Key Technology (KTEC) 10-K 12 Dec 14 2014 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 05, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'KEY TECHNOLOGY INC	'	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000906193	'	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--09-30	'	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'	'
Document Type	'10-K	'	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-14	'	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'FY	'	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	6,296,839	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'No	'	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'	'
Entity Public Float	'	'	$74,700,161

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
CURRENT ASSETS:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$9,741	$17,601
Trade accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $415 and $296, respectively	12,557	17,725
Inventories	26,673	27,921
Deferred income taxes	3,809	5,034
Income tax receivable	2,888	86
Prepaid expenses and other assets	4,325	4,206
Total current assets	59,993	72,573
PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT, Net	16,652	17,259
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	615	760
INTANGIBLES, Net	8,656	10,982
INVESTMENT IN PRODITEC	1,127	1,148
GOODWILL	11,222	11,821
OTHER ASSETS	80	81
TOTAL	98,345	114,624
CURRENT LIABILITIES:	'	'
Accounts payable	6,073	6,669
Accrued payroll liabilities and commissions	5,893	9,440
Customers' deposits	3,702	6,048
Accrued customer support and warranty costs	2,607	3,301
Income tax payable	2	430
Current portion of long-term debt	804	871
Customer purchase plans	1,523	1,731
Other accrued liabilities	1,186	1,745
Total current liabilities	21,790	30,235
LONG-TERM DEBT	4,733	5,612
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	3,281	5,226
OTHER LONG TERM LIABILITIES	373	426
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	'	'
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:	'	'
Preferred stock-no par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; none issued and outstanding	0	0
Common stock-no par value; 45,000,000 shares authorized; 6,307,543 and 6,168,654 issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively	31,414	30,086
Warrants, no par value; 250,000 issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014	665	665
Retained earnings	36,264	41,677
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-175	697
Total shareholders' equity	68,168	73,125
TOTAL	$98,345	$114,624

CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE_SHEETS_Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
CURRENT ASSETS:	'	'
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable, Current	$415	$296
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent [Abstract]	'	'
Preferred Stock, Shares Authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Common Stock, Shares Authorized	45,000,000	45,000,000
Preferred Stock, Shares Issued	0	0
Preferred Stock, Shares Outstanding	0	0
Common Stock, Shares, Issued	6,307,543	6,168,654
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding	6,307,543	6,168,654
Warrants, Issued	250,000	250,000
Warrants, Outstanding	250,000	250,000

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_OPE

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]	'	'	'
NET SALES	$118,258	$136,783	$115,174
COST OF SALES	83,961	90,739	79,339
Gross profit	34,297	46,044	35,835
Operating expenses:	'	'	'
Sales and marketing	18,721	18,976	17,439
Research and development	11,564	9,647	8,343
General and administrative	10,286	10,594	9,070
Amortization of intangibles	1,738	996	15
Total operating expenses	42,309	40,213	34,867
GAIN (LOSS) ON DISPOSITION OF ASSETS	7	42	-15
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	-8,005	5,873	953
Royalty income	38	52	51
Interest income	32	27	22
Interest expense	-276	-277	-264
Reclassification from Other comprehensive income	0	0	-209
Foreign exchange gain (loss)	105	-146	183
Other, net	-141	-116	-142
Total other income (expense)-net	-242	-460	-359
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	-8,247	5,413	594
Income tax expense (benefit)	-2,834	1,402	145
Net earnings (loss)	($5,413)	$4,011	$449
Net earnings (loss) per share	'	'	'
EARNINGS PER SHARE - Basic (usd per share)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08
EARNINGS PER SHARE - Diluted (usd per share)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08
SHARES USED IN PER SHARE CALCULATION - Basic	6,295	5,836	5,390
SHARES USED IN PER SHARE CALCULATION - Diluted	6,295	5,855	5,399

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENT_OF_COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Statement (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	($5,413)	$4,011	$449
Foreign currency translation adjustment	-1,365	890	-202
Unrealized changes in fair value of derivatives	44	254	-102
Reclassification adjustment for foreign currency translation included in net earnings	0	0	209
Income tax (expense) benefit related to items of comprehensive income (loss)	449	-389	32
Total comprehensive income (loss)	($6,285)	$4,766	$386

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_SHA

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (USD $)	Total	Common stock	Warrant	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Balance at Sep. 30, 2011	$58,774	$21,138	$0	$37,631	$5
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2011	'	5,337,250	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	449	0	'	449	0
Comprehensive income - foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax	-133	0	'	0	-133
Reclassification adjustment for foreign currency translation included in net earnings, net of tax of $71	138	'	'	'	138
Unrealized changes in value of derivatives, net of tax benefit	-68	0	'	0	-68
Tax benefits from share-based payments	-103	-103	'	0	0
Share based payments	1,194	1,194	'	0	0
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)	'	9,056	'	'	'
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options	13	13	'	0	0
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)	'	8,417	'	'	'
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	81	81	'	0	0
Stock buyback (in shares)	'	-70,853	'	'	'
Stock buyback	-710	-312	'	-398	0
Stock Grants Performance Based Shares	'	92,910	'	'	'
Stock grants - performance-based	0	0	'	0	0
Stock Grants Employment Based In Shares	'	95,805	'	'	'
Stock grants - employment-based	0	0	'	0	0
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes (in shares)	'	-19,127	'	'	'
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes	-205	-205	'	0	0
Stock forfeitures and retirements (in shares)	'	-141,313	'	'	'
Stock forfeitures and retirements	0	0	'	0	0
Balance at Sep. 30, 2012	59,430	21,806	0	37,682	-58
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2012	'	5,312,145	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	4,011	0	'	4,011	0
Comprehensive income - foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax	587	0	'	0	587
Unrealized changes in value of derivatives, net of tax benefit	168	0	'	0	168
Tax benefits from share-based payments	-60	-60	'	0	0
Share based payments	1,298	1,298	'	0	0
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)	'	10,000	'	'	'
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options	28	28	'	0	0
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)	'	6,257	'	'	'
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	67	67	'	0	0
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Acquisitions	600,000	'	'	'	'
Issuance of stock for acquisition, net of issuance costs of $126	7,201	'	'	'	'
Issuance of warrants (250,000) for acquisition, net of issuance costs of $62	665	'	665	'	'
Stock buyback (in shares)	'	-3,288	'	'	'
Stock buyback	-30	-14	'	-16	0
Stock Grants Performance Based Shares	'	178,163	'	'	'
Stock grants - performance-based	0	0	'	0	0
Stock Grants Employment Based In Shares	'	103,026	'	'	'
Stock grants - employment-based	0	0	'	0	0
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes (in shares)	'	-24,187	'	'	'
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes	-240	-240	'	0	0
Stock forfeitures and retirements (in shares)	'	-13,462	'	'	'
Stock forfeitures and retirements	0	0	'	0	0
Balance at Sep. 30, 2013	73,125	30,086	665	41,677	697
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2013	6,168,654	6,168,654	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	-5,413	0	'	-5,413	0
Comprehensive income - foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax	-901	0	'	0	-901
Unrealized changes in value of derivatives, net of tax benefit	29	0	'	0	29
Tax benefits from share-based payments	-15	-15	'	0	0
Share based payments	1,448	1,448	'	0	0
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options (in shares)	'	5,000	'	'	'
Issuance of stock upon exercise of stock options	56	56	'	0	0
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares)	'	6,013	'	'	'
Issuance of stock for Employee Stock Purchase Plan	68	68	'	0	0
Stock Grants Performance Based Shares	'	95,522	'	'	'
Stock grants - performance-based	0	0	'	0	0
Stock Grants Employment Based In Shares	'	75,013	'	'	'
Stock grants - employment-based	0	0	'	0	0
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes (in shares)	'	-16,968	'	'	'
Restricted stock surrendered in payment of taxes	-229	-229	'	0	0
Stock forfeitures and retirements (in shares)	'	-25,691	'	'	'
Stock forfeitures and retirements	0	0	'	0	0
Balance at Sep. 30, 2014	$68,168	$31,414	$665	$36,264	($175)
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2014	6,307,543	6,307,543	'	'	'

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_SHA1

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parentheticals) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
				Common stock	Warrant
Comprehensive income - foreign currency translation adjustment, tax benefit (expense)	($464)	$303	($69)	'	'
Unrealized changes in value of derivatives, tax benefit (expense)	15	86	-34	'	'
Reclassification adjustment, foreign currency transaction, tax effect	'	'	71	'	'
Payments of stock issuance costs	$0	$188	$0	$126	$62

CONSOLIDATED_STATEMENTS_OF_CAS

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	($5,413)	$4,011	$449
Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'	'
Cost-method Investments, Other than Temporary Impairment	0	0	209
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets	-7	-42	15
Foreign currency exchange (gain) loss	-105	146	-183
Depreciation and amortization	5,346	4,868	3,654
Share based payments	1,445	1,276	1,182
Excess tax benefit from share based payments	-41	-40	-55
Deferred income taxes	-33	-3,421	-73
Deferred rent	14	-5	-33
Bad debt expense	163	2	24
Changes in assets and liabilities:	'	'	'
Trade accounts receivable	4,701	-5,511	-2,671
Inventories	548	3,665	887
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	240	-628	1,124
Income taxes receivable	-2,802	241	880
Patents	0	-135	0
Accounts payable	-462	-123	-706
Accrued payroll liabilities and commissions	-3,295	3,698	-221
Accrued customer support and warranty costs	-618	863	-459
Income taxes payable	-444	367	70
Other accrued liabilities	-708	556	137
Customers' deposits	-2,244	-1,090	-5,505
Other	-1	71	13
Cash provided by (used in) operating activities	-3,716	8,769	-1,262
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:	'	'	'
Proceeds from sale of property	25	77	8
Purchases of property, plant, and equipment	-3,107	-2,468	-2,600
Cash paid for the acquisition of Visys, net of cash acquired	0	-11,607	0
Cash used in investing activities	-3,082	-13,998	-2,592
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:	'	'	'
Payments on long-term debt	-871	-697	-345
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	124	95	94
Stock buyback	0	-30	-710
Issuance costs of stock and warrants	0	-188	0
Excess tax benefits from share based payments	41	40	55
Exchange of shares for statutory withholding	-229	-240	-205
Cash used in financing activities	-935	-1,020	-1,111
EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH	-127	95	-34
NET DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	-7,860	-6,154	-4,999
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR	17,601	23,755	28,754
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR	9,741	17,601	23,755
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:	'	'	'
Cash paid during the period for interest	287	275	278
Cash paid (refunded) during the period for income taxes	438	4,179	-705
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NONCASH FINANCING ACTIVITIES	'	'	'
Common stock issued for acquisition	0	7,325	0
Warrants issued for acquisition	$0	$727	$0

