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Income Statement Location [Axis] Maximum [Member] Minimum [Member] Range [Axis] Range [Domain] Dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share) Note payable – related party Note payable – related party us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualAtCarryingValue Loss Contingency Accrual us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLinesOfCredit Repayment of revolving credit agreement us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionAmountDueUnderFinancingArrangement Sale Leaseback Transaction, Amount Due under Financing Arrangement us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionAnnualRentalPayments Sale Leaseback Transaction, Annual Rental Payments us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionDeferredGainNet Sale Leaseback Transaction, Deferred Gain, Net us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionCurrentPeriodGainRecognized Sale Leaseback Transaction, Current Period Gain Recognized Products and Services [Domain] Products and Services [Axis] us-gaap_TreasuryStockValue Treasury stock, 52,692 and 49,692 shares in 2016 and 2015, respectively Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions Disclosures [Text Block] us-gaap_WeightedAverageNumberDilutedSharesOutstandingAdjustment Weighted average additional shares assuming conversion of potential common shares (in shares) Net change in debt under revolving credit agreements us-gaap_AntidilutiveSecuritiesExcludedFromComputationOfEarningsPerShareAmount Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount Sale Leaseback Transaction, Name [Domain] Diluted (in shares) Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted (in shares) Sale Leaseback Transaction, Description [Axis] Sale Leaseback Transaction Disclosure [Text Block] us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet Total net revenue Geographical [Axis] Geographical [Domain] Related Party Transaction [Axis] Outsourced services us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInAccountsReceivable Accounts receivable Related Party Transaction [Domain] Diluted (in dollars per share) Diluted (in dollars per share) Basic (in shares) Weighted average shares outstanding – basic (in shares) Scenario, Unspecified [Domain] Related Party [Domain] Scenario [Axis] Related Party [Axis] Basic (in dollars per share) Basic (in dollars per share) Corporate and Other [Member] Segments [Axis] Segments [Domain] Statement [Table] Sypris Technologies [Member] Represents entity's operating segment. us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInOtherCurrentAssets Other current assets Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block] us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanNetPeriodicBenefitCost Pension expense (benefit) Promissory Note [Member] The name or description of the debt instrument. us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInInventories Inventory Gill Family Capital Management [Member] The name or description of the related party. us-gaap_OtherLiabilitiesNoncurrent Other liabilities Income Statement [Abstract] Sypris Electronics [Member] Represents entity's business segment. us-gaap_AreaOfLand Area of Land Cash flows from financing activities: General, Corporate and Other [Member] Represents entity's business segment. us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInRestrictedCash Change in restricted cash sypr_ExtendedProductWarrantyTerm Extended Product Warranty Term Represents contractual term of extended product warranty. Link Encryption Products [Member] Represents certain link encryption products. us-gaap_LiabilitiesAndStockholdersEquity Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity New Accounting Principles, Early Adoption [Domain] New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption [Axis] Retained deficit Accumulated other comprehensive loss Accumulated other comprehensive loss Stockholders’ equity: Schedule of Future Minimum Lease Payments for Capital Leases [Table Text Block] Toluca [Member] Represents information about Toluca, Mexico property and buildings. Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member] Disposal Group Classification [Axis] New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block] Disposal Group Classification [Domain] Area of Land Occupied by Seller [Member] The area of land occupied by Seller and needed for its ongoing business in the Sale-Leaseback. us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueThereafter Thereafter us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDue Total future payments us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFiveYears 2020 us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrent Long term portion us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInFourYears 2019 us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInThreeYears 2018 us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsDueInTwoYears 2017 us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsRemainderOfFiscalYear 2016 (remaining 3 months) sypr_AdditionalAmountOfCashToBeDepositedIntoAControlledCashCollateralAccountToBeHeldForOneYear Additional Amount of Cash to Be Deposited Into a Controlled Cash Collateral Account to be Held for One Year An additional amount of cash to be deposited into a controlled cash collateral account to be held for one year. us-gaap_LongTermNotesPayable Term loan us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossDefinedBenefitPensionAndOtherPostretirementPlansNetOfTax Employee benefit related adjustments sypr_CapitalLeaseAgreementTerm Capital Lease Agreement Term The term of the capital lease agreement. us-gaap_AccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLossForeignCurrencyTranslationAdjustmentNetOfTax Foreign currency translation adjustments us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsInterestIncludedInPayments Less: Amount representing interest Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Income tax expense, net us-gaap_OtherNoncashIncomeExpense Other noncash items us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperationsBeforeIncomeTaxesMinorityInterestAndIncomeLossFromEquityMethodInvestments Income (loss) before taxes Products us-gaap_CapitalLeasesFutureMinimumPaymentsPresentValueOfNetMinimumPayments Present value of future minimum payments us-gaap_DisposalGroupNotDiscontinuedOperationGainLossOnDisposal Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal