The pneumatic tire or air-filled tire is composed of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Typically, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other kind of materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
The tire would remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, as the air pressure within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure inside the tire gives resistance against forces that 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 experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand precisely how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires can make.
Surely, there are some drawbacks to pneumatic tires. Like for example in high-performance situations or highly dangerous applications, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners should 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 type of problems and therefore, in some applications, might 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. Therefore, reduced air pressure enables the sidewalls of the tires 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. When it comes to maintaining correct air pressure, consumers are notoriously undependable. Incorrect air pressure within tires could result in very unsafe situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, that can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really vital to take into account the type of settings you will be needing your machine to operate in so that you could frequently check the tires and keep the machinery as safe as possible.