The_Company_and_Summary_of_Sig

The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	1	THE COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
	Key Technology, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (the “Company”) design, manufacture, sell and service process automation systems that integrate electro-optical inspection and sorting systems with process systems that include specialized conveying and product preparation equipment.  The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Key Technology, Inc. and its subsidiaries, which are all wholly-owned.  All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
	Revenue Recognition—The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been provided, the sale price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.  Additionally, the Company sells its goods on terms which transfer title and risk of loss at a specified location, typically shipping point, port of loading or port of discharge, depending on the final destination of the goods.  Accordingly, revenue recognition from product sales occurs when all criteria are met, including transfer of title and risk of loss, which occurs either upon shipment by the Company or upon receipt by customers at the location specified in the terms of sale.  Sales of system upgrades are recognized as revenue upon completion of the conversion of the customer’s existing system when this conversion occurs at the customer site.  Revenue earned from services (maintenance, installation support, and repairs) is recognized ratably over the contractual period or as the services are performed.  If any contract provides for both equipment and services (multiple deliverables), the sales price is allocated to the various elements based on the relative selling price.  Each element is then evaluated for revenue recognition based on the previously described criteria.  The Company typically has a very limited number of contracts with multiple deliverables and they are not material to the financial statements.  The Company’s sales arrangements provide for no other significant post-shipment obligations.  If all conditions of revenue recognition are not met, the Company defers revenue recognition.  In the event of revenue deferral, the sale value is not recorded as revenue to the Company, accounts receivable are reduced by any related amounts owed by the customer, and the cost of the goods or services deferred is carried in inventory.  In addition, the Company periodically evaluates whether an allowance for sales returns is necessary.  Historically, the Company has experienced few sales returns.  If the Company believes there are potential sales returns, the Company would provide any necessary provision against sales.  The Company accounts for cash consideration (such as sales incentives) that are given to customers or resellers as a reduction of revenue rather than as an operating expense unless an identified benefit is received for which fair value can be reasonably estimated.  Upon receipt of an order, the Company generally receives a deposit which is recorded as customers’ deposits.  The Company makes periodic evaluations of the creditworthiness of its customers and generally does not require collateral.  An allowance for credit losses is provided based upon historical experience and anticipated losses.  The Company records revenues net of any taxes, such as sales tax, which are passed through to the customer.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents—The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less at date of acquisition to be cash equivalents.  Accounts at each institution regularly exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance coverage.  The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or market.
	Property, Plant and Equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated over estimated useful lives on the straight-line basis, and depreciation commences at the time assets are placed in service.  Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of useful life or the term of the applicable lease using the straight-line method.  The range of useful lives for fixed assets is as follows:
		Years
	Buildings and improvements	7 to 40
	Manufacturing equipment	3 to 10
	Office equipment, furniture and fixtures	3 to 7
	Computer equipment and software	3 to 7
	Goodwill and Other Intangibles—The Company has only one reporting unit, and the estimated fair value of the Company approximates the market value of the Company.  The Company performed its annual assessment on July 31, 2014 and determined that there has been no impairment of goodwill due to the fair value of the reporting unit exceeding its carrying amount.  The fair value of the Company was calculated based on the market capitalization of the Company as of July 31, 2014.
	Other intangibles are amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which are between 3 to 16 years.  Management evaluates the recoverability of other intangibles based upon current and anticipated results of operations and undiscounted future cash flows whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.  Amortization of other intangibles was $1,738,000, $996,000, and $15,000 for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively (see Note 3).
	Product Warranties—The Company provides a warranty on its products ranging from 90 days to five years following the date of shipment, the majority of which are for periods of one year or less.  Management establishes allowances for warranty costs based upon the types of products shipped and product warranty experience.  The provision for warranty costs is charged to cost of sales at the time of sale, and it is periodically assessed for adequacy based on changes in these factors.
	A reconciliation of the changes in the Company’s allowances for warranties is as follows (in thousands):
			2014				2013
	Beginning Balance		$	2,736			$	2,030
	Warranty costs incurred		(3,688		)		(4,194		)
	Warranty expense accrued		3,153				4,741
	Balance acquired in acquisition		—				107
	Translation adjustments		(50		)		52
	Ending balance		$	2,151			$	2,736
	Research and Development—Expenditures for research and development are expensed when incurred.
	Foreign Currency Translation—Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate on the balance sheet date.  Translation adjustments are shown as part of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).  Revenues, costs, and expenses are translated using an average rate.  Realized and unrealized foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in the consolidated statement of operations.
	Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—The Company regularly reviews all of its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, and amortizable intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.  If the total of future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of these assets, an impairment loss, if any, based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets, is recorded. There were no events during the period that indicated the carrying value of long-lived assets may be impaired.
	Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Termination Costs—In fiscal 2014, the Company announced certain cost reduction initiatives. As a result, the Company incurred approximately $1.2 million in costs related to the reduction in force, the majority of which relates to one-time termination benefits. Approximately $750,000 and $450,000 of these costs were expensed as cost of goods sold and operating expenses, respectively, in fiscal 2014. At September 30, 2014, approximately $226,000 remained accrued as liabilities for amounts expensed in fiscal 2014 that were not paid as of September 30, 2014. The Company expects that these amounts will be paid in the first and second quarters of fiscal 2015.
	In fiscal 2012, the Company announced certain cost reduction initiatives. As a result, the Company incurred approximately $800,000 in costs related to the reduction in force, the majority of which relates to one-time termination benefits. In addition, the Company incurred approximately $500,000 of other employment separation charges during fiscal 2012. Approximately $1.0 million and $300,000 of these costs were expensed as operating expenses and costs of goods sold, respectively, in fiscal 2012.
	Financial Instruments—The carrying value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued payroll liabilities and commissions, accrued customer support and warranty costs, and other accrued liabilities approximates their estimated fair values due to the short maturities of those instruments.
	Derivative Financial Instruments—The Company recognizes all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value.  The Company enters into such instruments only with financial institutions of good standing, and the total credit exposure related to non-performance by those institutions is not material to the operations of the Company.
	Earnings Per Share—Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average common stock and common stock equivalent shares outstanding during each period using the treasury stock method for employee stock option plans, warrants and service-based stock awards.  The calculation of the basic and diluted EPS from continuing operations is as follows (in thousands except per share data):
			For the year ended September 30, 2014
			Loss				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net loss available to common shareholders		$	(5,413	)		6,295			$	(0.86	)
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				—
	Warrants		—				—
	Diluted EPS:
	Net loss available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	(5,413	)		6,295			$	(0.86	)
			For the year ended September 30, 2013
			Earnings				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders		$	4,011			5,836			$	0.69
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				5
	Warrants		—				14
	Diluted EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	4,011			5,855			$	0.69
			For the year ended September 30, 2012
			Earnings				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders		$	449			5,390			$	0.08
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				9
	Diluted EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	449			5,399			$	0.08
	The weighted average number of diluted shares does not include potential common shares which are anti-dilutive.  The following potential common shares were not included in the calculation of diluted EPS as they were anti-dilutive:
			For the year ended September 30,
			2014			2013			2012
	Common shares from:
	Assumed exercise of stock options		10,000			10,000			10,000
	Warrants		250,000			—			—
The options expire in February 2015.  The restrictions on stock grants may lapse between October 2014 and March 2017. The warrants expire in March 2016.
Comprehensive Income (loss)—In fiscal 2012, the Company reclassified losses of $209,000 for accumulated currency translation adjustments from Other Comprehensive Income to the results of operations in Other Income (expense).This reclassification was related to an operational restructuring where the Company announced that it believed it could most effectively address the China market through its existing distributor and representative partnerships. Operations related to the China market would continue through these sales channels and internal sales functions in the United States. In fiscal 2012, as part of the implementation of this decision, the Company closed its small China sales office operating as a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, Key Technology (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., which resulted in the liquidation of the assets and liabilities of the foreign subsidiary.
Share-Based Compensation—The Company measures the cost of share-based payments based on the grant-date fair value of the award.  The cost is recognized as expense over the requisite service period required in exchange for the award.  No compensation cost is recognized for awards where the requisite service period is not completed.  For awards with a performance condition, compensation cost is only recognized if the performance condition is probable of being achieved.
Accounting for Income Taxes—Deferred income taxes are provided for the effects of temporary differences arising from differences in the reporting of revenues and expenses for financial statement and for income tax purposes under the asset and liability method using currently enacted tax rates. The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted—In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers” (“ASU 2014-09”). ASU 2014-09 supersedes nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance under US GAAP. The standard’s core principle is that a company will recognize revenue when it transfers promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. We are evaluating our existing revenue recognition policies to determine whether any contracts in the scope of the guidance will be affected by the new requirements. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods therein.

Acquisition

Acquisition	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Acquisition	'
	2	ACQUISITION
	Effective February 28, 2013, the Company acquired all the outstanding stock of Visys N.V., a privately-held Belgian company. Accordingly, the results of operations for Visys N.V. have been included in the accompanying consolidated financial statements from that date forward. The acquisition was made for the purpose of acquiring and developing next-generation technologies and expanding the Company's product offerings consistent with its strategic growth initiatives.
	Fair Value of Consideration - Consideration for the acquisition consisted of the following (at fair value):
			Amount
			(in thousands)
	Cash		$	13,200
	Common shares of the Company issued (600,000)		7,327
	Warrants issued (250,000)		727
	Total		$	21,254
	Fair value of the Company's common shares issued was determined on the basis of the closing market price on the date of the closing of the acquisition. The fair value of the warrants was determined with a Black-Scholes valuation model using the current stock price at the acquisition date, time until expiration, a 34% volatility rate and a 0.36% risk-free interest rate. The warrants may be exercised within three years after the date of issue at a price per share of $11.78 as stated in the acquisition agreement. One-half of the warrants may be exercised following the first anniversary of the closing date and the other half following the second anniversary of the closing date. The warrants may be exercised for cash or on a cashless basis. No warrants were exercised as of September 30, 2014.
	The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date.
			Amount
			(in thousands)
	Cash		$	1,593
	Accounts receivable		668
	Inventory		8,250
	Property and equipment		299
	Other assets		848
	Intangible assets (identifiable)		11,400
	Current liabilities, including current portion of long term debt		(5,609		)
	Long term debt		(1,372		)
	Deferred taxes		(3,794		)
	Total identifiable net assets		12,283
	Goodwill		8,971
			$	21,254
	Goodwill - Goodwill in the amount of $9.0 million was recognized in the acquisition of Visys N.V. and is attributable to the benefits expected to arise after the acquisition, including additional distribution and market penetration, which can be leveraged from the combined product portfolios. None of the total amount of goodwill recognized is expected to be deductible for income tax purposes.
	The fair value of accounts receivable acquired was $668,000. The fair value of the $1.9 million of debt assumed in the acquisition approximated its carrying value.
	The fair value of inventory acquired included an increase of $1.8 million related to the fair value adjustment of the acquisition date inventory.
	Identified intangible assets acquired includes:
			Amount			Average Life
			(in thousands)			(Years)
	Developed technology		$	5,000		8
	Patents		3,300			16
	Non-compete agreements		1,600			3
	Trade name		1,000			8
	Customer relationships		500			4
			$	11,400
	The identifiable intangible assets of $11.4 million are subject to a weighted-average useful life of approximately 9.4 years.
	Pro forma Information - The following consolidated pro forma information is based on the assumption that the acquisition occurred on October 1, 2012 (in thousands except per share data).
			Year Ended September 30,
			2013			2012
			(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	Net sales		$	141,549		$	124,342
	Net earnings (loss)		$	4,685		$	(1,170	)
	Pro forma net earnings (loss) per share		$	0.77		$	(0.20	)
	Pro forma weighted average shares outstanding		6,185			5,999
	Pro forma net earnings was adjusted to exclude $785,000 of acquisition-related costs incurred in the year ended September 30, 2013 and $883,000 of non-recurring expenses related to the fair value adjustment of acquired inventory for the year ended September 30, 2013.
	Acquisition-Related Costs - In fiscal 2013, costs related to the acquisition, which included legal, accounting and valuation fees, in the amount of $785,000 were charged directly to operations and were included in Operating expenses as General and Administrative expenses in the fiscal 2013 consolidated statement of operations. The Company also recognized $188,000 in costs associated with issuing the common stock and warrants issued as consideration in the acquisition. Those costs were deducted from the recognized proceeds of issuance within shareholders' equity.
	Litigation - The acquired company was subject to litigation proceedings in Belgium and the Netherlands for alleged patent infringement and unfair competition claims seeking damages for lost profits, procedural costs and other damages. The cumulative amount of claims was in excess of €12.75 million. In fiscal 2014, the Company and Visys N.V. entered into a Settlement Agreement with Tomra Systems ASA and Tomra Sorting N.V. (formerly BEST N.V.) resolving all litigation related to alleged infringement of intellectual property rights owned by Tomra Sorting N.V. and Visys N.V., including all patent claims, trademark claims, counterclaims, invalidity proceedings, patent entitlement proceedings, and unfair competition claims. Under the Settlement Agreement, the parties settled all such disputes and waived all future rights of action related to the subject matter of the pending proceedings, which were withdrawn from the relevant court dockets. The Company recorded an expense related to the settlement of approximately $550,000 before tax in fiscal 2014.

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	'
	3	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had the following intangible assets (in thousands):
			Cost		Net Book Value		Amortization Life (Years)
	Patents and developed technologies		$	18,421	$	6,853	3 to 16
	Trademarks and trade names		970		778		8
	Customer relationships		485		293		4
	Non-compete agreements		1,551		732		3
			$	21,427	$	8,656
	Amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is expected to be approximately:
	Year Ended September 30,	(In thousands)
	2015	$	1,622
	2016	1,283
	2017	985
	2018	928
	2019	927
	Thereafter	2,911
	Total	$	8,656
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had $11.2 million of goodwill which is not being amortized.  Other than the acquired goodwill in fiscal 2013, there were no changes to goodwill, other than foreign translation adjustments, during the fiscal years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

Trade_Accounts_Receivable

Trade Accounts Receivable	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Trade Accounts Receivable	'
	4	TRADE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE
	Trade accounts receivable consist of the following (in thousands):
			September 30,
			2014			2013
	Trade accounts receivable		$	12,972		$	18,021
	Allowance for doubtful accounts		(415		)	(296		)
	Total trade accounts receivable, net		$	12,557		$	17,725
	Amounts charged to bad debt expense for fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012 were $163,000, $2,000, and $24,000, respectively.  Actual charges to the allowance for doubtful accounts for fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012 were $30,000, $26,000, and $84,000, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	5.         INVENTORIES
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014		2013
	Purchased components and raw materials	$	10,321	$	10,657
	Work-in-process and sub-assemblies	9,505		7,802
	Finished goods	6,847		9,462
	Total inventories	$	26,673	$	27,921
	At September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, cumulative inventory adjustments to lower of cost or market totaled $4.0 million and $3.5 million.  Amounts charged to cost of goods sold to record inventory at lower of cost or market were $1.5 million for fiscal 2014, $1.7 million for fiscal 2013, and $1.6 million for fiscal 2012.  Actual charges to the cumulative inventory adjustments upon disposition or sale of inventory were $1.0 million, $0.9 million, and $0.8 million for fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	6	PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
	Property, plant and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
			September 30,
			2014			2013
	Land and land improvements		$	2,596		$	2,571
	Buildings and improvements		9,205			9,161
	Manufacturing equipment		13,108			12,969
	Computer equipment and software		18,591			18,299
	Office equipment, furniture and fixtures		2,461			2,475
	Construction in progress		1,623			40
			47,584			45,515
	Accumulated depreciation		(30,932		)	(28,256		)
	Total property, plant and equipment, net		$	16,652		$	17,259
	Depreciation expense was $3.6 million, $3.9 million, and $3.6 million for fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.

