The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Typically, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, because the pressure of the air within the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces which 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 which had wooden wheels, you understand how big 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 result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners must consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these issues and therefore, in some applications, can be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in air pressure and tire performance. 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 air pressure in 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 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 also. With regards to to maintaining proper air pressure, customers are notoriously unreliable. Incorrect air pressure in tires could lead to very unsafe situations. It is essential to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are susceptible to temperature changes too, that could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is important to consider the type of settings you would be needing your machinery to operate in so that you could check the tires regularly and keep the equipment as safe as possible.