An air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of an inner core that is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Normally, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other kind of materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire would remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, as the pressure of the air in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces which try to deform the tire. When the tire hits bumps in the road, this gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect. If you have ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires could make.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for example, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a serious car accident. Military planners should consider tires getting blown out by firing of guns or explosion shrapnel. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these issues and hence, could be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire might have issues as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure in a tire can increase the comfort level and the traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Therefore, less air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this results in poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems too. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Incorrect air pressure inside tires can lead to really unsafe situations. It is essential to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, that could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is very essential to consider the kind of settings you would be needing your machinery to function in so that you can regularly check the tires and keep the machinery as safe as possible.