A pneumatic or air-filled tire is composed on an inner core which is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Normally, a reinforced steel belted tread or other kind of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire would remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, as the air pressure within the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces which 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 ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know exactly how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires could make.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. High-performance situations or highly dangerous applications for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a dangerous car accident. Military planners have to take into consideration tires getting blown out by shooting of guns or explosion shrapnel. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these problems and thus, in certain applications, can be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create improved traction and increased comfort. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The pressure of the air in the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Hence, 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.
There are other issues with air pressure. Customers are notoriously undependable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires which have wrong air pressure can result in unsafe situations. It is really vital to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes too, that can be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is important to take into account the kind of environments you would be needing your machine to operate in so that you can regularly inspect the tires and keep the equipment as safe as possible.