The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a reinforced steel belted tread or other type of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
Since the pressure of the air in 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 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you understand how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for instance, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners should take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or firing of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these issues and hence, may be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire may have issues as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure inside a tire could increase the comfort level and the traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of 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 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. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires that have improper air pressure could result in dangerous situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, that can be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is very vital to take into consideration 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.