Layout Problem: Optimization with Material Tour in Open Field. Case of Study

World-class companies are always looking to minimize their production costs. One of these costs is the distribution of materials in the production lines. This article addresses a real problem of material handling in a chemical company through 14 reactors where each reactor has a specific demand. The case study uses a hydraulic skid and a forklift to move material through the plant without a specific route, resulting in a high cost for material handling because when the operator cannot meet the demand at one of the reactors, he has to return to the warehouse to pick up material and continue with delivery. To solve the problem, we use the Traveling Agent Problem (TSP) as a mathematical model to create an a priori route that helps make sub routes using two solution methods: Branch and Bound and Simulated Annealing. The results show that Branch and Bound works better at finding a solution faster than the Simulated Annealing model.