An air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed on an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Usually, a reinforced steel belted tread or other type of materials, provides the contact part with the road and seals this inner core.
Because the pressure of the air within 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 that attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know exactly how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Surely, there are several disadvantages to pneumatic tires. Like for instance in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will lead to a complete 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 shooting of guns. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these kind of issues and therefore, may be more suitable in some applications.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in air pressure and tire performance. Lower tire pressure could create increased comfort and improved traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, reduced air pressure allows 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 problems too. When it comes to maintaining proper air pressure, consumers are notoriously unreliable. Incorrect air pressure in tires could result in very unsafe situations. It is very important to bear in mind that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is very essential to take into consideration the kind of settings you will be needing your machinery to function in so that you can frequently check the tires and keep the machinery as safe as possible.