Investment_in_Proditec

Investment in Proditec	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]	'
Investment in Proditec	'
	7	INVESTMENT IN PRODITEC
	In fiscal 2009, the Company acquired a 15% minority interest in Proditec SAS, a French manufacturer of automated, solid dose pharmaceutical inspection systems for approximately $1.5 million.  The Company has certain tag along rights related to any capital changes at Proditec and may sell its shares to any third party subject to Proditec’s by-laws and right of pre-emption by Proditec.  This investment is being accounted for under the cost method of accounting. In fiscal 2014 and 2013, the Company received $20,000 and $6,000, respectively, in dividends from Proditec which reduced the cost of the Company's investment.
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company's non-controlling interest in Proditec had a carrying value of approximately $1.1 million and the fair value of the Company’s investment in Proditec was not estimated as there were no events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment, and the Company’s management determined that it was not practicable to estimate the fair value of the investment.  Further, there are no quoted market prices for the Company’s investment, and sufficient information is not readily available for the Company to utilize a valuation model to determine its fair value without incurring excessive costs relative to the materiality of the investment.  The Company’s cost method investment is evaluated for potential other-than-temporary impairment on at least a quarterly basis, or when an event or change in circumstances has occurred that may have a significant adverse effect on the fair value of the investment.

Financing_Agreements

Financing Agreements	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Financing Agreements	'
	8	FINANCING AGREEMENTS
	The Company’s domestic credit facility provides a revolving line of credit to the Company in the maximum principal amount of $15 million and a credit sub-facility of up to $6 million for standby letters of credit of which up to €3.0 million ($3.8 million) is available to our Netherlands facility.  The revolving line of credit matures on March 31, 2016.  The credit facility bears interest, at the Company’s option, at either the bank’s prime rate or the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) using a tiered structure depending upon the Company’s achievement of a specified financial ratio.  The Company’s prime rate option will be either the bank’s prime rate plus 0.75%, 1.00% or 1.25% per annum.  The Company’s LIBOR option will be either LIBOR plus 2.25%, 2.50% or 2.75% per annum.  At September 30, 2014, the interest rate would have been 2.65% based on the lowest of the available alternative rates.  The revolving line of credit is secured by all U.S. accounts receivable, inventory, land and buildings, equipment, and fixtures.  At September 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company had no outstanding borrowings under the revolving line of credit and $752,000 and $548,000, respectively, in standby letters of credit.
	The loan agreement also provided for a 15-year term loan in the amount of $6.4 million of which $4.5 million was outstanding as of September 30, 2014.  The term loan provides for a mortgage on the Company’s Avery Street headquarters land and building located in Walla Walla, Washington.  The term loan bears interest at the LIBOR rate plus 1.40% and matures on January 2, 2024.  The Company has also simultaneously entered into an interest rate swap agreement with the lender to fix the interest rate at 4.27%.
	The credit facilities contain covenants which require operating within a funded debt to EBITDA ratio, a fixed charge coverage ratio and minimum working capital levels.  The loan agreement permits capital expenditures up to a certain level, and contains customary default and acceleration provisions.  The credit facilities also restrict acquisitions, incurrence of additional indebtedness and lease expenditures above certain levels without the prior consent of the lender.  In fiscal 2013, the relevant loan agreement was amended to permit the acquisition of Visys N.V. At September 30, 2014, the Company was not in compliance with its loan covenants. The Company has received a waiver from the bank. The Company does not expect such non-compliance to have any material effect on its operations.
	The Company's Belgian subsidiary's credit accommodation with a commercial bank in Belgium provides a credit facility for its Belgian subsidiary. This credit accommodation totals €2.7 million ($3.4 million) and includes an operating line of €800,000 ($1.1 million), a bank guarantee facility of €500,000 ($0.6 million), and loan agreement provisions of €1.4 million ($1.8 million). The operating line and bank guarantee facility are secured by all of the subsidiary's current assets.The Belgian operating line bears interest at the bank's prime rate, plus 1.25%. At September 30, 2014, the interest rate was 9.75%. At September 30, 2014, the subsidiary had no borrowings under the operating line. At September 30, 2014, the subsidiary had various loans outstanding under the loan agreement provision totaling €0.8 million ($1.0 million). The fixed interest rates on these loans ranged from 2.91% to 3.98%. The loans mature between November 2016 and November 2017. The credit accommodation contains a covenant which requires the maintenance of a minimum tangible net worth and debt to EBITDA ratio levels at the subsidiary measured as of September 30 of each fiscal year. At September 30, 2014, the subsidiary was not in compliance with the bank covenants. The Company does not expect such non-compliance to have any material effect on its operations. At September 30, 2014, the subsidiary had no bank guarantees outstanding under the bank guarantee facility. Additionally, the subsidiary had a subordinated loan with another European lender of €78,000 ($99,000). The loan has a fixed interest rate of 4.99% and matures in March 2016.
	Principal payments on long-term debt are as follows:
	Year Ended September 30,	(In thousands)
	2015	$	804
	2016	793
	2017	693
	2018	484
	2019	471
	Thereafter	2,292
	Total	$	5,537
	Based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans with similar terms and maturities, the fair value of long-term debt at September 30, 2014 approximates its carrying value.

Derivative_instruments

Derivative instruments	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivative instruments	'
	9	DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS
	The Company uses derivative instruments as risk management tools but does not use derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.  Derivatives used for interest rate swap hedging purposes are designated and effective as a cash flow hedge of the identified risk exposure related to the Company’s variable rate mortgage at the inception of the contract.  A hedge is deemed effective if changes in the fair value of the derivative contract are highly correlated with changes in the underlying hedged item at inception of the hedge and over the life of the hedge contract.  To the extent the interest rate swap is effective, changes in the fair value will be recognized in Other Comprehensive Income over the term of the derivative contract.  To the extent the interest rate swap is not effective, changes in the fair value will be recognized in earnings.
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had an interest rate swap with a notional amount of $4.5 million that effectively fixes the interest rate on its LIBOR-based variable rate mortgage at 4.27%.  At September 30, 2014, the fair value of the swap agreement recorded as a liability in Other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheet was $203,000.  There were no gains or losses recognized as part of net earnings in the Consolidated Statement of Operations related to the swap agreement during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, as the interest rate swap was highly effective as a cash flow hedge.  Consequently, changes in the fair value of the interest rate swap of $44,000 during fiscal 2014 were recorded as part of Other Comprehensive Income in the Equity section of the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.  During fiscal 2014, the Company recorded $127,000 as interest expense related to the interest rate swap reflecting actual interest payments and settlements on the interest rate swap.  The interest rate swap matures in January 2024.
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had a one-month undesignated forward exchange contract for €3.5 million ($4.4 million).  Forward exchange contracts are used to manage the Company’s foreign currency exchange risk related to its ongoing operations.  Net foreign currency gains of $574,000 were recorded for forward exchange contracts in the year ended September 30, 2014 in Other income (expense) on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Operations.  The gains on the Company’s forward exchange contracts are generally offset by losses recorded on the underlying assets or liabilities held in foreign currencies.  At September 30, 2014, the Company had assets of $278,000 for settlements under these forward contracts in Other Current Assets on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.  At September 30, 2013, the Company had liabilities of $46,000 under these forward contracts in Other accrued liabilities on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet.

Fair_value_measurements

Fair value measurements	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair value measurements	'
	10	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
	Fair value measurements are classified under the following hierarchy:
	•	Level 1 – Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.
	•	Level 2 – Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs or significant value-drivers are observable in active markets.
	•	Level 3 – Model-derived valuations in which one or more significant inputs or significant value-drivers are unobservable.
	When available, the Company uses quoted market prices to determine fair value and classifies such measurements within Level 1.  In some cases where market prices are not available, the Company makes use of observable market-based inputs to calculate fair value, in which case the measurements are classified within Level 2.  If quoted or observable market processes are not available, fair value is based upon internally developed models that use, where possible, current market-based parameters such as interest rates, yield curves and currency rates.  These measurements are classified within
	Level 3.
	Derivative financial instruments
	Interest rate swap agreements are measured on a recurring basis based on quoted prices for similar financial instruments and other observable inputs which approximate fair value.  The fair value of foreign currency forward contracts is based on the differential between contract price and the market-based forward rate.
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis consistent with the fair value hierarchy provisions.
			Fair Value Measurements at September 30, 2014,
			(in thousands)
	Description		Level 1	Level 2			Level 3	Total Assets/Liabilities at Fair Value
	Derivatives:
	Interest rate swap		—	$	(203	)	—	$	(203	)
	Forward exchange contracts		—	—			—	—
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had long-term debt of approximately $5.5 million.  The Company’s long-term debt is recorded at historical cost, and the Company has not elected to fair value such financial instruments.  The estimated fair value of the debt approximated its carrying value based on the borrowing rates currently available to the Company for loans with similar terms and maturities.
	Fair value estimates are made at a specific point in time based on relevant market information and information about the financial instrument.  These estimates are subjective in nature and involve uncertainties and matters of significant judgment and, therefore, cannot be determined with precision.  Forward exchange contracts had a fair value of zero at the reporting date, as these contracts were entered into as of that date.  Changes in assumptions could significantly affect these estimates.

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Leases [Abstract]	'
Leases	'
	11	LEASES
	The Company has a leased sales facility in Washington State.  The lease expires in 2015, with two five year renewal options.  The Company has the option to purchase the facility at any time over the rental period for $1.5 million declining to $1.4 million during the remaining lease term.  The Company has a leased operating facility in Oregon under a lease that expires in 2022, with two five-year renewal options.  The Company has leased an operating facility in The Netherlands under a lease that expires in 2020, with a five-year renewal option, and a leased warehouse facility under a lease that expires in 2020 with a five year renewal option. The Company has a leased operating facility in Belgium under a lease that expires in 2016, with a three-year renewal option. The Company also has leased office space for sales and service and other activities in Australia, Mexico, and Belgium, and other leased facilities in Walla Walla.  The Company also has leased vehicles, primarily in international locations.
	Rental expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease.  Rental expense for the Company’s operating leases referred to above was $1.6 million for the year ended September 30, 2014, $1.3 million for the year ended September 30, 2013, and $1.2 million for the year ended September 30, 2012.
	The following is a schedule of future minimum rental payments required under operating leases and future rental expense (in thousands):
	Year Ending September 30,		Rental Payments		Rental Expense
	2015		$	1,133	$	1,144
	2016		929		937
	2017		768		772
	2018		665		664
	2019		590		586
	Thereafter		855		812
	Total		$	4,940	$	4,915

Contractual_guarantees_and_ind

Contractual guarantees and indemnities	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Guarantees [Abstract]	'
Contractual guarantees and indemnities	'
	12	CONTRACTUAL GUARANTEES AND INDEMNITIES
	Intellectual property and general contractual indemnities
	The Company, in the normal course of business, provides specific, limited indemnification to its customers for liability and damages related to intellectual property rights.  In addition, the Company may enter into contracts with customers where it has agreed to indemnify the customer for personal injury or property damage caused by the Company’s products and services. Indemnification is typically limited to replacement of the items or the actual price of the products and services.  The Company maintains product liability insurance as well as errors and omissions insurance, which may provide a source of recovery in the event of an indemnification claim, but does not maintain insurance coverage for claims related to intellectual property rights.
	Historically, any amounts payable under these indemnifications have not had a material effect on the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. The Company has not recorded any provision for future obligations under these indemnifications.  If the Company determines it is probable that a loss has occurred under these indemnifications, then any such reasonably estimable loss would be recognized.
	Director and officer indemnities
	The Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and certain executive officers that require the Company to indemnify such individuals against certain expenses, judgments and fines in third-party and derivative proceedings.  The Company may recover, under certain circumstances, some of the expenses and liabilities that arise in connection with such indemnifications under the terms of its directors’ and officers’ insurance policies.  The Company has not recorded any provision for future obligations under these indemnification agreements.
	Bank guarantees and letters of credit
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had standby letters of credit totaling $752,000, which includes secured bank guarantees under the Company's domestic and European credit facilities. If the Company fails to meet its contractual obligations, these bank guarantees and letters of credit may become liabilities of the Company.  This amount consists of approximately $752,000 of outstanding performance guarantees secured by bank guarantees under the Company's domestic credit facility, and no outstanding performance guarantees secured by bank guarantees under the Company's Belgian subsidiary's credit facility.  Bank guarantees arise when the Company collects customer deposits prior to order fulfillment.  The customer deposits received are recorded as current liabilities on the Company's balance sheet.  The bank guarantees repayment of the customer deposit in the event an order is not completed.  The bank guarantee is canceled upon shipment and transfer of title.  These bank guarantees arise in the normal course of the Company's business and are not deemed to expose the Company to any significant risks since they are satisfied as part of the design and manufacturing process.

