-U.S. subsidiaries	$7,100	'
Maximum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Investments accounted for by the equity method if ownership percentange is percent threshold	50.00%	'
Warranty period (in years)	'2 years	'
Percentage of product warranty expenses on sales	1.00%	'
General duration of hedge positions is equal to or less than (in years)	'2 years	'
Minimum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Investments accounted for by the equity method if ownership percentange is percent threshold	20.00%	'
Warranty period (in years)	'1 year	'
Building [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'40 years	'
Building [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'30 years	'
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'12 years	'
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]	'	'
Summary Of Accounting Policies [Line Items]	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, useful life	'8 years	'

Weighted_Average_Common_Shares2

Weighted Average Common Shares (Details)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Weighted Average Common Shares [Abstract]	'	'	'
Antidilutive shares excluded from computation of earnings per share	4.6	0.6	7.7
Basic shares outstanding	700.2	717.7	730.6
Dilutive shares	3.9	5.2	4
Diluted shares outstanding	704.1	722.9	734.6

Acquisitions_And_Divestitures_

Acquisitions And Divestitures (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Millions, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Nov. 22, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Nov. 22, 2013

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]]

Connectivity Solutions [Member]

Power Transmission Solutions [Member]

Knaack [Member]

Virgo and Enardo [Member]

Avtron Loadbank, Marine Controls Business and other individually insignificant acquisitions [Member]

Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]

Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]

Appleton Group [Member]

Appleton Group [Member]

Avtron Loadbank and Marine Controls Business [Member]

Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries [Member]

Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries [Member]

Noncontrolling interests in subsidiaries [Member]

Parent Company [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]]

Business Acquisitions and Divestitures [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of interest acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

Purchases of businesses, net of cash acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$610

$19

$187

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$506

$187

$104

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt assumed in acquisition

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

76

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net sales

6,807

6,312

5,812

5,606

6,812

6,344

5,960

5,553

24,537

24,669

24,412

146

'

'

'

63

605

95

321

115

55

'

'

542

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net earnings

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,184

2,066

2,024

-9

'

'

'

3

'

7

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of businesses acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill

7,182

'

'

'

7,509

'

'

'

7,182

7,509

8,026

'

'

'

'

'

223

'

323

94

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangible assets, net (excluding goodwill)

1,689

'

'

'

1,672

'

'

'

1,689

1,672

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

178

82

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Intangible assets, weighted average useful life

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'12 years

'9 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of noncontrolling interest acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

44.50%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Payments to acquire business

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

574

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Purchases of noncontrolling interests

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

101

1

4

343

'

Increase (decrease) in deferred tax asset

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

130

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of controlling interest sold

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

51.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Proceeds from divestitures of businesses

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

363

3

125

264

'

'

'

99

'

114

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fair value of equity method investment

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

60

Gain (loss) on divestiture of business

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-5

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Tax benefit (detriment) from divestiture of business

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20

'

'

'

'

'

3

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other current assets

642

'

'

'

1,021

'

'

'

642

1,021

'

'

'

367

408

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Property, plant and equipment, net

3,802

'

'

'

3,605

'

'

'

3,802

3,605

'

'

'

'

'

'

122

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Liabilities held-for-sale, accrued expenses

2,876

'

'

'

3,184

'

'

'

2,876

3,184

'

'

'

255

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Pre-tax foreign cash repatriated

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

376

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

After-tax foreign cash repatriated

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

308

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock repurchased during the period

9,811

'

'

'

8,985

'

'

'

9,811

8,985

'

'

600

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Earnings before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,348

3,196

3,115

'

'

'

'

'

87

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Working capital

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

155

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other noncurrent assets, including property, plant, equipment, net and goodwill

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

212

'

'

366

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Cash acquired from acquisition

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

5

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill, expected tax deductible amount

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$36

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other_Deductions_Net_Details

Other Deductions, Net (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Other Deductions, Net [Abstract]	'	'	'
Amortization of intangibles (intellectual property and customer relationships)	$225	$220	$241
Rationalization of operations	55	78	119
Other	113	65	91
Gains, net	0	-1	-50
Total	393	362	401
Loss from equity method investment	34	'	'
Research credit	'	-13	'
Change in gain (loss) from foreign currency transactions	-20	'	'
Dumping duties received	'	'	($43)

Rationalization_Of_Operations_1

Rationalization Of Operations (Details) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

In Millions, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2015

employees

employees

employees

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Severance And Benefits [Member]

Severance And Benefits [Member]

Lease And Other Contract Terminations [Member]

Lease And Other Contract Terminations [Member]

Fixed Asset Write-Downs [Member]

Fixed Asset Write-Downs [Member]

Vacant Facility And Other Shutdown Costs [Member]

Vacant Facility And Other Shutdown Costs [Member]

Start-Up And Moving Costs [Member]

