An air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed on an inner core that is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Typically, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the pressure of the air in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire gives resistance against forces that 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 experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know precisely how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Surely, there are several drawbacks to pneumatic tires. Like for instance in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a serious car accident. Military planners have to consider tires getting blown out by gunfire or explosion shrapnel. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these type of issues and thus, in some 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 a little and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air in the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Therefore, less air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. This results in poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Customers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires that have incorrect air pressure could lead to dangerous situations. It is important to bear in mind that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes also, which can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is very essential to take into account the kind of environments you will be requiring your equipment to function in so that you can frequently check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.