The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Normally, a reinforced steel belted tread 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, since the pressure of the air inside the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air inside the tire gives resistance against forces that attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect as the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car accident. Military planners need to consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these type of issues and hence, in certain applications, could be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have another problem involving variations in air pressure and tire performance. Lower tire pressure can create increased comfort and improved traction. This is due to the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is placed in contact with 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. Hence, reduced air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this results in poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires that have incorrect air pressure could result in dangerous situations. It is essential to note that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes too, that could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is important to consider the type of settings you would be needing your machine to function in so that you could check the tires regularly and keep the machinery as safe as possible.