Start-Up And Moving Costs [Member]

Scenario, Forecast [Member]

Rationalization Of Operations [Roll Forward]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Rationalization of operations liability, beginning balance

$32

$32

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$27

$23

$3

$5

$0

$0

$1

$3

$1

$1

'

Rationalization of operations, expense

55

78

119

17

15

19

7

27

27

15

25

53

14

3

11

2

8

9

27

45

3

3

2

1

5

6

18

23

60

Rationalization of operations, paid/utilized

65

78

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

34

41

5

5

2

1

6

8

18

23

'

Rationalization of operations liability, ending balance

$22

$32

$32

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$20

$27

$1

$3

$0

$0

$0

$1

$1

$1

'

Total number of facilities exited

14

13

20

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total number of positions eliminated

2,000

3,100

2,700

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill_And_Other_Intangibles2

Goodwill And Other Intangibles (Schedule Of Change In Carry Amount Of Goodwill By Business Segment) (Details) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

24 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Network Power - Europe, Middle East, and Africa [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Connectivity Solutions [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Goodwill [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill impairment, net of tax

$508

$496

$528

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$475

'

$528

$21

Goodwill impairment per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0.72

'

'

'

'

After-tax goodwill impairment loss per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0.65

'

$0.72

$0.03

Net income tax charges

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

70

'

'

Net income tax charges per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0.10

'

'

Goodwill [Roll Forward]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill, beginning balance

7,509

8,026

'

2,383

2,379

1,352

1,338

2,832

3,367

'

3,367

503

501

439

441

'

'

'

'

'

Acquisitions

378

11

'

356

11

'

'

22

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Divestitures

-70

-42

'

'

'

'

'

-70

-40

'

'

'

'

'

-2

'

'

'

'

'

Impairment

-508

-528

-592

'

'

'

'

-508

-528

-592

-646

'

'

'

'

-508

-503

'

-592

-25

Foreign currency translation and other

-127

42

'

-38

-7

-23

14

-58

33

'

'

-3

2

-5

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill, ending balance

$7,182

$7,509

$8,026

$2,701

$2,383

$1,329

$1,352

$2,218

$2,832

$3,367

$2,218

$500

$503

$434

$439

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill_And_Other_Intangibles3

Goodwill And Other Intangibles (Schedule Of Gross Carrying Amount And Accumulated Amortization Of Identifiable Intangible Assets By Major Class) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Intangibles Other Than Goodwill [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gross carrying amount	$3,836	$3,615	'
Less: accumulated amortization	2,147	1,943	'
Net carrying amount	1,689	1,672	'
Amortization of intangible assets	313	298	318
Future amortization expense, 2015	330	'	'
Future amortization expense, 2016	278	'	'
Future amortization expense, 2017	239	'	'
Future amortization expense, 2018	195	'	'
Future amortization expense, 2019	163	'	'
Customer Relationships [Member]	'	'	'
Intangibles Other Than Goodwill [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gross carrying amount	1,594	1,482	'
Less: accumulated amortization	643	533	'
Net carrying amount	951	949	'
Intellectual Property [Member]	'	'	'
Intangibles Other Than Goodwill [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gross carrying amount	1,052	1,023	'
Less: accumulated amortization	613	565	'
Net carrying amount	439	458	'
Capitalized Software [Member]	'	'	'
Intangibles Other Than Goodwill [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gross carrying amount	1,190	1,110	'
Less: accumulated amortization	891	845	'
Net carrying amount	$299	$265	'

Financial_Instruments_Schedule

Financial Instruments (Schedule Of Amounts Included In Earnings And Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Notional value of foreign currency hedge positions	$1,700	'	'
Gain (Loss) to earnings	-5	4	11
Gain (Loss) to other comprehensive income	-1	-18	101
Foreign currency [Member] | Other deductions, net [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) to earnings	-3	-5	45
Copper and aluminum [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Weight of copper and aluminum for commodity hedges, in pounds	66,000,000	'	'
Derivative, amount of aluminum and copper hedged	190	'	'
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity [Member] | Cost of sales [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) to earnings	-12	-15	-42
Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign currency [Member] | Sales, cost of sales [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) to earnings	10	24	8
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Commodity [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) to other comprehensive income	-16	-22	43
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Foreign currency [Member]	'	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'	'
Gain (Loss) to other comprehensive income	$15	$4	$58

Financial_Instruments_Schedule1

Financial Instruments (Schedule Of Fair Values Of Derivative Contracts Outstanding) (Details) (Fair Value, Level 2 [Member], USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	$4,492	$4,727
Fair value of long-term debt compared with carrying value	411	405
Foreign Currency [Member]	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of derivative assets	32	18
Fair value of derivative liabilities	20	17
Commodity [Member]	'	'
Financial Instruments [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of derivative assets	1	2
Fair value of derivative liabilities	$10	$8

