The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire consists 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.
Because 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 pressure of the air within 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know 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 could suffer a puncture and this would lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a dangerous car crash. Military planners should consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these kind of issues and therefore, in certain applications, may be more suitable.
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 due to 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. Therefore, less air pressure enables the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems too. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Wrong air pressure within tires can lead to really dangerous situations. It is very important to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is important to consider the type of settings you would be requiring your machinery to function in so that you could inspect the tires regularly and keep the machinery as safe as possible.