The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Typically, a reinforced steel belted tread or other type of materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, as the pressure of the air in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air within the tire provides resistance against forces which try 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Surely, there are several disadvantages to pneumatic tires. For example in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a dangerous car crash. Military planners need to take into account tires getting blown out by shooting of guns or explosion shrapnel. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these kind of problems and therefore, in certain applications, might be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have one more problem involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure could create improved traction and increased comfort. This is due to the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Therefore, reduced air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other issues with air pressure. Consumers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires that have wrong air pressure could lead to unsafe situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes too, that could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is really essential to consider the type of settings you would be needing your machinery to operate in so that you can check the tires on a regular basis and keep the equipment as safe as possible.