ShortTerm_Borrowings_And_Lines2

Short-Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Short Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit [Line Items]	'	'
Current maturities of long-term debt	$522	$267
Commercial paper	1,938	1,304
Payable to banks	5	16
Total	2,465	1,587
Weighted-average short-term borrowing interest rate at year end	0.20%	0.20%
Five-year revolving credit facility [Member]	'	'
Short Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit [Line Items]	'	'
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	3,500	'
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0	0
Four-year revolving credit facility [Member]	'	'
Short Term Borrowings And Lines Of Credit [Line Items]	'	'
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	'	$2,800

LongTerm_Debt_Details

Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	$4,081	$4,322	'
Less: Current maturities	522	267	'
Total, net	3,559	4,055	'
Long-term debt maturing during year two	304	'	'
Long-term debt maturing during year three	251	'	'
Long-term debt maturing during year four	251	'	'
Long-term debt maturing during year five	651	'	'
Interest paid related to short-term borrowings and long-term debt	210	226	234
5.625% notes due November 2013 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	0	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	'	5.63%	'
Repayments of debt	250	'	'
5.0% notes due December 2014 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.00%	5.00%	'
4.125% notes due April 2015 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	4.13%	4.13%	'
4.75% notes due October 2015 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	4.75%	4.75%	'
5.125% notes due December 2016 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.13%	5.13%	'
5.375% notes due October 2017 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.38%	5.38%	'
5.25% notes due October 2018[Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	400	400	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.25%	5.25%	'
5.0% notes due April 2019 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.00%	5.00%	'
4.875% notes due October 2019 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	500	500	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	4.88%	4.88%	'
4.25% notes due November 2020 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	300	300	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	4.25%	4.25%	'
2.625% notes due February 2023 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	500	500	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	2.63%	2.63%	'
Issuance of debt	'	500	'
6.0% notes due August 2032 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	6.00%	6.00%	'
6.125% notes due April 2039 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	250	250	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	6.13%	6.13%	'
5.25% notes due November 2039 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	300	300	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	5.25%	5.25%	'
Other [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Long-term debt	81	72	'
4.625% notes due October 2012 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	'	'	4.63%
Repayments of debt	'	250	'
4.5% notes due May 2013 [Member]	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Notes interest rate, percentage	'	'	4.50%
Repayments of debt	'	$250	'

Retirement_Plans_Narrative_Det

Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Losses deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income will be amortized into earnings in 2015	$193	'	'
Losses deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income	1,307	'	'
Total accumulated benefit obligation	5,277	4,782	'
Accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets for retirement plans, projected benefit obligation	1,028	978	'
Accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets for retirement plans, accumulated benefit obligation	928	887	'
Accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets for retirement plans, fair value of plan assets	455	464	'
Estimated future employer contributions in next fiscal year	60	'	'
Estimated pension expense, 2015	165	'	'
Pension expense	153	228	173
U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Funded status of plan	137	249	'
Over(Under) funded plans	137	'	'
Unfunded plans	-182	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2015	197	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2016	207	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2017	217	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2018	227	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2019	237	'	'
Total future benefit payments, 2020 - 2024	1,304	'	'
Discount rate	4.25%	4.75%	4.00%
Pension expense	108	183	120
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Funded status of plan	-342	-370	'
Over(Under) funded plans	-342	'	'
Unfunded plans	-218	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2015	48	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2016	50	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2017	56	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2018	58	'	'
Future benefit payments, 2019	60	'	'
Total future benefit payments, 2020 - 2024	346	'	'
Discount rate	3.60%	4.20%	4.10%
Pension expense	$45	$45	$53

Retirement_Plans_Schedule_Of_R

Retirement Plans (Schedule Of Retirement Plans Expense) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Net periodic pension expense	$153	$228	$173
U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Service cost (benefits earned during the period)	59	70	55
Interest cost	182	167	172
Expected return on plan assets	-286	-280	-275
Net amortization and other	153	226	168
Net periodic pension expense	108	183	120
Defined contribution plans	119	113	103
Total retirement plans expense	227	296	223
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Service cost (benefits earned during the period)	32	31	27
Interest cost	53	46	50
Expected return on plan assets	-58	-50	-43
Net amortization and other	18	18	19
Net periodic pension expense	45	45	53
Defined contribution plans	59	63	59
Total retirement plans expense	$104	$108	$112