Income_taxes

Income taxes	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income taxes	'
	13	INCOME TAXES
	The provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations consists of the following (in thousands):
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014				2013				2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	(2,643	)		$	4,381			$	255
	Foreign		3				14				10
	State		(27		)		387				35
			(2,667		)		4,782				300
	Deferred:
	Federal		563				(2,180		)		(101		)
	Foreign		(628		)		(1,092		)		(48		)
	State		(107		)		(110		)		(11		)
			(172		)		(3,382		)		(160		)
	Valuation reserves:
	Federal		50				137				(1,749		)
	Foreign		(46		)		(135		)		1,754
	State		1				—				—
			5				2				5
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	(2,834	)		$	1,402			$	145
	The Company accounts for its deferred tax assets and liabilities, including excess tax benefits of share-based payments, based on the tax ordering of deductions to be used on its tax returns.  The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
			September 30,
			2014				2013
	Deferred tax asset:
	Reserves and accruals		$	3,891			$	4,807
	Tax benefits of share-based payments		684				704
	NOL and other carry forwards		711				878
	Unrealized changes in value of derivatives to equity		69				84
	Deferred tax liability:
	Accumulated depreciation		(946		)		(1,437		)
	Intangible assets		(3,287		)		(4,025		)
	Translation adjustment to equity		21				(443		)
	Net deferred tax asset		$	1,143			$	568
	Net deferred tax:
	Current asset		$	3,809			$	5,034
	Long-term asset		615				760
	Long-term liability		(3,281		)		(5,226		)
	Net deferred tax asset		$	1,143			$	568
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had valuation reserves of approximately $185,000 for deferred tax assets for capital loss carry forwards and changes in the carrying value of its investment in Proditec, and offsetting amounts for foreign deferred tax assets and U.S. deferred tax liabilities, primarily related to net operating loss carry forwards in the foreign jurisdictions that the Company believes will not be utilized during the carryforward period. During fiscal 2014, the Company recorded net additional valuation reserves of $5,000 related to capital loss carryforwards. In addition, the Company reversed offsetting amounts of approximately $46,000 of valuation reserves for foreign deferred tax assets and U.S. deferred tax liabilities related to the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in Europe in fiscal 2014. As these were offsetting amounts, these changes had no effect on net earnings.  There were no other valuation allowances at September 30, 2014 due to anticipated utilization of all the deferred tax assets as the Company believes it will have sufficient taxable income to utilize these assets.
	During fiscal 2013, the Company recorded net additional valuation reserves of $2,000 related to capital loss carryforwards and $3,000 as part of the acquisition of Visys related to net operating loss carryforwards. In addition, the Company reversed offsetting amounts of approximately $135,000 of valuation reserves for foreign deferred tax assets and U.S. deferred tax liabilities related to the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in Europe in fiscal 2013. As these were offsetting amounts, these changes had no effect on net earnings.
	During fiscal 2012, the Company recorded net additional valuation reserves of $5,000 related to capital loss carryforwards. In addition, the Company recorded offsetting amounts of approximately $2.5 million of valuation reserves for foreign deferred tax assets and U.S. deferred tax liabilities related to net operating loss carryforwards in foreign jurisdictions that the Company believes will not be utilized during the carryforward periods. The Company also reversed offsetting amounts of approximately $700,000 of valuation reserves for Chinese deferred tax assets and U.S. deferred tax liabilities related to net operating loss carryforwards that were utilized in the foreign jurisdiction. As these were all offsetting amounts, these changes had no effect on net earnings.
	Income tax expense is computed at rates different than statutory rates.  The reconciliation between effective and statutory rates is as follows:
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014			2013			2012
	Statutory rates		(34.0	)%		34	%		34	%
	Increase (reduction) in income taxes resulting from:
	Domestic production deduction		1.3	%		(6.5	)%		(7.5	)%
	Research and development credit		(1.3	)%		(6.2	)%		(13.3	)%
	Changes in tax law, R&D credit		—	%		(3.5	)%		—	%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(1.0	)%		3.4	%		2.7	%
	Rate differential, surtax on taxable income levels		(0.5	)%		0.8	%		—	%
	Differences in foreign effective tax rates		0.4	%		0.1	%		—	%
	Non-deductible acquisition costs		—	%		2.5	%		—	%
	Valuation reserve-capital losses		—	%		—	%		(0.7	)%
	Valuation reserve-Proditec		0.1	%		—	%		1.5	%
	Meals and entertainment deduction limitation		0.8	%		1.2	%		9.6	%
	Non-deductible stock compensation		—	%		0.1	%		0.8	%
	Other permanent differences		(0.2	)%		—	%		(2.7	)%
	Income tax combined effective rate		(34.4	)%		25.9	%		24.4	%
	In fiscal 2013, the existing research and development tax credit was retroactively renewed and extended to December 31, 2013.  Due to this change in tax law, the Company recorded approximately $192,000 of additional research and development credits in fiscal 2013 related to research and development expenditures incurred during fiscal 2012. The research and development credit was effective for the Company for only the first fiscal quarter of 2012 prior to its expiration date.
	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
	Balance at October 1, 2013	$	126
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current period	4
Reductions for tax positions of prior periods	(21		)
Balance at September 30, 2014	$	109
As of September 30, 2014, the amount of unrecognized tax benefits, which if recognized would favorably affect the Company’s effective tax rate, is $109,000.
The Company is subject to income taxes in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state and foreign jurisdictions.  Tax regulations within each jurisdiction are subject to the interpretation of the related tax laws and regulations and require significant judgment to apply.   The Company is generally no longer subject to U.S. federal, state and local, or non-U.S. income tax examinations by tax authorities for the years before 2009.
The Company is not currently under examination by any U.S. federal or state jurisdictions, or foreign jurisdictions, and there are no expected material changes in the unrecognized tax benefit liability within the next twelve months.  While it is often difficult to predict the final outcome or the timing of resolution of any particular uncertain tax positions, the Company believes its recorded liabilities for income taxes represent the most probable outcome.  The Company adjusts these liabilities in light of changing facts and circumstances.
The Company recognizes interest accrued related to unrecognized tax benefits in interest expense and penalties in other income and expense for all periods presented.    As of September 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company had accrued $35,000 and $42,000, respectively, for possible interest and penalties.

Sharebased_compensation

Share-based compensation	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Share-based compensation	'
	14	SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION PLANS
	At September 30, 2014, the Company had three share-based compensation plans, which are shareholder-approved, as described below.  The Company issues new shares of common stock for exercises and awards under these plans and non-employee awards.
	Share-based compensation costs charged against income are as follows (in thousands):
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014			2013			2012
	Cost of goods sold		$	218		$	200		$	126
	Operating expenses		1,227			1,076			1,056
	Total share-based compensation expense		1,445			1,276			1,182
	Income tax benefit		516			455			420
	Approximately $25,000, $21,000, and $11,000 of share-based compensation expense remained capitalized in inventory as of September 30, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively.
	As of September 30, 2014, the total unrecognized compensation cost related to these plans was $1.7 million and was composed of: $1.7 million related to service-based stock awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.55 years and $0 related to performance-based stock awards that are expected to be recognized over the weighted-average period of 1.13 years.
	Employees’ Stock Incentive Plans—Under the 2010 Equity Incentive Plan and the 2003 Restated Employees’ Stock Incentive Plan (the “Incentive Plans”), eligible employees may receive restricted stock, incentive stock options or non-qualified stock options. The restrictions on restricted stock awards lapse based on employment-based or performance-based measures.  Options have a contractual term of 10 years and the option exercise price is the fair market value of the underlying stock at the date of grant. At September 30, 2014, the total number of shares reserved for issuance under the Incentive Plans was 922,542, of which 410,046 were available for grant.
	Incentive Stock Options—A summary of option activity under the Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2014 and the year then ended is presented below:
	Options		Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Exercise Price			Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term			Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
	Outstanding at October 1, 2013		25,000		$	12.32		—			—
	Granted		—		—			—			—
	Exercised		(5,000	)	$	11.22		—			—
	Forfeited or expired		(10,000	)	15.55			—			—
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014		10,000		$	9.64		0.35			$	36
	Exercisable at September 30, 2014		10,000		$	9.64		0.35			$	36
	There were no options granted in fiscal 2014, 2013, or 2012.  The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013, and 2012 was $10,000, $66,000, and $108,000, respectively.  No shares vested in fiscal 2014, 2013 or 2012.
	As of September 30, 2014, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options granted under the Incentive Plans.
	Service-Based Stock Awards—Under the Incentive Plans, the Company may award service-based stock grants to selected executives and other key employees, the lapse of the restrictions on which is contingent upon meeting the required service period, generally two or three years, and in the case of certain executives, in increments over a three-year period, or in the case of members of the board of directors, one year.  The fair value of these grants is based on the closing fair market value at the grant date.  The restrictions on the grants lapse at the end of the required service period.  Stock compensation expense is recognized based on the grant date fair value of the stock over the vesting period.
	The summary of activity for service-based stock awards as of September 30, 2014, and changes during the year then ended, is presented below:
	Service-Based Stock Awards		Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
	Non-vested balance at October 1, 2013		252,235		$	12.86
	Granted		95,522		$	13.67
	Vested		(69,629	)	$	14.73
	Forfeited		(6,850	)	$	13.39
	Non-vested and expected to vest balance at September 30, 2014		271,278		$	12.66
	The number of shares granted in fiscal 2014 that vest in one year or less was 30,767, vest in two years was 14,127, and vest in three years was 50,628.  The total fair value of shares vested in fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012 was $0.9 million, $1.5 million, and $0.9 million, respectively.  As of September 30, 2014, there was $1.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to service-based stock awards that is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.55 years.  In fiscal 2013, the Company granted 178,163 shares of service-based awards with a weighted average grant date fair value of $11.65.  In fiscal 2012, the Company granted 95,805 shares of service-based awards with a weighted average grant date fair value of $13.06.
	Employee Performance-Based Stock Awards—In fiscal 2014, the Company awarded performance-based stock grants to selected executives. The lapse of restrictions on the awards is contingent on achievement of performance-based objectives as determined by the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors over a three-year period ending September 30, 2016. In fiscal 2013, the Company awarded performance-based stock grants to selected executives.  The lapse of restrictions on some of the awards is contingent on achievement of performance-based objectives as determined by the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors over a three-year period ending September 30, 2015.  In fiscal 2012, the Company awarded performance-based stock grants to selected executives.  The lapse of restrictions on some of the awards was contingent on achievement of performance-based objectives as determined by the Compensation and Management Development Committee of the Board of Directors for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014.
	Compensation expense is recognized over the period the employee performs related services based on the estimated number of shares expected to vest at the grant date fair value and if it is probable that the performance goal will be achieved.  If the performance goals are not met or the service period is not fulfilled, no compensation cost is recognized and any recognized compensation cost will be reversed.
	A summary of the activity for performance-based stock awards as of September 30, 2014, and changes during the year then ended, is presented below:
	Performance-Based Stock Awards		Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
	Non-vested balance at October 1, 2013		175,046		$	13.94
	Granted		75,013		$	13.8
	Vested		—
	Forfeited		(18,841	)	$	17.94
	Non-vested balance at September 30, 2014		231,218		$	13.57
	The total fair value of shares that vested in fiscal 2014, 2013, and 2012 was $0, $0, and $0, respectively.  The Company estimates it is less than probable that the performance based objectives will be achieved on all these awards and, therefore, no compensation cost is expected to be recognized on these awards. During fiscal 2014, the Company determined that 5,304 shares, where the achievement of the performance based objectives were previously considered probable, were no longer estimated to be probable. As a result, in fiscal 2014 the Company reversed approximately $22,000 of compensation expense that had been recorded in the prior fiscal year. As of September 30, 2014, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to the performance-based stock awards.  In fiscal 2013, the Company granted 103,026 shares of performance based awards with a grant date fair value of $14.67.  In fiscal 2012, the Company granted 92,910 shares of performance-based awards with a grant date fair value of $11.20.
	Employee Stock Purchase Plan—Most employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “Purchase Plan”).  Shares are not available to employees who already own 5% or more of the Company’s stock.  Employees can withhold, by payroll deductions, up to 5% of their regular compensation to purchase shares at a purchase price of 85% of the fair market value of the common stock on the purchase date.  There were 500,000 shares reserved for purchase under the Purchase Plan of which 351,756 remained available at September 30, 2014.
	During the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013, and 2012, the Company issued 6,013, 6,257, and 8,417 shares, respectively, under the Purchase Plan and recorded compensation cost based on the 15% discount from market price paid by the employees.
	Cash received from option exercises and employee stock purchase plan purchases was $124,000, $95,000, and $94,000 for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.  The tax benefit to be realized for the tax deductions from option exercises and restricted shares vesting under the share-based payment arrangements was $412,000, $453,000, and $392,000 for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Stock_Repurchase_Program