Series A Preferred Stock [Member] Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract] us-gaap_LiabilitiesCurrent Total current liabilities Deferred income taxes Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Net revenue: Nonvoting Common Stock [Member] us-gaap_UnamortizedDebtIssuanceExpense Less unamortized debt issuance and modification costs Class of Stock [Axis] Class of Stock [Domain] Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block] Comprehensive Income (Loss) Note [Text Block] Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] Stock-based compensation expense Sypris Technologies Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. [Member] Represents information about Sypris Technologies Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Seller”), a subsidiary of the Company. Other assets us-gaap_PensionContributions Contributions to pension plans us-gaap_RecognitionOfDeferredRevenue Deferred revenue recognized Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations Treasury stock (in shares) us-gaap_LongTermDebtCurrent Current portion of long term debt us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent Current portion of capital lease obligation Less: Current portion Common stock us-gaap_TableTextBlock Notes Tables sypr_AccumulatedDepreciationAssetsHeldforsaleDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperation Accumulated depreciation Amount of accumulated depreciation for assets held-for-sale that are part of a disposal group, expected to be sold within a year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. Common stock, shares issued (in shares) Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) Amendment Flag us-gaap_DepreciationDepletionAndAmortization Depreciation and amortization Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) Concentration Risk Disclosure [Text Block] us-gaap_ProceedsFromSalesOfBusinessAffiliateAndProductiveAssets Proceeds from Sales of Business, Affiliate and Productive Assets us-gaap_AssetsCurrent Total current assets us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense Other (income), net us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateIncreaseDecrease Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Increase (Decrease) Preferred stock Current Fiscal Year End Date Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash used in operating activities: us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount Debt Instrument, Face Amount Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares) Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Property, plant and equipment, net Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets, Current Property, plant and equipment, Gross Accounts payable Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share) Accrued liabilities Document Period End Date Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block] us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationOtherCurrentAssets Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Other Assets, Current us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets Proceeds from Sale of Productive Assets us-gaap_PurchaseObligation Purchase Obligation Document Type us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss Operating loss Operating loss Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] us-gaap_GrossProfit Gross profit (loss) Gross profit (loss) Subsequent Events [Text Block] Proceeds from sale of assets Document Information [Line Items] us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationAccruedLiabilities Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Accrued Liabilities Document Information [Table] Debt Instrument [Axis] Entity Filer Category Debt Instrument, Name [Domain] Entity Current Reporting Status us-gaap_CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold Total cost of sales Entity Voluntary Filers Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block] us-gaap_InventoryWriteDown Provision for excess and obsolete inventory Other current assets Construction in Progress [Member] us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment Capital expenditures, net Property, Plant and Equipment, Other Types [Member] Building and Building Improvements [Member] Inventory, net Entity Central Index Key Entity Registrant Name Land and Land Improvements [Member] us-gaap_InventoryValuationReserves Reserve for excess and obsolete inventory us-gaap_GainsLossesOnExtinguishmentOfDebt Loss on extinguishment of debt Entity [Domain] Work in process MEXICO Legal Entity [Axis] Finished goods Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity Property, Plant and Equipment, Type [Axis] Property, Plant and Equipment, Type [Domain] us-gaap_Assets Total assets Total Assets Additional paid-in capital us-gaap_CostOfServices Outsourced services us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationRevenue Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Revenue us-gaap_AssetsOfDisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperation Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Assets us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationConsideration Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration Disposal Group Name [Domain] us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationPropertyPlantAndEquipment Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Property, Plant and Equipment Long-term Debt [Text Block] Disposal Group Name [Axis] Severance Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares) Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Disclosure [Text Block] Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Table Text Block] us-gaap_DisposalGroupIncludingDiscontinuedOperationInventory1 Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Inventory Raw materials Cash flows from operating activities: Statement [Line Items] Weighted average shares outstanding: Trading Symbol Accounts receivable, net Buildings and Land [Member] Represents information pertaining to buildings and land. us-gaap_EscrowDeposit Escrow Deposit us-gaap_Liabilities Total liabilities us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity sypr_EscrowDepositHoldingPeriod Escrow Deposit, Holding Period The designated amount of time that a deposit can be held in escrow. Restricted cash us-gaap_NetIncomeLossAvailableToCommonStockholdersBasic