Retirement_Plans_Reconciliatio

Retirement Plans (Reconciliations Of Actuarial Present Value Of Projected Benefit Obligations And Fair Value Of Plan Assets For Defined Benefit Pension Plans) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Change in fair value of plan assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets, ending	$5,461	$5,011	'
Noncurrent assets	377	438	'
Noncurrent liability	-564	-539	'
U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Change in projected benefit obligation [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Projected benefit obligation, beginning	3,863	4,203	'
Service cost	59	70	55
Interest cost	182	167	172
Actuarial (gain) loss	415	-403	'
Benefits paid	-188	-176	'
Foreign currency translation and other	5	2	'
Projected benefit obligation, ending	4,336	3,863	4,203
Change in fair value of plan assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets, beginning	4,112	3,719	'
Actual return on plan assets	461	454	'
Employer contributions	85	113	'
Benefits paid	-188	-176	'
Foreign currency translation and other	3	2	'
Fair value of plan assets, ending	4,473	4,112	3,719
Amount recognized in the balance sheet	137	249	'
Noncurrent assets	344	435	'
Current liability	-10	-10	'
Noncurrent liability	-197	-176	'
Pretax accumulated other comprehensive loss	-961	-871	'
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Change in projected benefit obligation [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Projected benefit obligation, beginning	1,269	1,143	'
Service cost	32	31	27
Interest cost	53	46	50
Actuarial (gain) loss	89	85	'
Benefits paid	-47	-46	'
Foreign currency translation and other	-66	10	'
Projected benefit obligation, ending	1,330	1,269	1,143
Change in fair value of plan assets [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets, beginning	899	809	'
Actual return on plan assets	106	86	'
Employer contributions	45	47	'
Benefits paid	-47	-46	'
Foreign currency translation and other	-15	3	'
Fair value of plan assets, ending	988	899	809
Amount recognized in the balance sheet	-342	-370	'
Noncurrent assets	33	3	'
Current liability	-8	-10	'
Noncurrent liability	-367	-363	'
Pretax accumulated other comprehensive loss	($346)	($343)	'

Retirement_Plans_Schedule_Of_W

Retirement Plans (Schedule Of Weighted-Average Assumptions Used In Valuations Of Pension Benefits) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%	'
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Discount rate	4.75%	4.00%	4.75%
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Expected return on plan assets	7.50%	7.75%	7.75%
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Rate of compensation increase	3.25%	3.25%	3.00%
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	4.25%	4.75%	4.00%
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Rate of compensation increase	3.25%	3.25%	3.25%
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%	'
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Discount rate	4.20%	4.10%	5.20%
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Expected return on plan assets	6.60%	5.50%	5.90%
Assumptions used to determine net pension expense, Rate of compensation increase	3.20%	3.40%	3.50%
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Discount rate	3.60%	4.20%	4.10%
Assumptions used to determine benefit obligations, Rate of compensation increase	3.40%	3.20%	3.40%

Retirement_Plans_Schedule_Of_A

Retirement Plans (Schedule Of Asset Allocations And Weighted-Average Target Allocations) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Total, target	100.00%	'
Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Total, target	100.00%	'
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	65.00%	66.00%
Equity Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	55.00%	56.00%
Debt Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	26.00%	26.00%
Debt Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	32.00%	30.00%
Other Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	9.00%	8.00%
Other Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations	13.00%	14.00%
Minimum [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	60.00%	'
Minimum [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	50.00%	'
Minimum [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	25.00%	'
Minimum [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	25.00%	'
Minimum [Member] | Other Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	3.00%	'
Minimum [Member] | Other Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	10.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	70.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Equity Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	60.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	35.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	35.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Other Securities [Member] | U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	10.00%	'
Maximum [Member] | Other Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. Plans [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Defined benefit plan, target plan asset allocations	20.00%	'

Retirement_Plans_Schedule_Of_F

Retirement Plans (Schedule Of Fair Values Of Defined Benefit Plan Assets Organized By Asset Class And Fair Value Hierarchy Of ASC 820) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	$5,461	$5,011
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	100.00%	100.00%
Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	1,897	1,841
Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	3,256	2,920
Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	308	250
U.S. equities [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	1,816	1,759
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	33.00%	35.00%
U.S. equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	1,097	1,078
U.S. equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	535	560
U.S. equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	184	121
International equities [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	1,356	1,195
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	25.00%	24.00%
International equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	589	563
International equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	767	632
International equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Emerging market equities [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	279	263
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	5.00%	5.00%
Emerging market equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Emerging market equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	279	263
Emerging market equities [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	594	524
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	11.00%	10.00%
Corporate bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Corporate bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	594	524
Corporate bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Government bonds [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	722	636
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	13.00%	13.00%
Government bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	2	22
Government bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	720	614
Government bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
High yield bonds [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	181	159
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	3.00%	3.00%
High yield bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
High yield bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	181	159
High yield bonds [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	0	0
Other [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	513	475
Percentage of defined benefit plan assets	10.00%	10.00%
Other [Member] | Fair Value, Level 1 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	209	178
Other [Member] | Fair Value, Level 2 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	180	168
Other [Member] | Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]	'	'
Fair values of defined benefit plan assets	$124	$129