Stock Repurchase Program	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Stock Repurchase Program	'
	15	STOCK REPURCHASE PROGRAM
	The Company initiated a stock repurchase program effective May 30, 2012 to repurchase up to 500,000 shares of its common stock.  The timing of any repurchases and the exact number of shares to be purchased will be determined by the Company and will depend on market conditions and other factors. The Company retires the shares upon repurchase. The program does not incorporate a fixed expiration date. In fiscal 2014, the Company did not repurchase any shares. In fiscal 2013, the Company purchased and retired 3,288 shares at an average price of $9.20 per share. In fiscal 2012, the Company purchased and retired 67,509 shares at an average price of $9.83 per share. Included in the 2012 amount was the repurchase of 25,000 shares of Common Stock from a former executive under the terms of a separation agreement. The shares were purchased at an average price of $9.88 per share based on the daily closing price of the Company's Common Stock on The NASDAQ Global Market less $0.03 per share. The total purchase price paid was approximately $247,000. The aggregate purchase price of the shares repurchased under the program has been reflected as a reduction in shareholders' equity.

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Employee Benefit Plans	'
	16	EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
	The Company has a 401(k) profit sharing plan which covers substantially all United States employees.  The Company matches 50% of employee contributions for a maximum match of 4% of each participating employee’s compensation.  The Company contributed $714,000, $632,000, and $676,000 in matching funds to the plan for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Reporting	'
	17	SEGMENT INFORMATION
	The Company’s business units serve customers in its primary market—the food processing and agricultural products industry—through common sales and distribution channels.  Therefore, the Company reports on one segment.  The following table summarizes information about products and services (in thousands).
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014		2013		2012
	Net sales by product category:
	Automated inspection systems		$	55,829	$	59,336	$	46,586
	Process systems		34,580		50,729		44,940
	Parts and service		27,849		26,718		23,648
	Total net sales by product category		$	118,258	$	136,783	$	115,174
	Net sales for service were less than 10% of total net sales for the years ended September 30, 2014, 2013, and 2012, respectively, and is therefore summarized with parts and service.  Upgrades of automated inspection systems are included with automated inspection systems.
	The following table summarizes certain information about geographic areas (in thousands):
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014		2013		2012
	Net sales:
	Domestic		$	61,421	$	75,423	$	63,831
	International		56,837		61,360		51,343
	Total net sales		$	118,258	$	136,783	$	115,174
	Long-lived assets:
	Domestic		$	17,221	$	17,812
	International		20,438		23,446
	Total long-lived assets		$	37,659	$	41,258
	There was one customer that accounted for greater than 10% of net sales during fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012. There was one additional customer that individually accounted for 10% of net sales during fiscal 2013.  No single country outside the United States accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2014, 2013 or 2012.  Location of the customer is the basis for the categorization of net sales.

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio

Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Quarterly Financial Information	'
	SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION (Unaudited)
	The following is a summary of operating results by quarter for the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands, except per share data):
	2014 Quarter Ended	31-Dec			31-Mar			30-Jun			30-Sep			Total
	Net sales	$	22,725		$	31,598		$	31,292		$	32,643		$	118,258
	Gross profit	6,170			10,264			8,150			9,713			34,297
	Net loss	(2,606		)	(697		)	(2,023		)	(88		)	(5,413		)
	Net loss per share - basic	$	(0.42	)	$	(0.11	)	$	(0.32	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.86	)
	Net loss per share - diluted	$	(0.42	)	$	(0.11	)	$	(0.32	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.86	)
	2013 Quarter Ended	31-Dec			31-Mar			30-Jun			30-Sep			Total
	Net sales	$	19,854		$	35,486		$	39,433		$	42,012		$	136,783
	Gross profit	6,484			12,813			13,302			13,447			46,044
	Net earnings (loss)	(874		)	2,146			1,444			1,295			4,011
	Net earnings (loss) per share - basic	$	(0.16	)	$	0.38		$	0.23		$	0.21		$	0.69
	Net earnings (loss) per share - diluted	$	(0.16	)	$	0.38		$	0.23		$	0.21		$	0.69
	Note:  Annual totals may not agree to the summarization of quarterly information due to insignificant rounding and the required calculation conventions

The_Company_and_Summary_of_Sig1

The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies The Company And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition—The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been provided, the sale price is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.  Additionally, the Company sells its goods on terms which transfer title and risk of loss at a specified location, typically shipping point, port of loading or port of discharge, depending on the final destination of the goods.  Accordingly, revenue recognition from product sales occurs when all criteria are met, including transfer of title and risk of loss, which occurs either upon shipment by the Company or upon receipt by customers at the location specified in the terms of sale.  Sales of system upgrades are recognized as revenue upon completion of the conversion of the customer’s existing system when this conversion occurs at the customer site.  Revenue earned from services (maintenance, installation support, and repairs) is recognized ratably over the contractual period or as the services are performed.  If any contract provides for both equipment and services (multiple deliverables), the sales price is allocated to the various elements based on the relative selling price.  Each element is then evaluated for revenue recognition based on the previously described criteria.  The Company typically has a very limited number of contracts with multiple deliverables and they are not material to the financial statements.  The Company’s sales arrangements provide for no other significant post-shipment obligations.  If all conditions of revenue recognition are not met, the Company defers revenue recognition.  In the event of revenue deferral, the sale value is not recorded as revenue to the Company, accounts receivable are reduced by any related amounts owed by the customer, and the cost of the goods or services deferred is carried in inventory.  In addition, the Company periodically evaluates whether an allowance for sales returns is necessary.  Historically, the Company has experienced few sales returns.  If the Company believes there are potential sales returns, the Company would provide any necessary provision against sales.  The Company accounts for cash consideration (such as sales incentives) that are given to customers or resellers as a reduction of revenue rather than as an operating expense unless an identified benefit is received for which fair value can be reasonably estimated.  Upon receipt of an order, the Company generally receives a deposit which is recorded as customers’ deposits.  The Company makes periodic evaluations of the creditworthiness of its customers and generally does not require collateral.  An allowance for credit losses is provided based upon historical experience and anticipated losses.  The Company records revenues net of any taxes, such as sales tax, which are passed through to the customer.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	'
	Cash and Cash Equivalents—The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of 90 days or less at date of acquisition to be cash equivalents.  Accounts at each institution regularly exceed Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance coverage.  The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts.
Inventories	'
	Inventories are stated at the lower of cost (first-in, first-out method) or market.
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, Plant and Equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated over estimated useful lives on the straight-line basis, and depreciation commences at the time assets are placed in service.  Leasehold improvements are amortized over the lesser of useful life or the term of the applicable lease using the straight-line method.  The range of useful lives for fixed assets is as follows:
		Years
	Buildings and improvements	7 to 40
	Manufacturing equipment	3 to 10
	Office equipment, furniture and fixtures	3 to 7
	Computer equipment and software	3 to 7
Goodwill and Other Intangibles	'
	Goodwill and Other Intangibles—The Company has only one reporting unit, and the estimated fair value of the Company approximates the market value of the Company.  The Company performed its annual assessment on July 31, 2014 and determined that there has been no impairment of goodwill due to the fair value of the reporting unit exceeding its carrying amount.  The fair value of the Company was calculated based on the market capitalization of the Company as of July 31, 2014.
	Other intangibles are amortized over the estimated useful lives of the related assets, which are between 3 to 16 years.  Management evaluates the recoverability of other intangibles based upon current and anticipated results of operations and undiscounted future cash flows whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable.
Product Warranties	'
	Product Warranties—The Company provides a warranty on its products ranging from 90 days to five years following the date of shipment, the majority of which are for periods of one year or less.  Management establishes allowances for warranty costs based upon the types of products shipped and product warranty experience.  The provision for warranty costs is charged to cost of sales at the time of sale, and it is periodically assessed for adequacy based on changes in these factors.
Research and Development	'
	Research and Development—Expenditures for research and development are expensed when incurred.
Foreign Currency Transactions	'
	Foreign Currency Translation—Assets and liabilities denominated in a foreign currency are translated to U.S. dollars at the exchange rate on the balance sheet date.  Translation adjustments are shown as part of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).  Revenues, costs, and expenses are translated using an average rate.  Realized and unrealized foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in the consolidated statement of operations.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets	'
	Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—The Company regularly reviews all of its long-lived assets, including property, plant and equipment, and amortizable intangible assets, for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.  If the total of future undiscounted cash flows is less than the carrying amount of these assets, an impairment loss, if any, based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets, is recorded.
Estimates	'
	Estimates—The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Termination Costs	'
	Termination Costs—In fiscal 2014, the Company announced certain cost reduction initiatives. As a result, the Company incurred approximately $1.2 million in costs related to the reduction in force, the majority of which relates to one-time termination benefits. Approximately $750,000 and $450,000 of these costs were expensed as cost of goods sold and operating expenses, respectively, in fiscal 2014. At September 30, 2014, approximately $226,000 remained accrued as liabilities for amounts expensed in fiscal 2014 that were not paid as of September 30, 2014. The Company expects that these amounts will be paid in the first and second quarters of fiscal 2015.
	In fiscal 2012, the Company announced certain cost reduction initiatives. As a result, the Company incurred approximately $800,000 in costs related to the reduction in force, the majority of which relates to one-time termination benefits. In addition, the Company incurred approximately $500,000 of other employment separation charges during fiscal 2012. Approximately $1.0 million and $300,000 of these costs were expensed as operating expenses and costs of goods sold, respectively, in fiscal 2012.
Financial Instruments	'
	Financial Instruments—The carrying value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, accrued payroll liabilities and commissions, accrued customer support and warranty costs, and other accrued liabilities approximates their estimated fair values due to the short maturities of those instruments.
Derivative Financial Instruments	'
	Derivative Financial Instruments—The Company recognizes all derivatives on the balance sheet at fair value.  The Company enters into such instruments only with financial institutions of good standing, and the total credit exposure related to non-performance by those institutions is not material to the operations of the Company.
Earnings Per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share—Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing net earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average number of shares outstanding for the period.  Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net earnings available to common shareholders by the weighted average common stock and common stock equivalent shares outstanding during each period using the treasury stock method for employee stock option plans, warrants and service-based stock awards.
Comprehensive Income (loss)	'
	Comprehensive Income (loss)—In fiscal 2012, the Company reclassified losses of $209,000 for accumulated currency translation adjustments from Other Comprehensive Income to the results of operations in Other Income (expense).This reclassification was related to an operational restructuring where the Company announced that it believed it could most effectively address the China market through its existing distributor and representative partnerships. Operations related to the China market would continue through these sales channels and internal sales functions in the United States. In fiscal 2012, as part of the implementation of this decision, the Company closed its small China sales office operating as a wholly-owned foreign subsidiary, Key Technology (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., which resulted in the liquidation of the assets and liabilities of the foreign subsidiary.
Share-based Compensation	'
	Share-Based Compensation—The Company measures the cost of share-based payments based on the grant-date fair value of the award.  The cost is recognized as expense over the requisite service period required in exchange for the award.  No compensation cost is recognized for awards where the requisite service period is not completed.  For awards with a performance condition, compensation cost is only recognized if the performance condition is probable of being achieved.
Accounting for Income Taxes	'
	Accounting for Income Taxes—Deferred income taxes are provided for the effects of temporary differences arising from differences in the reporting of revenues and expenses for financial statement and for income tax purposes under the asset and liability method using currently enacted tax rates. The Company recognizes the financial statement benefit of a tax position only after determining that the relevant tax authority would more likely than not sustain the position following an audit. For tax positions meeting the more-likely-than-not threshold, the amount recognized in the financial statements is the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with the relevant tax authority.

