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 type of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the air pressure within the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure within the tire provides resistance against forces which 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know precisely how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for instance, these tires can 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 shooting of guns. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these kind of problems and thus, may be more suitable in some applications.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in air pressure and tire performance. Lower tire pressure could create increased comfort and improved traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little 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. Thus, less air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this results in poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues too. When it comes to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Wrong air pressure within tires could result in very dangerous situations. It is important to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really essential to take into account the kind of settings you will be requiring your machinery to operate in so that you can frequently check the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.