Retirement_Plans_Reconciliatio1

Retirement Plans (Reconciliation Of Change In Value For Level 3 Assets) (Details) (Fair Value, Level 3 [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Fair Value, Level 3 [Member]	'	'
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]	'	'
Level 3, beginning	$250	$250
Gains (Losses) on assets held	-18	25
Gains (Losses) on assets sold	21	-22
Purchases, sales and settlements, net	55	-3
Level 3, ending	$308	$250

Postretirement_Plans_Narrative

Postretirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'	'
Deferred actuarial gains in accumulated other comprehensive income	($1,307)	'	'
Gains that will be amortized into earnings in 2015	-193	'	'
Postretirement Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'	'
Deferred actuarial gains in accumulated other comprehensive income	172	'	'
Gains that will be amortized into earnings in 2015	22	'	'
Discount rates used in measuring benefit obligations	3.75%	4.00%	3.25%
Health care cost trend rate assumed for 2015	6.50%	7.00%	'
Ultimate health care cost trend rate, 2018	5.00%	5.00%	'
Defined Benefit Plan, Year that Rate Reaches Ultimate Trend Rate	'2018	'2018	'
Future health care benefit payments, 2015	22	'	'
Future health care benefit payments, 2016	22	'	'
Future health care benefit payments, 2017	22	'	'
Future health care benefit payments, 2018	22	'	'
Future health care beneift payments, 2019	22	'	'
Total future health care benefit payments, 2020 - 2024	$94	'	'

Postretirement_Plans_Component

Postretirement Plans (Components Of Net Postretirement Benefits Expense) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'	'
Net postretirement expense	$153	$228	$173
Postretirement Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'	'
Service cost	1	2	2
Interest cost	11	12	16
Net amortization	-21	-13	-11
Net postretirement expense	($9)	$1	$7

Postretirement_Plans_Reconcili

Postretirement Plans (Reconciliations Of Actuarial Present Value Of Accumulated Postretirement Benefit Obligations) (Details) (Postretirement Plans [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Postretirement Plans [Member]	'	'	'
Postretirement Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'	'
Benefit obligation, beginning	$278	$367	'
Service cost	1	2	2
Interest cost	11	12	16
Actuarial (gain) loss	-12	-83	'
Benefits paid	-17	-20	'
Plan amendments	-13	0	'
Benefit obligation, ending (recognized in balance sheet)	$248	$278	$367

Contingent_Liabilities_and_Com1

Contingent Liabilities and Commitments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Judgments against two subsidiaries of the Company	$50
Damages sought in Invensys suit	182
Contingent liabilities	$0

Income_Taxes_Narrative_Details

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	$80	'	'
Unrecognized tax benefits, income tax penalties and interest expense	3	-6	-1
Unrecognized tax benefits, income tax penalties and interest accrued	25	27	'
Net current deferred tax assets	354	354	'
Net noncurrent deferred tax liabilities	510	741	'
Income taxes paid	1,310	1,270	1,300
Net operating losses and tax credits	$238	$231	'

Income_Taxes_Schedule_Of_Preta

Income Taxes (Schedule Of Pretax Earnings From Continuing Operations) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
United States	$2,096	$1,724	$1,742
Non-U.S.	1,252	1,472	1,373
Earnings before income taxes	$3,348	$3,196	$3,115

Income_Taxes_Schedule_Of_Princ

Income Taxes (Schedule Of Principal Components Of Income Tax Expense) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Current: Federal	$742	$704	$750
Current: State and local	59	60	61
Current: Non-U.S.	516	480	466
Deferred: Federal	-129	-56	-129
Deferred: State and local	-5	2	-4
Deferred: Non-U.S.	-19	-60	-53
Income tax expense	$1,164	$1,130	$1,091

Income_Taxes_Schedule_Of_Recon

Income Taxes (Schedule Of Reconciliations Of The U.S. Federal Statutory Tax Rate) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Federal statutory rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State and local taxes, net of federal tax benefit	1.00%	1.30%	1.30%
Non-U.S. rate differential	-4.20%	-4.80%	-4.00%
Non-U.S. tax holidays	-1.10%	-1.80%	-1.70%
U.S. manufacturing deduction	-1.50%	-1.60%	-1.40%
Goodwill impairment	5.30%	4.80%	4.60%
Artesyn repatriation	0.00%	2.20%	0.00%
Other	0.30%	0.20%	1.20%
Effective income tax rate	34.80%	35.30%	35.00%
Non-U.S. tax holiday tax rate reductions for certain foreign jurisdictions, expiration period in years	'3 years	'	'