The_Company_and_Summary_of_Sig2

The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]	'
Schedule Of Estimated Useful Life	'
	The range of useful lives for fixed assets is as follows:
		Years
	Buildings and improvements	7 to 40
	Manufacturing equipment	3 to 10
	Office equipment, furniture and fixtures	3 to 7
	Computer equipment and software	3 to 7
Reconciliation of changes in Company's allowances for warranties	'
	A reconciliation of the changes in the Company’s allowances for warranties is as follows (in thousands):
			2014				2013
	Beginning Balance		$	2,736			$	2,030
	Warranty costs incurred		(3,688		)		(4,194		)
	Warranty expense accrued		3,153				4,741
	Balance acquired in acquisition		—				107
	Translation adjustments		(50		)		52
	Ending balance		$	2,151			$	2,736
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	'
	The calculation of the basic and diluted EPS from continuing operations is as follows (in thousands except per share data):
			For the year ended September 30, 2014
			Loss				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net loss available to common shareholders		$	(5,413	)		6,295			$	(0.86	)
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				—
	Warrants		—				—
	Diluted EPS:
	Net loss available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	(5,413	)		6,295			$	(0.86	)
			For the year ended September 30, 2013
			Earnings				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders		$	4,011			5,836			$	0.69
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				5
	Warrants		—				14
	Diluted EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	4,011			5,855			$	0.69
			For the year ended September 30, 2012
			Earnings				Shares			Per-Share Amount
	Basic EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders		$	449			5,390			$	0.08
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Common stock options		—				9
	Diluted EPS:
	Net earnings available to common shareholders plus assumed conversions		$	449			5,399			$	0.08
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	'
	The following potential common shares were not included in the calculation of diluted EPS as they were anti-dilutive:
			For the year ended September 30,
			2014			2013			2012
	Common shares from:
	Assumed exercise of stock options		10,000			10,000			10,000
	Warrants		250,000			—			—

Acquisition_Tables

Acquisition (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Consideration for Acquisition	'
	Consideration for the acquisition consisted of the following (at fair value):
		Amount
		(in thousands)
	Cash	$	13,200
	Common shares of the Company issued (600,000)	7,327
	Warrants issued (250,000)	727
	Total	$	21,254
Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	'
	The following table summarizes the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the acquisition date.
		Amount
		(in thousands)
	Cash	$	1,593
	Accounts receivable	668
	Inventory	8,250
	Property and equipment	299
	Other assets	848
	Intangible assets (identifiable)	11,400
	Current liabilities, including current portion of long term debt	(5,609		)
	Long term debt	(1,372		)
	Deferred taxes	(3,794		)
	Total identifiable net assets	12,283
	Goodwill	8,971
		$	21,254
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets Acquired as Part of Business Combination	'
	Identified intangible assets acquired includes:
		Amount			Average Life
		(in thousands)			(Years)
	Developed technology	$	5,000		8
	Patents	3,300			16
	Non-compete agreements	1,600			3
	Trade name	1,000			8
	Customer relationships	500			4
		$	11,400
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information	'
	The following consolidated pro forma information is based on the assumption that the acquisition occurred on October 1, 2012 (in thousands except per share data).
		Year Ended September 30,
		2013			2012
		(unaudited)			(unaudited)
	Net sales	$	141,549		$	124,342
	Net earnings (loss)	$	4,685		$	(1,170	)
	Pro forma net earnings (loss) per share	$	0.77		$	(0.20	)
	Pro forma weighted average shares outstanding	6,185			5,999

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_1

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets by Major Class	'
	As of September 30, 2014, the Company had the following intangible assets (in thousands):
			Cost		Net Book Value		Amortization Life (Years)
	Patents and developed technologies		$	18,421	$	6,853	3 to 16
	Trademarks and trade names		970		778		8
	Customer relationships		485		293		4
	Non-compete agreements		1,551		732		3
			$	21,427	$	8,656
Schedule of Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Future Amortization Expense	'
	Amortization expense for the next five fiscal years is expected to be approximately:
	Year Ended September 30,	(In thousands)
	2015	$	1,622
	2016	1,283
	2017	985
	2018	928
	2019	927
	Thereafter	2,911
	Total	$	8,656

Trade_Accounts_Receivable_Tabl

Trade Accounts Receivable (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Receivables [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable	'
	Trade accounts receivable consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014			2013
	Trade accounts receivable	$	12,972		$	18,021
	Allowance for doubtful accounts	(415		)	(296		)
	Total trade accounts receivable, net	$	12,557		$	17,725

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Inventory	'
	Inventories consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014		2013
	Purchased components and raw materials	$	10,321	$	10,657
	Work-in-process and sub-assemblies	9,505		7,802
	Finished goods	6,847		9,462
	Total inventories	$	26,673	$	27,921

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, plant and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,
		2014			2013
	Land and land improvements	$	2,596		$	2,571
	Buildings and improvements	9,205			9,161
	Manufacturing equipment	13,108			12,969
	Computer equipment and software	18,591			18,299
	Office equipment, furniture and fixtures	2,461			2,475
	Construction in progress	1,623			40
		47,584			45,515
	Accumulated depreciation	(30,932		)	(28,256		)
	Total property, plant and equipment, net	$	16,652		$	17,259

Financing_Agreements_Tables

Financing Agreements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Principal payments on long-term debt	'
	Principal payments on long-term debt are as follows:
	Year Ended September 30,	(In thousands)
	2015	$	804
	2016	793
	2017	693
	2018	484
	2019	471
	Thereafter	2,292
	Total	$	5,537

Fair_value_measurements_Tables

Fair value measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Company's assets and liabilities measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis	'
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured and recorded at fair value on a recurring basis consistent with the fair value hierarchy provisions.
		Fair Value Measurements at September 30, 2014,
		(in thousands)
	Description	Level 1	Level 2			Level 3	Total Assets/Liabilities at Fair Value
	Derivatives:
	Interest rate swap	—	$	(203	)	—	$	(203	)
	Forward exchange contracts	—	—			—	—

Leases_Tables

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Leases [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases	'
	The following is a schedule of future minimum rental payments required under operating leases and future rental expense (in thousands):
	Year Ending September 30,	Rental Payments		Rental Expense
	2015	$	1,133	$	1,144
	2016	929		937
	2017	768		772
	2018	665		664
	2019	590		586
	Thereafter	855		812
	Total	$	4,940	$	4,915

Income_taxes_Tables

Income taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Provision For Income Taxes	'
	The provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations consists of the following (in thousands):
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014				2013				2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	(2,643	)		$	4,381			$	255
	Foreign		3				14				10
	State		(27		)		387				35
			(2,667		)		4,782				300
	Deferred:
	Federal		563				(2,180		)		(101		)
	Foreign		(628		)		(1,092		)		(48		)
	State		(107		)		(110		)		(11		)
			(172		)		(3,382		)		(160		)
	Valuation reserves:
	Federal		50				137				(1,749		)
	Foreign		(46		)		(135		)		1,754
	State		1				—				—
			5				2				5
	Total income tax expense (benefit)		$	(2,834	)		$	1,402			$	145
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	'
	The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are as follows (in thousands):
			September 30,
			2014				2013
	Deferred tax asset:
	Reserves and accruals		$	3,891			$	4,807
	Tax benefits of share-based payments		684				704
	NOL and other carry forwards		711				878
	Unrealized changes in value of derivatives to equity		69				84
	Deferred tax liability:
	Accumulated depreciation		(946		)		(1,437		)
	Intangible assets		(3,287		)		(4,025		)
	Translation adjustment to equity		21				(443		)
	Net deferred tax asset		$	1,143			$	568
	Net deferred tax:
	Current asset		$	3,809			$	5,034
	Long-term asset		615				760
	Long-term liability		(3,281		)		(5,226		)
	Net deferred tax asset		$	1,143			$	568
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation	'
	The reconciliation between effective and statutory rates is as follows:
			Year Ended September 30,
			2014			2013			2012
	Statutory rates		(34.0	)%		34	%		34	%
	Increase (reduction) in income taxes resulting from:
	Domestic production deduction		1.3	%		(6.5	)%		(7.5	)%
	Research and development credit		(1.3	)%		(6.2	)%		(13.3	)%
	Changes in tax law, R&D credit		—	%		(3.5	)%		—	%
	State income taxes, net of federal benefit		(1.0	)%		3.4	%		2.7	%
	Rate differential, surtax on taxable income levels		(0.5	)%		0.8	%		—	%
	Differences in foreign effective tax rates		0.4	%		0.1	%		—	%
	Non-deductible acquisition costs		—	%		2.5	%		—	%
	Valuation reserve-capital losses		—	%		—	%		(0.7	)%
	Valuation reserve-Proditec		0.1	%		—	%		1.5	%
	Meals and entertainment deduction limitation		0.8	%		1.2	%		9.6	%
	Non-deductible stock compensation		—	%		0.1	%		0.8	%
	Other permanent differences		(0.2	)%		—	%		(2.7	)%
	Income tax combined effective rate		(34.4	)%		25.9	%		24.4	%
Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Roll Forward	'
	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
	Balance at October 1, 2013	$	126
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current period	4
	Reductions for tax positions of prior periods	(21		)
	Balance at September 30, 2014	$	109

Sharebased_compensation_Tables

Share-based compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Share-based compensation expense included in the Company's results	'
	Share-based compensation costs charged against income are as follows (in thousands):
		Year Ended September 30,
		2014			2013			2012
	Cost of goods sold	$	218		$	200		$	126
	Operating expenses	1,227			1,076			1,056
	Total share-based compensation expense	1,445			1,276			1,182
	Income tax benefit	516			455			420
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity	'
	A summary of option activity under the Incentive Plan as of September 30, 2014 and the year then ended is presented below:
	Options	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Exercise Price			Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term			Aggregate Intrinsic Value ($000)
	Outstanding at October 1, 2013	25,000		$	12.32		—			—
	Granted	—		—			—			—
	Exercised	(5,000	)	$	11.22		—			—
	Forfeited or expired	(10,000	)	15.55			—			—
	Outstanding at September 30, 2014	10,000		$	9.64		0.35			$	36
	Exercisable at September 30, 2014	10,000		$	9.64		0.35			$	36
Schedule Of Share Based Compensation Service Based Stock Awards Activity	'
	The summary of activity for service-based stock awards as of September 30, 2014, and changes during the year then ended, is presented below:
	Service-Based Stock Awards	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
	Non-vested balance at October 1, 2013	252,235		$	12.86
	Granted	95,522		$	13.67
	Vested	(69,629	)	$	14.73
	Forfeited	(6,850	)	$	13.39
	Non-vested and expected to vest balance at September 30, 2014	271,278		$	12.66
Schedule Of Share Based Compensation Performance Based Stock Awards Activity	'
	A summary of the activity for performance-based stock awards as of September 30, 2014, and changes during the year then ended, is presented below:
	Performance-Based Stock Awards	Number of Shares		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
	Non-vested balance at October 1, 2013	175,046		$	13.94
	Granted	75,013		$	13.8
	Vested	—
	Forfeited	(18,841	)	$	17.94
	Non-vested balance at September 30, 2014	231,218		$	13.57

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Revenue from External Customers by Products and Services	'
	The following table summarizes information about products and services (in thousands).
		Year Ended September 30,
		2014		2013		2012
	Net sales by product category:
	Automated inspection systems	$	55,829	$	59,336	$	46,586
	Process systems	34,580		50,729		44,940
	Parts and service	27,849		26,718		23,648
	Total net sales by product category	$	118,258	$	136,783	$	115,174
Schedule of Revenue from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets, by Geographical Areas	'
	The following table summarizes certain information about geographic areas (in thousands):
		Year Ended September 30,
		2014		2013		2012
	Net sales:
	Domestic	$	61,421	$	75,423	$	63,831
	International	56,837		61,360		51,343
	Total net sales	$	118,258	$	136,783	$	115,174
	Long-lived assets:
	Domestic	$	17,221	$	17,812
	International	20,438		23,446
	Total long-lived assets	$	37,659	$	41,258

