A pneumatic or air-filled tire consists of an inner core that is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Typically, a reinforced steel belted tread or other type of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, because the pressure of the air within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air within the tire gives resistance against forces which attempt 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 big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for example, these tires could suffer a puncture and this would result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a serious car crash. Military planners must take into consideration tires getting blown out by gunfire or explosion shrapnel. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these problems and thus, may be more suitable in certain applications.
The pneumatic tire may have issues as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure in a tire could 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 air pressure in the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Therefore, less air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. This results in poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues also. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Wrong air pressure inside tires can lead to really dangerous situations. It is very essential to bear in mind that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes too, which can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really important to take into consideration the type of environments you would be requiring your machine to operate in so that you can check the tires on a regular basis and keep the machinery as safe as possible.