Income_Taxes_Schedule_Of_Unrec

Income Taxes (Schedule Of Unrecognized Tax Benefits) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits [Roll Forward]	'	'
Period over which the amount of unrecognized tax benefits are not expected to significantly increase or decrease	'12 months	'
Unrecognized tax benefits, beginning	$127	$157
Additions for current year tax positions	9	8
Additions for prior year tax positions	25	14
Reductions for prior year tax positions	-19	-26
Reductions for settlements with tax authorities	-4	-4
Reductions for expiration of statutes of limitations	-18	-22
Unrecognized tax benefits, ending	$120	$127

Income_Taxes_Schedule_Of_Defer

Income Taxes (Schedule Of Deferred Income Tax Assets And Liabilities) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Net operating losses and tax credits	$238	$231
Accrued liabilities	311	262
Postretirement and postemployment benefits	93	102
Employee compensation and benefits	196	256
Pensions	28	0
Other	137	124
Total deferred tax assets	1,003	975
Valuation allowances	-154	-131
Intangibles	-649	-780
Pensions	0	-38
Property, plant and equipment	-258	-255
Other	-98	-158
Total deferred tax liabilities	-1,005	-1,231
Net deferred income tax liability	($156)	($387)

StockBased_Compensation_Narrat

Stock-Based Compensation (Narrative)(Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Percentage of awards granted in 2010, performance level met	'	93.00%	'
Performance shares awarded primarily in 2010, performance level met	'	4,837,739	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards	2,902,647	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards, shares issued	1,582,608	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards, withheld for income taxes	1,125,122	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards, paid in cash	194,917	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards for employees who provided one additional year of service, shares issued	1,199,535	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards for employees who provided one additional year of service, withheld for income taxes	704,495	'	'
Performance shares distributed from 2010 performance share awards for employees who provided one additional year of service, paid in cash	16,368	'	'
Performance shares canceled from 2010 Performance Share Awards	14,694	'	'
Total compensation expense for stock option and incentive shares plans	$143	$221	$100
Income tax benefits recognized in income statement for compensation arrangements	39	68	28
Unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested awards granted	243	'	'
Unrecognized compensation cost is expected to be recognized, weighted-average period, years	'2 years 4 months	'	'
Maximum [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Performance shares awarded in 2013, outstanding and contingent on meeting performance objectives through 2016 and provision of service by the employees	5,866,840	'	'
Stock Options [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Percentage of options granted at the closing market price of common stock on the grant date	100.00%	'	'
Amount of stock option vesting per year	'one-third	'	'
Stock option expiration years from date of grant years	'10 years	'	'
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant	14,400,000	'	'
Weighted-average price of shares granted	$14.83	$10.12	$7.53
Cash received for stock options exercises	77	104	42
Options exercised, total intrinsic value	61	66	38
Actual tax benefit realized from tax deductions related to option exercises	14	7	11
Risk-free interest rate	2.00%	1.20%	1.30%
Expected dividend yield	2.60%	3.20%	3.70%
Expected volatility rate	28.00%	28.00%	27.00%
Expected life of option	'7 years	'7 years	'7 years
Restricted Stock [Member]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Shares vested in period	10,000	'	'
Common shares issued	6,709	'	'
Shares withheld for income tax	3,291	'	'
Unvested shares outstanding	1,302,500	'	'
Incentive Shares Member	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant	4,300,000	'	'
Shares vested in period	4,833,000	'	'
Unvested shares outstanding	6,404,000	11,231,000	'
Total fair value of shares vested	315	19	15
Cash paid primarily for tax withholdings	$134	$8	$6
Restricted Stock For Non Management Directors Member	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant	248,146	'	'
Restricted stock awarded	17,676	'	'
Restricted stock units awarded	3,928	'	'

StockBased_Compensation_Schedu

Stock-Based Compensation (Schedule Of Changes In Shares Subject To Option) (Details) (Stock Options [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Stock Options [Member]	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Average exercise price per share, Beginning of year	$47.03
Average exercise price per share, Options Granted	$65.07
Average exercise price per share, Options Exercised	$41.29
Average exercise price per share, Options canceled	$59.09
Average exercise price per share, End of year	$54.19
Average exercise price per share, Exercisable at year end	$48.51
Shares, Beginning of year	11,674
Shares, Options granted	4,931
Shares, Options exercised	-2,420
Shares, Options Canceled	-277
Shares, End of year	13,908
Shares, Exercisable at year end	8,407
Total intrinsic value of awards, End of year	$130
Total intrinsic value of awards, Exercisable at year end	$120
Average remaining life, End of year	'6 years 5 months
Average remaining life, Exercisable at year end	'4 years 8 months

StockBased_Compensation_Schedu1

Stock-Based Compensation (Schedule Of Changes In Incentive Awards Outstanding) (Details) (Incentive Shares Member, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Incentive Shares Member	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]	'
Shares, Beginning of year	11,231,000
Shares, Granted	246,000
Shares, Earned/vested	-4,833,000
Shares, Canceled	-240,000
Shares, End of year	6,404,000
Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share, Beginning of year	$43.86
Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share, Granted	$65.15
Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share, Earned/vested	$39.52
Average exercise price per share, Options canceled	$47.48
Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share, End of year	$47.81