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio1

Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information	'
	The following is a summary of operating results by quarter for the years ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands, except per share data):
	2014 Quarter Ended	31-Dec			31-Mar			30-Jun			30-Sep			Total
	Net sales	$	22,725		$	31,598		$	31,292		$	32,643		$	118,258
	Gross profit	6,170			10,264			8,150			9,713			34,297
	Net loss	(2,606		)	(697		)	(2,023		)	(88		)	(5,413		)
	Net loss per share - basic	$	(0.42	)	$	(0.11	)	$	(0.32	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.86	)
	Net loss per share - diluted	$	(0.42	)	$	(0.11	)	$	(0.32	)	$	(0.01	)	$	(0.86	)
	2013 Quarter Ended	31-Dec			31-Mar			30-Jun			30-Sep			Total
	Net sales	$	19,854		$	35,486		$	39,433		$	42,012		$	136,783
	Gross profit	6,484			12,813			13,302			13,447			46,044
	Net earnings (loss)	(874		)	2,146			1,444			1,295			4,011
	Net earnings (loss) per share - basic	$	(0.16	)	$	0.38		$	0.23		$	0.21		$	0.69
	Net earnings (loss) per share - diluted	$	(0.16	)	$	0.38		$	0.23		$	0.21		$	0.69

The_Company_and_Summary_of_Sig3

The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014
	reportable_unit
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Number of Reportable Segments	1
Minimum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life	'3 years
Product Warranty Accrual, Period of Warranty	'90 days
Maximum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life	'16 years
Product Warranty Accrual, Period of Warranty	'5 years
Product Warranty Accrual, Majority Period of Warranty	'1 year
Buildings and improvements | Minimum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'7 years
Buildings and improvements | Maximum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'40 years
Manufacturing equipment | Minimum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'3 years
Manufacturing equipment | Maximum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'10 years
Office equipment, furniture and fixtures | Minimum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'3 years
Office equipment, furniture and fixtures | Maximum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'7 years
Computer equipment and software | Minimum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'3 years
Computer equipment and software | Maximum	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	'7 years

The_Company_and_Summary_of_Sig4

The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Warranty Allowance (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Reconciliation of changes in Company's allowances for warranties [Roll Forward]	'	'
Beginning Balance	$2,736	$2,030
Warranty costs incurred	-3,688	-4,194
Warranty expense accrued	3,153	4,741
Balance acquired in acquisition	0	107
Translation adjustments	-50	52
Ending balance	$2,151	$2,736

Recovered_Sheet1

THE COMPANY AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES One (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Share data in Thousands, 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
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Amortization of Intangible Assets	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$1,738,000	$996,000	$15,000
Reclassification adjustment for foreign currency translation included in net earnings	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	0	209,000
Basic EPS:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	-88,000	-2,023,000	-697,000	-2,606,000	1,295,000	1,444,000	2,146,000	-874,000	-5,413,000	4,011,000	449,000
Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	6,295	5,836	5,390
Per-Share Amount	($0.01)	($0.32)	($0.11)	($0.42)	$0.21	$0.23	$0.38	($0.16)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08
Effect of dilutive securities:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Loss	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	0	0
Common stock options	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	5	9
Incremental common shares attributable to warrants	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	14	'
Diluted EPS:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net earnings (loss)	-88,000	-2,023,000	-697,000	-2,606,000	1,295,000	1,444,000	2,146,000	-874,000	-5,413,000	4,011,000	449,000
Shares	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	6,295	5,855	5,399
Per-Share Amount	($0.01)	($0.32)	($0.11)	($0.42)	$0.21	$0.23	$0.38	($0.16)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08
Stock options	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	10,000	10,000	10,000
Warrant	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	250,000	0	0
Cost Reduction Initiatives | One-time Termination Benefits	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Termination cost	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	1,200,000	800,000
Accrued liabilities	200,000	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	200,000	'	'
Cost Reduction Initiatives | Special Termination Benefits	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Termination cost	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	500,000
Cost Reduction Initiatives | Operating expenses | One-time Termination Benefits	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Termination cost	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	450,000	'	1,000,000
Cost Reduction Initiatives | Cost of goods sold | One-time Termination Benefits	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Statement [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Termination cost	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$750,000	'	$300,000

Acquisition_Fair_Value_of_Cons

Acquisition (Fair Value of Consideration) (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 28, 2013
Visys N.V.	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Cash	$13,200
Common shares of the Company issued (600,000)	7,327
Warrants issued (250,000)	727
Total	$21,254
Common stock | Visys N.V.	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Issuance of Warrants for Acquisition - Number of Warrants	600,000
Warrant	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Issuance of Warrants for Acquisition - Number of Warrants	250,000
Warrant | Visys N.V.	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Issuance of Warrants for Acquisition - Number of Warrants	250,000

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Patents and developed technologies	Trademarks and trade names	Customer relationships	Non-compete agreements	Minimum	Minimum	Maximum	Maximum
								Patents and developed technologies		Patents and developed technologies
Acquired Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Cost	$21,427	'	$18,421	$970	$485	$1,551	'	'	'	'
2014	1,622	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
2015	1,283	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
2016	985	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
2017	928	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
2018	927	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Thereafter	2,911	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net book value	8,656	'	6,853	778	293	732	'	'	'	'
Finite-lived intangible asset, useful life	'	'	'	'8 years	'4 years	'3 years	'3 years	'3 years	'16 years	'16 years
Goodwill	$11,222	$11,821	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'

Acquisition_Fair_Value_of_Asse

Acquisition (Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Feb. 28, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified			Visys N.V.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'
Cash	'	'	$1,593
Accounts receivable	'	'	668
Inventory	'	'	8,250
Property and equipment	'	'	299
Other assets	'	'	848
Intangible assets (identifiable)	'	'	11,400
Current liabilities, including current portion of long term debt	'	'	-5,609
Long term debt	'	'	-1,372
Deferred taxes	'	'	-3,794
Total identifiable net assets	'	'	12,283
Goodwill	11,222	11,821	8,971
Total	'	'	$21,254

Acquisition_Identified_Intangi

Acquisition Identified Intangible Assets Acquired (Details) (Visys N.V., USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 28, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	$11,400
Average life	'9 years 5 months
Patents and developed technologies	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	5,000
Average life	'8 years
Patents	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	3,300
Average life	'16 years
Non-compete agreements	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	1,600
Average life	'3 years
Trademarks and trade names	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	1,000
Average life	'8 years
Customer relationships	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	$500
Average life	'4 years

Acquisition_Pro_Forma_Details

Acquisition (Pro Forma) (Details) (Visys N.V., USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Visys N.V.	'	'
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information, Nonrecurring Adjustment [Line Items]	'	'
Net sales	$141,549	$124,342
Net earnings (loss)	$4,685	($1,170)
Pro forma net earnings (loss) per share	$0.77	($0.20)
Pro forma weighted average shares outstanding	6,185	5,999

Acquisition_Textual_Details

Acquisition (Textual) (Details)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Feb. 28, 2013	Jan. 27, 2006	Sep. 30, 2014
	Visys N.V.	Visys N.V.	Fair Value Adjustment to Inventory	Belgian Electronics Sorting Technologies NV vs Visys	Tomra Systems ASA and Tomra Sorting N.V.
	USD ($)	USD ($)	Visys N.V.	Visys N.V.	USD ($)
			USD ($)	EUR (€)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Expected volatility rate	34.00%	'	'	'	'
Fair Value Assumptions, Risk Free Interest Rate	0.36%	'	'	'	'
Exercise period, warrants	'3 years	'	'	'	'
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights	$11.78	'	'	'	'
Goodwill acquired during period	$9,000,000	'	'	'	'
Acquired receivables, fair value	668,000	'	'	'	'
Debt assumed	1,900,000	'	'	'	'
Inventory acquired	'	'	1,800,000	'	'
Intangible assets (identifiable)	11,400,000	'	'	'	'
Average life	'9 years 5 months	'	'	'	'
Acquisition related costs	'	785,000	'	'	'
Non-recurring expenses related to the adjustment of inventory	'	883,000	'	'	'
Acquisition costs associated with issuance of common stock and warrants	'	188,000	'	'	'
Cumulative amount of claims in excess	'	'	'	12,750,000	'
Additional amount of accrual related to settlement	'	'	'	'	$550,000

Trade_Accounts_Receivable_Deta

Trade Accounts Receivable (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Receivables [Abstract]	'	'	'
Trade accounts receivable	$12,972	$18,021	'
Allowance for doubtful accounts	-415	-296	'
Total trade accounts receivable, net	12,557	17,725	'
Provision for doubtful accounts	163	2	24
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable, charge-offs	$30	$26	$84

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Purchased components and raw materials	$10,321,000	$10,657,000	'
Work-in-process and sub-assemblies	9,505,000	7,802,000	'
Finished goods	6,847,000	9,462,000	'
Total inventories	26,673,000	27,921,000	'
Cumulative inventory adjustments	4,000,000	3,500,000	'
Inventory write-down	1,500,000	1,700,000	1,600,000
Charges to cumulative inventory adjustments	$1,000,000	$900,000	$800,000

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$47,584,000	$45,515,000	'
Accumulated depreciation	-30,932,000	-28,256,000	'
Total property, plant and equipment, net	16,652,000	17,259,000	'
Depreciation	3,600,000	3,900,000	3,600,000
Land and land improvements	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	2,596,000	2,571,000	'
Buildings and improvements	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	9,205,000	9,161,000	'
Manufacturing equipment	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	13,108,000	12,969,000	'
Computer equipment and software	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	18,591,000	18,299,000	'
Office equipment, furniture and fixtures	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	2,461,000	2,475,000	'
Construction in progress	'	'	'
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$1,623,000	$40,000	'

Investment_in_Proditec_Details

Investment in Proditec (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2009
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]	'	'	'
Cost method investments	$1,127,000	$1,148,000	'
Proditec SAS	'	'	'
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]	'	'	'
Noncontrolling interest, ownership percentage by parent	'	'	15.00%
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity, purchase price	'	'	1,500,000
Proceeds from dividends received	20,000	6,000	'
Cost method investments	$1,100,000	'	'

Financing_Agreements_Details

Financing Agreements (Details)

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2014

Sep. 30, 2012

USD ($)

USD ($)

Interest rate swap

Term loan

Revolving Credit Facility

Revolving credit facility term loan

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Commercial bank in the Netherlands

Commercial bank in the Netherlands

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

European Lender

European Lender

Maximum

Minimum

Prime Rate

Prime Rate

Prime Rate

Prime Rate

LIBOR

LIBOR

LIBOR

LIBOR

LIBOR

USD ($)

USD ($)

Revolving Credit Facility

Credit sub-facility standby letters of credit

Credit sub-facility standby letters of credit

Credit sub-facility standby letters of credit

USD ($)

EUR (€)

Line of Credit

Line of Credit

Outstanding performance guarantees

Outstanding performance guarantees

Commercial Loan

Commercial Loan

USD ($)

EUR (€)

Commercial bank in Belgium

Commercial bank in Belgium

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Commercial bank in Belgium

Revolving credit facility term loan

Domestic credit facility

Maximum

Minimum

Minimum

USD ($)

USD ($)

USD ($)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

EUR (€)

USD ($)

EUR (€)

Line of Credit

Line of Credit

Revolving Credit Facility

Revolving Credit Facility

Revolving Credit Facility

Line of Credit

Revolving Credit Facility

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Domestic credit facility

Revolving Credit Facility

Revolving Credit Facility

Revolving Credit Facility

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum borrowing capacity

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$15,000,000

$6,000,000

$3,800,000

€ 3,000,000

$3,400,000

€ 2,700,000

$1,100,000

€ 800,000

$600,000

€ 500,000

$1,800,000

€ 1,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maturity date

'

'

'

'

31-Mar-16

2-Jan-24

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt instrument, description of variable rate basis

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'LIBOR

'

'

'

Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0.75%

1.00%

1.25%

1.25%

1.40%

'

2.25%

2.50%

2.75%

Interest rate (in hundredths)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2.65%

'

'

'

'

'

9.75%

9.75%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of Credit Facility, Fair Value of Amount Outstanding

752,000

548,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Outstanding at the end of the period

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,000,000

800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Term on debt

'

'

'

'15 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loan amount

'

'

'

6,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Balance due on term loan

'

'

'

4,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Fixed interest rate (in hundredths)

'

'

4.27%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2014

'

'

'

'

'

'

804,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2015

'

'

'

'

'

'

793,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2016

'

'

'

'

'

'

693,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2017

'

'

'

'

'

'

484,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2018

'

'

'

'

'

'

471,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Thereafter

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,292,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total

5,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

5,537,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4.99%

4.99%

3.98%

2.91%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Subordinated Debt

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$99,000

€ 78,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivative_instruments_Details

