The air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other type of materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, since the pressure of the air within the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air in 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires could make.
Of course, there are several drawbacks to pneumatic tires. Like for example in high-performance situations or highly dangerous applications, these tires could suffer a puncture and this would lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a dangerous car crash. Military planners must take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these problems and hence, in some applications, can be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire may have problems as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure in a tire can increase the comfort level and the traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure in the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Thus, reduced air pressure enables the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. Within 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, consumers are notoriously unreliable. Incorrect air pressure inside tires can result in really unsafe situations. It is really vital to bear 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 vital to take into consideration the type of environments you will be requiring your machine to operate in so that you can frequently inspect the tires and keep the equipment as safe as possible.