Common_and_Preferred_Stock_Det

Common and Preferred Stock (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Class of Stock Disclosures [Abstract]	'	'
Shares of common stock reserved for issuance under stock-based compensation plans	38,700,000	'
Common shares repurchased	14,800,000	20,300,000
Treasury shares re-issued	4,700,000	2,900,000
Shares of preferred stock authorized	5,400,000	5,400,000
Par value of preferred stocked authorized	$2.50	$2.50
Shares of preferred stock issued	0	0

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	($575)	($189)	($731)
Foreign currency translation	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Foreign currency translation, beginning	504	466	671
Purchase of noncontrolling interests	8	0	0
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-341	38	-205
Foreign currency translation, ending	171	504	466
Pension and postretirement	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Pension and post retirement, beginning	-692	-1,213	-1,164
Actuarial gains (losses) deferred during the period, net of taxes of: 2014, $87; 2013, $(233); 2012, $81	-152	375	-160
Amortization of deferred losses into earnings, net of taxes of: 2014, $(52); 2013 $(85); 2012, $(62)	98	146	111
Pension and post retirement, ending	-746	-692	-1,213
Cash flow hedges	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Cash flow hedges, beginning	-1	16	-69
Gains (losses) deferred during the period, net of taxes of: 2014, $0; 2013, $7; 2012, $(37)	-1	-11	64
Reclassification of (gains) losses to sales and cost of sales, net of taxes of: 2014, $0; 2013, $3; 2012, $(13)	2	-6	21
Cash flow hedges, ending	$0	($1)	$16

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Pension and postretirement	'	'	'
Actuarial gains (losses) deferred during the period, tax	$87	($233)	$81
Amortization of deferred actuarial (gains) losses into earnings, tax	-52	-85	-62
Cash flow hedges	'	'	'
Gains (losses) deferred during the period, tax	0	7	-37
Reclassification of (gains) losses to sales and cost of sales, tax	$0	$3	($13)

Business_Segments_Information_1

Business Segments Information (Results Of Operations By Business Segments ) (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

24 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Millions, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Sales Revenue, Segment [Member]

Sales Revenue, Segment [Member]

Sales Revenue, Segment [Member]

Segments total [Member]

Segments total [Member]

Segments total [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Operating Segments [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Intersegment Eliminations [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Differences in accounting methods [Member]

Differences in accounting methods [Member]

Differences in accounting methods [Member]

Corporate and other [Member]

Corporate and other [Member]

Corporate and other [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Process Management [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Industrial Automation [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Climate Technologies [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net sales

$6,807

$6,312

$5,812

$5,606

$6,812

$6,344

$5,960

$5,553

$24,537

$24,669

$24,412

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$25,285

$25,391

$25,129

'

'

'

$9,189

$8,610

$7,899

$4,990

$4,885

$5,188

$5,073

$6,155

$6,399

$4,109

$3,876

$3,766

$1,924

$1,865

$1,877

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$748

$722

$717

$8

$6

$13

$664

$631

$619

$27

$39

$38

$47

$44

$45

$2

$2

$2

$146

'

'

Segment earnings

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,348

3,196

3,115

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,340

4,260

4,158

1,918

1,809

1,599

802

777

871

459

554

624

737

716

668

424

404

396

'

'

'

'

'

'

-1,050

-1,067

-1,045

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Differences in accounting methods

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

252

221

226

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales eliminations/Interest

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-194

-218

-224

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-194

-218

-224

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total Assets

24,177

'

'

'

24,711

'

'

'

24,177

24,711

23,818

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20,108

20,485

20,853

7,771

6,878

6,607

3,574

3,606

3,619

5,233

6,603

7,212

2,378

2,245

2,260

1,152

1,153

1,155

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,069

4,226

2,965

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill impairment

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

508

528

592

'

'

'

'

508

528

592

646

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

503

592

Change In stock compensation expense

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

($78)

$121

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Business_Segments_Information_2

Business Segments Information (Business Segments Financial Information) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	$6,807	$6,312	$5,812	$5,606	$6,812	$6,344	$5,960	$5,553	$24,537	$24,669	$24,412
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	831	819	823
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	767	678	665
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	748	722	717
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Process Management [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	8	6	13
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Industrial Automation [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	664	631	619
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Network Power [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	27	39	38
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Climate Technologies [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	47	44	45
Intersegment Eliminations [Member] | Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	2	2	2
Operating Segments [Member] | Process Management [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	9,189	8,610	7,899
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	249	201	198
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	300	276	228
Operating Segments [Member] | Industrial Automation [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	4,990	4,885	5,188
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	145	145	138
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	123	124	134
Operating Segments [Member] | Network Power [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	5,073	6,155	6,399
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	198	238	256
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	68	88	101
Operating Segments [Member] | Climate Technologies [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	4,109	3,876	3,766
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	132	130	133
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	145	100	106
Operating Segments [Member] | Commercial & Residential Solutions [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	1,924	1,865	1,877
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	52	53	53
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	49	40	46
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Corporate and other [Member]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	55	52	45
Capital expenditures	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$82	$50	$50