Derivative instruments (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014
	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	Interest rate swap	Forward exchange contracts	Forward exchange contracts	Forward exchange contracts	Other Liabilities, Noncurrent
				USD ($)	USD ($)	EUR (€)	USD ($)	Interest rate swap
								USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Long-term Debt	$5,500,000	'	'	$4,500,000	'	'	'	'
Variable interest rate on the derivative (in hundredths)	'	'	'	4.27%	'	'	'	'
Fair value of the net derivative liability	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	203,000
Gain (Loss) on net derivative	'	'	'	44,000	574,000	'	'	'
Interest expense	276,000	277,000	264,000	127,000	'	'	'	'
Derivative amount	'	'	'	'	4,400,000	3,500,000	'	'
Fair value of the derivative asset, net	'	'	'	'	278,000	'	'	'
Fair value of the derivative liability, net	'	'	'	'	'	'	$46,000	'

Fair_value_measurements_Detail

Fair value measurements (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Long-term debt	$5,500
Interest rate swap	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	-203
Forward exchange contracts	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	0
Level 1 | Interest rate swap	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	0
Level 1 | Forward exchange contracts	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	0
Level 2 | Interest rate swap	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	-203
Level 2 | Forward exchange contracts	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	0
Level 3 | Interest rate swap	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	0
Level 3 | Forward exchange contracts	'
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]	'
Derivatives	$0

Leases_Details

Leases (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Operating Leases, Rent Expense, Net	$1,600,000	$1,300,000	$1,200,000
2014	1,133,000	'	'
2015	929,000	'	'
2016	768,000	'	'
2017	665,000	'	'
2018	590,000	'	'
Thereafter	855,000	'	'
Total	4,940,000	'	'
2014	1,144,000	'	'
2015	937,000	'	'
2016	772,000	'	'
2017	664,000	'	'
2018	586,000	'	'
Thereafter	812,000	'	'
Total	4,915,000	'	'
Property Lease in Washington	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Lease Renewal Period	'5 years	'	'
Property lease in Oregon	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Number Of Renewal Periods Options	2	'	'
Lease Renewal Period	'5 years	'	'
Property Lease in The Netherlands	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Lease Renewal Period	'5 years	'	'
Property Lease in Belgium	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Lease Renewal Period	'3 years	'	'
Maximum | Property Lease in Washington	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Option To Purchase Facility	1,500,000	'	'
Minimum | Property Lease in Washington	'	'	'
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]	'	'	'
Option To Purchase Facility	$1,400,000	'	'

Contractual_guarantees_and_ind1

Contractual guarantees and indemnities (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Financial Standby Letter of Credit	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'
Guarantees	$752
Outstanding performance guarantees | Domestic credit facility	'
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]	'
Guarantees	$752

Income_taxes_Provision_For_Inc

Income taxes (Provision For Income Taxes) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Current	'	'	'
Federal	($2,643)	$4,381	$255
Foreign	3	14	10
State	-27	387	35
Total	-2,667	4,782	300
Deferred	'	'	'
Federal	563	-2,180	-101
Foreign	-628	-1,092	-48
State	-107	-110	-11
Total	-172	-3,382	-160
Valuation reserves	'	'	'
Federal	50	137	-1,749
Foreign	-46	-135	1,754
State	1	0	0
Total	5	2	5
Total income tax expense (benefit)	($2,834)	$1,402	$145

Income_taxes_Components_Of_Inc

Income taxes (Components Of Income Tax Expense) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax asset:	'	'
Reserves and accruals	$3,891	$4,807
Tax benefits of share-based payments	684	704
NOL and other carry forwards	711	878
Unrealized changes in value of derivatives to equity	69	84
Deferred tax liability:	'	'
Accumulated depreciation	-946	-1,437
Intangible assets	-3,287	-4,025
Translation adjustment to equity	21	-443
Net deferred tax asset	1,143	568
Net deferred tax:	'	'
Current asset	3,809	5,034
Long-term asset	615	760
Long-term liability	($3,281)	($5,226)

Income_taxes_Reconciliation_Of

Income taxes (Reconciliation Of Statutory Income Tax Rate) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Statutory rates	-34.00%	34.00%	34.00%
Domestic production deduction	1.30%	-6.50%	-7.50%
Research and development credit	-1.30%	-6.20%	-13.30%
Changes in tax law, R&D credit	0.00%	-3.50%	0.00%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	-1.00%	3.40%	2.70%
Rate differential, surtax on taxable income levels	-0.50%	0.80%	0.00%
Differences in foreign effective tax rates	0.40%	0.10%	0.00%
Non-deductible acquisition costs	0.00%	2.50%	0.00%
Valuation reserve-capital losses	0.00%	0.00%	-0.70%
Valuation reserve-Proditec	0.10%	0.00%	1.50%
Meals and entertainment deduction limitation	0.80%	1.20%	9.60%
Non-deductible stock compensation	0.00%	0.10%	0.80%
Other permanent differences	-0.20%	0.00%	-2.70%
Income tax combined effective rate	-34.40%	25.90%	24.40%

Income_taxes_Unrecognized_Tax_

Income taxes (Unrecognized Tax Benefit) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]	'
Balance at October 1, 2013	$126
Additions based on tax positions related to the current period	4
Reductions for tax positions of prior periods	-21
Balance at September 30, 2014	$109

Income_taxes_Textual_Details

Income taxes (Textual) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount	$5	$2	$5
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	109	'	'
Unrecognized tax benefits, income tax penalties and interest accrued	35	42	'
Proditec SAS	'	'	'
Deferred tax assets, valuation allowance	185	'	'
European Tax Asset	'	'	'
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount	-46	-135	2,500
Chinese Deferred Tax Asset	'	'	'
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount	'	'	700
Research Tax Credit Carryforward	'	'	'
In process research and development tax credit	'	192	'
Visys N.V.	'	'	'
Valuation allowance, deferred tax asset, change in amount	'	$3	'

Sharebased_compensation_Detail

Share-based compensation (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
	Plans
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share Based Compensation Number Of Plans	3	'	'
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	$1,000	$1,000	$1,000
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	-2,834,000	1,402,000	145,000
Share-based compensation expense remaining capitalized in inventory	25,000	21,000	11,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	1,700,000	'	'
Cost of goods sold	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	0	0	0
Operating expenses	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Allocated Share-based Compensation Expense	1,000	1,000	1,000
Stock Compensation Plan	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	1,000	0	0
Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	1,700,000	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	'1 year 6 months 18 days	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	95,522	178,163	95,805
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Total Fair Value	900,000	1,500,000	900,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$13.67	$11.65	$13.06
Performance-Based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	0	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition	'1 year 1 month 17 days	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	'3 years	'3 years	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	75,013	103,026	92,910
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Vested in Period, Total Fair Value	'	'	'
Number Of shares no longer considered probable for performance based objectives achievement	5,304	'	'
Compensation expense reversed	22,000	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value	$13.80	$14.67	$11.20
Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Cash Received from Exercise of Stock Options	124,000	95,000	94,000
Incentive Stock Options	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	'4 months 6 days	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Total Intrinsic Value	10,000	66,000	108,000
Non Employee Service Based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Tax Benefit Realized from Exercise of Stock Options	$412,000	$453,000	$392,000
Employees Stock Incentive Plan	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	922,542	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	410,046	'	'
Employee Stock Purchase Plan	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized	500,000	'	'
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Maximum Employee Stock Ownership	5.00%	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Maximum Employee Subscription Rate	5.00%	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Purchase Price of Common Stock, Percent	85.00%	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Non-Option Equity Instruments, Outstanding, Number	351,756	'	'
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, Employee Stock Purchase Plans	6,013	6,257	8,417
Common stock discount percent	15.00%	'	'
Minimum | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	'2 years	'	'
Maximum | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	'3 years	'	'
Maximum | Employees Stock Incentive Plan | Stock options	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	'10 years	'	'
Executive | Maximum | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	'3 years	'	'
Board of Directors Chairman | Maximum | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Requisite Service Period	'1 year	'	'
Shares Vest In One Year | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	30,767	'	'
Shares Vest In Two Years | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	14,127	'	'
Shares Vest In Three Years | Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Allocation of Recognized Period Costs [Line Items]	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period	50,628	'	'

Sharebased_compensation_Incent

Share-based compensation (Incentive Awards) (Details) (Incentive Stock Options, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014
Incentive Stock Options	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'
Outstanding at October 1, 2012, Number of Shares	25,000
Granted, Number of Shares	0
Exercised, Number of Shares	-5,000
Forfeited or expired, Number of Shares	-10,000
Outstanding at September 30, 2013, Number of Shares	10,000
Outstanding at October 1, 2012, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$12.32
Granted, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$0
Exercised, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$11.22
Forfeited or expired, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$15.55
Outstanding at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$9.64
Outstanding at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term	'4 months 6 days
Outstanding at September 30, 2013, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$0
Exercisable at September 30, 2013, Number of Shares	10,000
Exercisable at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$9.64
Exercisable at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term	'4 months 6 days
Exercisable at September 30, 2013, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$0

Sharebased_compensation_Servic

Share-based compensation (Service-Based Stock Awards) (Details) (Service-based Stock Awards, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Service-based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Non-vested balance at October 1, 2012, Number of Shares	252,235	'	'
Granted, Number of Shares	95,522	178,163	95,805
Vested, Number of Shares	-69,629	'	'
Forfeited, Number of Shares	-6,850	'	'
Non-vested and expected to vest balance at September 30, 2013, Number of Shares	271,278	252,235	'
Non-vested balance at October 1, 2012, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$12.86	'	'
Granted, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$13.67	$11.65	$13.06
Vested, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$14.73	'	'
Forfeited, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$13.39	'	'
Non-vested balance at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$12.66	$12.86	'

Sharebased_compensation_Perfor

Share-based compensation (Performance-Based Stock Awards) (Details) (Performance-Based Stock Awards, USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Performance-Based Stock Awards	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Non-vested balance at October 1, 2012, Number of Shares	175,046	'	'
Granted, Number of Shares	75,013	103,026	92,910
Vested, Number of Shares	0	'	'
Forfeited, Number of Shares	-18,841	'	'
Non-vested balance at September 30, 2013, Number of Shares	-231,218	-175,046	'
Non-vested balance at October 1, 2012, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$13.94	'	'
Granted, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$13.80	$14.67	$11.20
Vested, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	'	'	'
Forfeited, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$17.94	'	'
Non-vested balance at September 30, 2013, Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share	$13.57	$13.94	'

Stock_Repurchase_Program_Detai

Stock Repurchase Program (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	30-May-12
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock repurchased during period	$30	$710	'
Common stock	'	'	'
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock authorized for repurchase (in shares)	'	'	500,000
Stock repurchased and retired (in shares)	3,288	67,509	'
Average price per share (USD per share)	$9.20	$9.83	'
Stock repurchased during period	'	$247	'
Common stock | Executive	'	'	'
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock repurchased and retired (in shares)	'	25,000	'
Average price per share (USD per share)	'	$9.88	'
Discount on average price per share (USD per share)	'	$0.03	'

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Matching percentage for employee contributions	50.00%	'	'
Maximum percentage of employee compensation to be matched	4.00%	'	'
Cost recognized for contribution plan	$714	$632	$676

Segment_Information_Segment_In

Segment Information - Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, 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	$32,643	$31,292	$31,598	$22,725	$42,012	$39,433	$35,486	$19,854	$118,258	$136,783	$115,174
Long-lived assets	37,659	'	'	'	41,258	'	'	'	37,659	41,258	'
Domestic	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	61,421	75,423	63,831
Long-lived assets	17,221	'	'	'	17,812	'	'	'	17,221	17,812	'
International	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	56,837	61,360	51,343
Long-lived assets	20,438	'	'	'	23,446	'	'	'	20,438	23,446	'
Automated inspection systems	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	55,829	59,336	46,586
Process systems	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	34,580	50,729	44,940
Parts and service	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$27,849	$26,718	$23,648

Segment_Information_Concentrat

Segment Information - Concentration Risk (Details) (Sales revenue, services, net, Customer concentration risk)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
	country	country	customer
	customer	customer	country
Sales revenue, services, net | Customer concentration risk	'	'	'
Concentration Risk [Line Items]	'	'	'
Number of significant customers	1	2	1
Number of significant countries	0	0	0

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio2

Quarterly Financial Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, 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
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net sales	$32,643	$31,292	$31,598	$22,725	$42,012	$39,433	$35,486	$19,854	$118,258	$136,783	$115,174
Gross profit	9,713	8,150	10,264	6,170	13,447	13,302	12,813	6,484	34,297	46,044	35,835
Net earnings (loss)	($88)	($2,023)	($697)	($2,606)	$1,295	$1,444	$2,146	($874)	($5,413)	$4,011	$449
Net earnings (loss) per share - basic (usd per share)	($0.01)	($0.32)	($0.11)	($0.42)	$0.21	$0.23	$0.38	($0.16)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08
Net earnings (loss) per share - diluted (usd per share)	($0.01)	($0.32)	($0.11)	($0.42)	$0.21	$0.23	$0.38	($0.16)	($0.86)	$0.69	$0.08