An air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of an inner core that is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Typically, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other kind of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
Since 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 air pressure within 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 that had wooden wheels, you understand how huge 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 can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a serious car accident. Military planners need to take into consideration tires getting blown out by gunfire or explosion shrapnel. 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 type of problems and hence, in some applications, could be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire may have issues as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure inside a tire can increase the comfort level and the traction. This is due to 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. Thus, reduced air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. This leads to poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires that have wrong air pressure can lead to unsafe situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes also, which could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is essential to consider the type of settings you will be requiring your equipment to operate in so that you could regularly inspect the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.