The air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a reinforced steel belted tread or other kind of materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
Because the pressure of the air inside the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with the weight of the vehicle resting on it. The air pressure within 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 how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Surely, there are several disadvantages to pneumatic tires. Like for example in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a serious car crash. Military planners have to take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or firing of guns. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these problems and hence, can be more suitable in some applications.
Pneumatic tires have one more issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create increased comfort and improved traction. This is because of 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 enables the tires' sidewalls 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. Consumers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires which have improper air pressure could lead to dangerous situations. It is essential to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, that can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really essential to take into consideration the kind of settings you would be needing your equipment to operate in so that you can check the tires regularly and keep the machine as safe as possible.