The air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
Since the pressure of the air in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with the weight of the vehicle resting on it. The air pressure within the tire provides 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 understand precisely how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for example, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a serious car crash. Military planners should take into account 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 kind of problems and hence, could be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire may have problems as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure in a tire may increase the traction and the comfort level. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is placed in contact with 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. Hence, reduced air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. In 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 proper air pressure. Tires which have incorrect air pressure can lead to dangerous situations. It is vital to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are susceptible to temperature changes too, which can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is vital to take into account the kind of settings you would be requiring your machine to function in so that you could inspect the tires regularly and keep the machinery as safe as possible.