Net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionNetProceedsInvestingActivities Sale Leaseback Transaction, Net Proceeds, Investing Activities Assets us-gaap_CashAndCashEquivalentsPeriodIncreaseDecrease Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAmortizationOfGainsLosses Net amortizations, deferrals and other costs Net income (loss) Net income (loss) us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanInterestCost Interest cost on projected benefit obligation us-gaap_IncomeLossFromContinuingOperations Net income (loss) as reported us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedReturnOnPlanAssets Expected return on plan assets us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanServiceCost Service cost sypr_CashRealesedFromCashCollateralAccountAmount Cash, Realesed from Cash Collateral Account, Amount The amount of cash released from a cash collateral account in connection to the repayment of debt during the period. us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivitiesContinuingOperations Net cash used in operating activities us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInInvestingActivitiesContinuingOperations Net cash provided by investing activities Reclassification from Assets to Reduce Long-term Debt [Member] Represents information pertaining to amounts reclassified from assets to reduce long-term debt, based on an accounting standards update. us-gaap_NetCashProvidedByUsedInFinancingActivities Net cash used in financing activities December 31, 2015 [Member] Represents information as of December 31, 2015. us-gaap_AccumulatedDepreciationDepletionAndAmortizationPropertyPlantAndEquipment Accumulated depreciation us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentNet Property, plant and equipment, net Property plant and equipment net us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentGross Gross property, plant and equipment us-gaap_PaymentsRelatedToTaxWithholdingForShareBasedCompensation Indirect repurchase of shares for minimum statutory tax withholdings us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtExtinguishmentCosts Payments of Debt Extinguishment Costs Penalty paid on early extinguishment of debt UNITED STATES Sypris Electronics Product Line [Member] Represents information pertaining to the Sypris Electronics' product lines. us-gaap_PaymentsOfDebtRestructuringCosts Debt issuance and modification costs us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Property Plant Equipment, Excluding Oil and Gas Property and Timber Property Gain on sale of assets sypr_DisposalGroupIncurredTransactionRelatedExpenses Disposal Group, Incurred Transaction Related Expenses Expenses incurred in connection to the sale or disposal of a disposal group. us-gaap_ProductWarrantyAccrual Standard and Extended Product Warranty Accrual Sypris Electronics Assets [Member] Represents information pertaining to the disposal of Sypris Electronics assets. Morganton [Member] Represents the Company's manufacturing facility in Morganton, North Carolina. us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock Cash dividends paid Certain Assets [Member] Represents certain Morganton equipment, related assets and intellectual property that were sold to Meritor. us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Foreign Income Tax Rate Differential, Percent sypr_SaleLeasebackTransactionTransactionRelatedExpenses Sale Leaseback Transaction, Transaction Related Expenses Represents the amount of expenses, not separately disclosed, associated with a sale leaseback transaction. Morganton Facility [Member] The facility in Morganton that Meritor agreed to purchase. Selling, general and administrative sypr_SaleLeasebackTransactionPortionOfRealEstatePropertyLeasedBackToSeller Sale Leaseback Transaction, Portion of Real Estate Property Leased Back to Seller Represents the area of the portion of the real estate property leased back to the seller in a sale leaseback transaction. Certain Assets and Liabilities [Member] The related inventories and accounts receivable and assumed or released certain accounts payable and other accrued liabilities, which were purchased by Meritor. us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent Meritor Note Amendment [Member] Represents the secured obligation with Meritor, Inc. us-gaap_ProductWarrantyExpense Product Warranty Expense us-gaap_DisclosureTextBlockAbstract Notes to Financial Statements sypr_SaleLeasebackTransactionTermOfLease Sale Leaseback Transaction, Term of Lease Represents the term of the sale leaseback transaction. Reconciliation of Assets from Segment to Consolidated [Table Text Block] us-gaap_StockholdersEquity Total stockholders’ equity us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold Products Term Loan [Member] Debt financing secured on October 30, 2015. New Credit Facility [Member] The revolving credit facility secured on October 30, 2015. us-gaap_ParticipatingSecuritiesDistributedAndUndistributedEarningsLossBasic Less distributed and undistributed earnings allocable to restricted award holders sypr_LongtermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsNoncurrentNetOfUnamortizedDebtCosts Long term debt and capital lease obligations, net of unamortized debt costs Represents the amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligations as of the balance sheet date, excluding current maturities, net of unamortized debt costs (such as unamortized debt issuance and modification costs). sypr_ShortTermDebtIncludingCurrentPortionOfLongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations Current debt and capital lease obligation Represents the amount of short-term debt as of the balance sheet date, including debt having initial maturities of a year or less, the current portion of debt having an initial maturity of greater than one year, and the current portion of capital lease obligations. Cost of sales: Accrued Liabilities [Member] Primary financial statement caption encompassing accrued liabilities. New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block] Earnings Per Share [Text Block] us-gaap_PriorPeriodReclassificationAdjustment Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block] Research and development Cash flows from investing activities: Equity Components [Axis] us-gaap_NumberOfOperatingSegments Number of Operating Segments Income (loss) per share: Equity Component [Domain] Report Date [Axis] Financial Statement Filing Date [Domain]