Business_Segments_Information_3

Business Segments Information (Financial Information By Geographic Area) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Total	$3,802	$3,605	'
United States	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	10,310	10,000	10,036
Property, Plant and Equipment	2,022	1,952	1,900
China	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	2,853	3,122	3,012
Reportable Geographical Components [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	24,537	24,669	24,412
Property, Plant and Equipment, Total	3,802	3,605	3,509
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] | United States And Canada [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	11,262	10,964	10,980
Property, Plant and Equipment	2,036	1,969	1,918
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] | Asia [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	5,483	5,888	5,790
Property, Plant and Equipment	602	518	592
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] | Europe [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	4,815	4,841	4,946
Property, Plant and Equipment	803	772	689
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] | Latin America [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	1,508	1,555	1,430
Property, Plant and Equipment	306	308	293
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] | Middle East/Africa [Member]	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'
Revenues	1,469	1,421	1,266
Property, Plant and Equipment	$55	$38	$17

Other_Financial_Data_Other_Ite

Other Financial Data (Other Items Reported In Earnings) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'	'	'
Research and development expense	$541	$576	$547
Depreciation expense	518	521	505
Rent expense	$411	$414	$395

Other_Financial_Data_Narrative

Other Financial Data (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Nov. 22, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified			Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]	Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]
Other Financial Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'
Approximate annual rentals under noncancellable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, 2015	$270	'	'	'
Approximate annual rentals under noncancellable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, 2016	193	'	'	'
Approximate annual rentals under noncancellable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, 2017	131	'	'	'
Approximate annual rentals under noncancellable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, 2018	82	'	'	'
Approximate annual rentals under noncancellable long-term leases, exclusive of maintenance, taxes, insurance and other operating costs, 2019	52	'	'	'
Other current assets	642	1,021	367	408
Pension assets	377	438	'	'
Noncurrents assets	$9,508	$10,107	'	$190

Other_Financial_Data_Accrued_E

Other Financial Data (Accrued Expenses) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'	'
Employee compensation	$705	$650
Customer advanced payments	455	402
Product warranty	$193	$183

Other_Financial_Data_Other_Lia

Other Financial Data (Other Liabilities) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'	'
Pension plans	$564	$539
Deferred income taxes	572	823
Postretirement plans, excluding current portion	233	263
Other	628	688
Total	$1,997	$2,313

Other_Financial_Data_Other_Ope

Other Financial Data (Other Operating Cash Flow) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Other Financial Data [Abstract]	'	'	'
Pension expense	$153	$228	$173
Stock compensation expense	143	221	100
Deferred income taxes and other	-111	-63	-92
Total	$185	$386	$181

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio2

Quarterly Financial Information (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

24 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified

Sep. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power [Member]

Network Power - Europe, Middle East, and Africa [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Artesyn (Embedded Computing and Power) [Member]

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net sales

$6,807

$6,312

$5,812

$5,606

$6,812

$6,344

$5,960

$5,553

$24,537

$24,669

$24,412

$146

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Gross profit

2,889

2,638

2,395

2,236

2,804

2,568

2,373

2,207

10,158

9,952

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net earnings common stockholders

410

728

547

462

795

194

561

454

2,147

2,004

1,968

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net earnings per common share: Basic

$0.59

$1.03

$0.78

$0.65

$1.11

$0.27

$0.77

$0.63

$3.05

$2.78

$2.68

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net earnings per common share: Diluted

$0.58

$1.03

$0.77

$0.65

$1.10

$0.27

$0.77

$0.62

$3.03

$2.76

$2.67

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Dividends per common share

$0.43

$0.43

$0.43

$0.43

$0.41

$0.41

$0.41

$0.41

$1.72

$1.64

$1.60

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock prices: High

$68.23

$69.94

$70.29

$70.66

$66.79

$59.44

$58.67

$53.62

$70.66

$66.79

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Common stock prices: Low

$60.85

$64.70

$62.25

$62.73

$54.55

$53.09

$53.83

$47.10

$60.85

$47.10

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Effect of Fourth Quarter Events [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill impairment

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

508

528

592

'

508

528

592

646

508

'

503

592

Goodwill impairment per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0.72

'

'

'

After- tax goodwill impairment and income tax charges

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$58

$508

'

After-tax goodwill impairment and income tax charges per share

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0.08

$0.70

'